Excellent In-Depth NFL.com Article On Our Running Game

[Floppin]

What is real balance then? If you aren't using the league as the measuring bar?

balance isn't a constant. A balanced team in 2003 and 2012 won't be the same thing.

I don't think you understand the definition of balanced.

[Floppin]

A balanced offense represents a team that can do both running and passing equally well and, in general, will do both at about the same ratio. Some games might be more pass heavy while others will be run heavy, but it's all a reaction to the opposing defense. A balanced team does not try and pass against passing aligned defensive sets but will run, because they can do either as well and they are taking advantage of a defensive mismatch.

[rayzor]

you want to talk about just how different and special...unique newton is (which is true) but then expect what we do here to be more in line with what the rest of the league is doing? use other teams as a measuring stick as to how the balance should be?

meh....the panthers are going to be doing things differently. the balance they should be going for isn't what is tried and true across the league. it would make more sense if this offense was or was trying to be like the others in the league. that isn't the case.

this is a unique team with unique components and will be run uniquely. run/pass ratios are going to be different than the rest of the league. just because something is the norm or is trending across the league doesn't mean that is the way it should be or should be measured by. if we were interested in doing things the way other teams would we probably wouldn't have cam here. we would have gone with a more traditional QB or at least one that threw more. we wouldn't have given williams and stewart the extensions we did. we wouldn't have picked up a third RB.

carolina will do the most with what they have and they sure won't be looking at what other teams are doing to see how they should be running things. they need to look at what they have here and then see how best to use it, all of it, to beat the other teams.

[CRA]

I don't think you understand the definition of balanced.

I understand w/ the rules in today's NFL and how easy it is to abuse teams in the air. 50/50 isn't the same desirable balance it once was.

[Floppin]

which is why I asked for what you are defining balance as for this team in 2012. You haven't stated what that is

Of course I did. The idea of offensive balance is a constant, it's application and play calling might be different, but not the theory.

[rayzor]

I understand w/ the rules in today's NFL and how easy it is to abuse teams in the air. 50/50 isn't the same desirable balance it once was.

it is if you can kick ass no matter what you do.

for teams built like the panthers where they are deadly running or throwing the ball, 50/50 is very desirable.

[CRA]

A balanced offense represents a team that can do both running and passing equally well and, in general, will do both at about the same ratio. Some games might be more pass heavy while others will be run heavy, but it's all a reaction to the opposing defense. A balanced team does not try and pass against passing aligned defensive sets but will run, because they can do either as well and they are taking advantage of a defensive mismatch.

with the way the rules are....defenses are handicapped against the pass even when aligned to defend it. Which is why the pass/run ratio has shifted.

[Floppin]

with the way the rules are....defenses are handicapped against the pass even when aligned to defend it. Which is why the pass/run ratio has shifted.

Opting to pass against a pass defense when you can run just as well, is an idiotic policy, regardless of the rules. The only reason that the ratio has shifted is because not every team has a running game as stout as their passing game, and the rules have made it easier to BUILD a passing offense. It hasn't made it harder to build a running offense, however, and the Panthers as a team has an equally potent passing attack as they do a running attack. This is why the Panthers offense will be a truly balanced attack and why looking at league trends is counter-intuitive to understanding how our offense will work.

[CRA]

it is if you can kick ass no matter what you do.

for teams built like the panthers where they are deadly running or throwing the ball, 50/50 is very desirable.

They were deadly last year.....b/c Newton was at the center of it all. Simple as that. He got some assists from coaches and role players but Newton drove what we did on the ground and air. So I don't really give a poo about ratio......ratio can be whatever as long as Newton is the focal point.

[CRA]

Opting to pass against a pass defense when you can run just as well, is an idiotic policy, regardless of the rules. The only reason that the ratio has shifted is because not every team has a running game as stout as their passing game, and the rules have made it easier to BUILD a passing offense. It hasn't made it harder to build a running offense, however, and the Panthers as a team has an equally potent passing attack as they do a running attack. This is why the Panthers offense will be a truly balanced attack and why looking at league trends is counter-intuitive to understanding how our offense will work.

ah.....

but again, we were the most efficient running team in the NFL b/c we were not running out of running formations that often. That is my point.

You make teams defend passing formations and you can A. pass against a handicapped D b/c of the silly new pass happy rules or B. run against teams worried about the pass w/ a RB or Cam. Which is why the spread option is so great.....you stress a D. Teams don't have the running threats we do out of it.

What you fail to acknowledge is the beastly Panther ground you saw last year wasn't trying to line up and pound it like years before. Putting Newton under center and lining up to pound it more.....makes the offense less dangerous easily IMO. They took advantage of mismatches last year.

I think people want us to justify what we are paying our RBs by making them a bigger part of things than they really need to be. With the addition of Tolbert and Cam getting better....I doubt Double Trouble gets more touches.

So I will close with, don't fix what ain't broken.

[megadeth078]

We were 3rd in rushing last season. We extended Stewart so we can keep running the ball. What am I missing?

[CRA]

We were 3rd in rushing last season. We extended Stewart so we can keep running the ball. What am I missing?

.....and our RBs rushed the ball less than anytime in franchise history most likely last year (would have to double check it).

We need to continue to run. We don't need to line up in power run formations and pound the rock more making the overall offense less dangerous.

I am just amazed that Newton came in and did his thing.....and the first thing people want to do is reduce his role and emphasize going back to old school football.

[Floppin]

ah.....

but again, we were the most efficient running team in the NFL b/c we were not running out of running formations that often. That is my point.

You make teams defend passing formations and you can A. pass against a handicapped D b/c of the silly new pass happy rules or B. run against teams worried about the pass w/ a RB or Cam. Which is why the spread option is so great.....you stress a D. Teams don't have the running threats we do out of it.

What you fail to acknowledge is the beastly Panther ground you saw last year wasn't trying to line up and pound it like years before. Putting Newton under center and lining up to pound it more.....makes the offense less dangerous easily IMO. They took advantage of mismatches last year.

I think people want us to justify what we are paying our RBs by making them a bigger part of things than they really need to be. With the addition of Tolbert and Cam getting better....I doubt Double Trouble gets more touches.

So I will close with, don't fix what ain't broken.

How we run it is irrelevant. It's not like running out of a passing formation makes it a pass play. I never said that I wanted us to line up in an I formation and run a/b gap inside handoffs all day. A run is a run, deception certainly helps. You're making my point for me. Our initial play alignment is irrelevant, we will run when the defense it set to stop the pass because we are an incredibly stacked to run, and we will pass when they try to stop the run because we are incredibly stacked to pass. Our pre-snap alignment means diddlyshit to this argument.

[CRA]

How we run it is irrelevant. It's not like running out of a passing formation makes it a pass play. I never said that I wanted us to line up in an I formation and run a/b gap inside handoffs all day. A run is a run, deception certainly helps. You're making my point for me. Our initial play alignment is irrelevant, we will run when the defense it set to stop the pass because we are an incredibly stacked to run, and we will pass when they try to stop the run because we are incredibly stacked to pass. Our pre-snap alignment means diddlyshit to this argument.

How we run is relevant...was relevant last year. Which is why our RBs could rush for fewer times in franchise history yet we had arguably the greatest rushing season in Panther history.

We need to score points. Unless something changes w/ our D....we don't need to fix what ain't broke on O.

You want Cam to have a sophomore slump.....reduce his role. Only way Cam should take a backseat is if we have a comfortable lead late. Otherwise, his legs and role on the ground is part of his game(and confidence)...reducing that at this early stage would be bad news for the O.