Kellen Moore on running the ball outside the tackles

[RonnieT24]

Good post......would we have had the same result if Zeke had run that play.

Oh I don't know about that.. because Zeke is extremely gimped up right now and I doubt he would have threatened the safety with his speed the way Pollard did.. On the flipside he might have just turned back in and run over him.. Still there is little doubt with that much blocking it was going to be a big play.

 

[RonnieT24]

I’ll tell you what doesn’t wear down a defense. Going 3 & out and being terrible on 3rd down which we are.

Which brings me back to Zeke. Bring him in when the offense gets going but he doesn’t get the team going at all. He’s just a waste of a play and not wearing anyone down. He’s giving our opponents a breather and hurting the defense.

Sorry dude but this is just inaccurate. The main reason Zeke is not doing any damage in terms of wearing the defense down is he's averaging like 11 carries a game over the past 4-5 weeks. Wearing down is a cumulative thing.. 5 carries a half does not accomplish that. What gives our opponents a breather is dropping back 50 times and letting them beat on our offensive line instead of letting our offensive line beat on the defense 30-35 times a game. The Cowboys were better on 3rd down when they were running the ball more in fact I believe they were #1 in the league after the NE game.. The drop has coincided with the shift to 80/20 pass run.

 

[phildadon86]

Sorry dude but this is just inaccurate. The main reason Zeke is not doing any damage in terms of wearing the defense down is he's averaging like 11 carries a game over the past 4-5 weeks. Wearing down is a cumulative thing.. 5 carries a half does not accomplish that. What gives our opponents a breather is dropping back 50 times and letting them beat on our offensive line instead of letting our offensive line beat on the defense 30-35 times a game. The Cowboys were better on 3rd down when they were running the ball more in fact I believe they were #1 in the league after the NE game.. The drop has coincided with the shift to 80/20 pass run.

I still remember the OL in 2007. By the 3rd quarter of games players on opposing teams would be hurt or take themselves out of the game. God I miss those days

 

[G2]

Sorry dude but this is just inaccurate. The main reason Zeke is not doing any damage in terms of wearing the defense down is he's averaging like 11 carries a game over the past 4-5 weeks. Wearing down is a cumulative thing.. 5 carries a half does not accomplish that. What gives our opponents a breather is dropping back 50 times and letting them beat on our offensive line instead of letting our offensive line beat on the defense 30-35 times a game. The Cowboys were better on 3rd down when they were running the ball more in fact I believe they were #1 in the league after the NE game.. The drop has coincided with the shift to 80/20 pass run.

It should be fairly obvious that he's got a personal vendetta against Elliott. Every chance he gets he piles on but won't ever admit that there are a couple of factors involved.

 

[RonnieT24]

I still remember the OL in 2007. By the 3rd quarter of games players on opposing teams would be hurt or take themselves out of the game. God I miss those days

We have seen it even this year.... There has been at least a dozen DB and LBs who have had to leave the game after tackling Zeke.. The dude is a load and Moore has wasted that aspect of his game by just pounding him into 300 pounders instead of letting him work against 190-200 pounders a few times a game.

 

[phildadon86]

We have seen it even this year.... There has been at least a dozen DB and LBs who have had to leave the game after tackling Zeke.. The dude is a load and Moore has wasted that aspect of his game by just pounding him into 300 pounders instead of letting him work against 190-200 pounders a few times a game.

One of my favourite scenes in a movie ever is in the movie The Express. "When you have a thoroughbred you dont lock him up in the barn". Moore needs to tailor the run game to Zeke not just run him up the gut 20 times a game.

 

[FiveSuperBowls]

Just bring in a DT (replace TE) on the Oline and another as a lead blocker (replace FB) and run it up the middle.

 

[charron]

Its the NFL in December. MM and Moore need to be able to do what the Pats just did. They need to figure out what the best blocking scheme is for these guys and just pound the ball all day. Get back to making defenses fear the run in different looks, jumbo package, fb, 2 back, 11 or 12 personnel, with some fakes, rpo's, delayed handoffs, wildcat (last one went 33 yards), misdirection of any kind and keep mixing it up for both zeke and pollard. Pollard is averaging 1 30+ yard carry every 6-7 touches so get him 12-15 a game while he's hot and let zeke do some of the other things, blocking, short yardage, goal line, and just wear them out in the 4th.

 

[RonnieT24]

Its the NFL in December. MM and Moore need to be able to do what the Pats just did. They need to figure out what the best blocking scheme is for these guys and just pound the ball all day. Get back to making defenses fear the run in different looks, jumbo package, fb, 2 back, 11 or 12 personnel, with some fakes, rpo's, delayed handoffs, wildcat (last one went 33 yards), misdirection of any kind and keep mixing it up for both zeke and pollard. Pollard is averaging 1 30+ yard carry every 6-7 touches so get him 12-15 a game while he's hot and let zeke do some of the other things, blocking, short yardage, goal line, and just wear them out in the 4th.

I don't disagree that they should use Pollard more but 1 30+ yard carry every 6-7 touches? Pollard only has two such runs all season.. so your frequency may be off by a decimal point. Maybe you meant every 60-70 touches? But your initial point is valid. This team needs to figure out how to run the ball again or it will have a short trip to the playoffs.

 

[charron]

I don't disagree that they should use Pollard more but 1 30+ yard carry every 6-7 touches? Pollard only has two such runs all season.. so your frequency may be off by a decimal point. Maybe you meant every 60-70 touches? But your initial point is valid. This team needs to figure out how to run the ball again or it will have a short trip to the playoffs.

no he just doesn't get many touches a game. some games he gets less than 5.

 

[Streifenkarl]

Sorry dude but this is just inaccurate. The main reason Zeke is not doing any damage in terms of wearing the defense down is he's averaging like 11 carries a game over the past 4-5 weeks. Wearing down is a cumulative thing.. 5 carries a half does not accomplish that. What gives our opponents a breather is dropping back 50 times and letting them beat on our offensive line instead of letting our offensive line beat on the defense 30-35 times a game. The Cowboys were better on 3rd down when they were running the ball more in fact I believe they were #1 in the league after the NE game.. The drop has coincided with the shift to 80/20 pass run.

Where are you getting more carries from when you're always three and out?

 

[RonnieT24]

no he just doesn't get many touches a game. some games he gets less than 5.

Yes he gets less touches sometimes.. but that's generally because he's averaging the same ypc as Zeke and sometimes even less. If he's not getting more yards than the guy running on one leg and he doesn't block well he's not going to get more opportunities plain and simple. He's supposed to be the spark back.. If he doesn't provide the spark where is the incentive to bring him back in other than to spell Zeke? Now obviously he is not as good an inside runner as Zeke so it looks really stupid when we keep running him up the gut when he comes in. He's better at it than in years past but his impact is made on the edges.. We need to use him that way and take advantage of his skillset. Running up the gut has gotten Zeke beaten down and will do the same to Pollard.. If Moore doesn't figure this out neither back will be healthy come playoff time.

 

[RonnieT24]

Where are you getting more carries from when you're always three and out?

Don't be a simpleton man. One they are not "always three and out" and two even if you got three and out every drive you still get the ball back after the defense gets a stop or the other team scores. So you get the same number of snaps on 4 3 and outs as you get on one 12 play drive. The point is that one run followed by 5-6 passes in a row is no way to have a successful offense. And again, it allows the defense the advantage of pounding YOUR guys instead of vice versa.

 

[Streifenkarl]

Don't be a simpleton man. One they are not "always three and out" and two even if you got three and out every drive you still get the ball back after the defense gets a stop or the other team scores. So you get the same number of snaps on 4 3 and outs as you get on one 12 play drive. The point is that one run followed by 5-6 passes in a row is no way to have a successful offense. And again, it allows the defense the advantage of pounding YOUR guys instead of vice versa.

Relax man, was just kidding. Hoped the smiley gave a clue.

 

[charron]

Yes he gets less touches sometimes.. but that's generally because he's averaging the same ypc as Zeke and sometimes even less. If he's not getting more yards than the guy running on one leg and he doesn't block well he's not going to get more opportunities plain and simple. He's supposed to be the spark back.. If he doesn't provide the spark where is the incentive to bring him back in other than to spell Zeke? Now obviously he is not as good an inside runner as Zeke so it looks really stupid when we keep running him up the gut when he comes in. He's better at it than in years past but his impact is made on the edges.. We need to use him that way and take advantage of his skillset. Running up the gut has gotten Zeke beaten down and will do the same to Pollard.. If Moore doesn't figure this out neither back will be healthy come playoff time.

That's just it sometimes its the play calling or blocking. Those things need to change for both RB's. You are correct the play calling should reflect the personnel on the field, you'd think the OC would know this.

 

[silvernblu]

I don't know what I don't know. But I remember times when we had an all out blitz on defense, but there wasn't enough room and the blitzers all blocked each other out. I remeber being so frustrated knowing no one was getting through and all the receivers were one on one.

So my analogy, is on the offensive side of the ball...you need to provide some space for these guys to run.

All mentions of spread offense, off tackle runs, motion, draw plays...it's all about getting things less congested.

If you know your QB ain't going to roll out anymore. And your running plays are all going to be up the middle. That just allows the defense to concentrate in that highly congested space.

 

[RonnieT24]

Relax man, was just kidding. Hoped the smiley gave a clue.

LOL!!! Passion gets the best of you someties!!

 

[glimmerman]

What folks keeps missing on that play was that it wasn't outrunning anybody that made it happen.. it was guys getting out and blocking. The alley created by the WR kick out block in tandem with Tyron and Schultz sealing off the inside and finally Biadasz kicking out another defender was beautiful. Pollard saw it and hit like he was shot out of a cannon. He was barely touched though.. THAT is what we have been missing in our outside running game. To be fair the safety had little trouble catching Pollard but for some reason refused to actually try to tackle, instead choosing to escort him 30 yards to the end zone. It was a weird deal but maybe Pollard's speed messed with his head because he was clearly confused about what he should do.. Apparently "push him out of bounds" took too long to bubble to the top of his list of options. I would love to see us run more of that.. Maybe the reason our TEs and WRs suck at it so bad usually is because we do it so infrequently. Hell for all I know they never even practice it. It certainly looks that way at times.

I was impressed with his speed when he caught the hole. He was gone..

 

[RonnieT24]

I was impressed with his speed when he caught the hole. He was gone..

You and me and #43.. I still chuckle every time I watch the replay of the safety just running alongside Pollard as he sprints down the sideline. I still keep half expecting him to go on over two more feet and push him out of bounds.. but it just never happens.. Definitely one of the strangest plays in recent memory.. But again, I think it was Pollard's speed that messed with him..

 

[glimmerman]

You and me and #43.. I still chuckle every time I watch the replay of the safety just running alongside Pollard as he sprints down the sideline. I still keep half expecting him to go on over two more feet and push him out of bounds.. but it just never happens.. Definitely one of the strangest plays in recent memory.. But again, I think it was Pollard's speed that messed with him..

Lol. Like he wanted him to score.