Significance of the running game in today's NFL

[TrailBlazer]

Baltimore Dallas Denver all out rushed their opponents last weekend. They all lost. Baltimore had 140 rushing yards to 14 for New England. Didnt matter. Teams that average 2 more yards rushing per play than their opponent, win 53% of the time. Compared that to teams that average 2 more yards passing per play than their opponent , win 92% of the time.

To me this just shows why teams are moving away from RBs and on to WRs, TEs and QBs. The reason dallas went 13-5 is because tony romo played at an MVP level. If murray prices himself out of town, I think Jerry will let him go. It's just not a position to overpay for anymore.

For the Dallas Cowboys I think the running game is more important than most teams because they have to try to keep the defense off the field. But in that GB game, passing the ball is what put points on the board.

Generally, being able to pass and defend the pass is what wins. Don't get me wrong, a running game helps. But if dallas is going to win in the playoffs, they should emphasize defending the pass this offseason, even if demarco murray is a casualty of that.

Here is a website that really illustrates how much more important passing is in the NFL.

http://thepowerrank.com/2014/01/10/which-nfl-teams-make-and-win-in-the-playoffs/

 

[xwalker]

Baltimore Dallas Denver all out rushed their opponents last weekend. They all lost. Baltimore had 140 rushing yards to 14 for New England. Didnt matter. Teams that average 2 more yards rushing per play than their opponent, win 53% of the time. Compared that to teams that average 2 more yards passing per play than their opponent , win 92% of the time.

To me this just shows why teams are moving away from RBs and on to WRs, TEs and QBs. The reason dallas went 13-5 is because tony romo played at an MVP level. If murray prices himself out of town, I think Jerry will let him go. It's just not a position to overpay for anymore.

For the Dallas Cowboys I think the running game is more important than most teams because they have to try to keep the defense off the field. But in that GB game, passing the ball is what put points on the board.

Generally, being able to pass and defend the pass is what wins. Don't get me wrong, a running game helps. But if dallas is going to win in the playoffs, they should emphasize defending the pass this offseason, even if demarco murray is a casualty of that.

Yardage is not a good measurement of the importance of the running game to winning. Defenses adjust to limit strong rushing threats which makes those defenses more vulnerable to the pass. The statistics don't show things like 8 men in the box vs 7 men in the box. Obviously an offense with a running game that causes the defense to keep 8 men in the box will benefit in the passing game, but it will not show up in the available statistics.

 

[Doomsday101]

GB rushing attack was big for them and kept Dallas off balance, Lacy had over 100 yards and a TD. it is not a matter of who ran for more yards just as who threw for more yards does not determine the outcome of a game.

 

[jazzcat22]

Doesn't matter what your team does if the refs are in the pockets of the "NFL against the Dallas Cowboys" group.....

 

[egn22]

Romo played at an MVP level in a year that Murray broke the Cowboys single season rushing record, as well as the NFL record for consecutive 100 yard rushing games.

Romo passed significantly less than he has in recent history. His passing yards were down but his efficiency was off the charts. In my opinion this could be attributed to our ability to run and control the clock.

I don't want to break the bank on Murray but I think people are getting carried away with the idea that Murray was somehow a minor factor in this teams success.

 

[Jerryrage]

When you see big defense guys holding hips due to excessive acceleration and deceleration because of the shear power of the Cowboys offense line in the first quarter. Then you'll know why the running game is so important in the 4th.

 

[Frozen700]

GB rushing attack was big for them and kept Dallas off balance, Lacy had over 100 yards and a TD. it is not a matter of who ran for more yards just as who threw for more yards does not determine the outcome of a game.

Lacy did not have a TD vs us.

A well executed passing game, kills you every time.

 

[Doomsday101]

People act as if all offense are the same, they are not. Both running and passing are means to move the ball down the field and put up points. Really does not matter if one team leans on the run more than the pass or vise versa the object is to move the ball. People get caught up in how important one is over the other when the reality is the object of the game is to advance the ball and put points on the board

 

[xwalker]

Lacy did not have a TD vs us.

A well executed passing game, kills you every time.

There is a significant amount of randomness to who actually scores TDs in a game.

 

[Doomsday101]

Lacy did not have a TD vs us.

A well executed passing game, kills you every time.

A well executed offense does the same. Pass or run does not fricken matter. TD on a pass counts the same as a TD by the run, moving the ball and putting points up is the object how a team goes about that does not matter one ounce

 

[Idgit]

It's been pretty well established that passing effectively wins football games, regardless of how well you run the ball. Not talking yards, but effectiveness.

Rushing games get you in situations where you can pass successfully. Whether it's in terms of downs and distances or formations. And then passing it effectively is what wins you the games. And stopping the pass.

 

[Doomsday101]

It's been pretty well established that passing effectively wins football games, regardless of how well you run the ball. Not talking yards, but effectiveness.

Rushing games get you in situations where you can pass successfully. Whether it's in terms of downs and distances or formations. And then passing it effectively is what wins you the games. And stopping the pass.

Putting points on the board and stopping points from being scored is how ball games are won. Until they start counting passing TD more than 6 points how the ball gets over the goal line does not matter.

 

[xvendettax914]

There is a significant amount of randomness to who actually scores TDs in a game.

see: tyler clutts.

 

[mahoneybill]

When you see big defense guys holding hips due to excessive acceleration and deceleration because of the shear power of the Cowboys offense line in the first quarter. Then you'll know why the running game is so important in the 4th.

Saw that in the second Eagles game. Our guys had them gassed early , and then when we reclaimed the lead...

 

[erod]

This is wrong.

The run game is a HUGE part of winning, but only if it is intertwined within the concept of what a team does. Balance is the key, whether it's offensively or in relation to the style of defense played.

That's why Peyton Manning's career has been so disappointing from a team accomplishment standpoint. Same for Dan Marino.

 

[Deep_South]

DeMarco helps us dominate TOP - along with takeaways - and that keeps our D off the field for a series or two. Even when our D improves, a dominant running game will still give the D some well-needed rest so they can play at their best in the 4th quarter.

 

[Idgit]

Putting points on the board and stopping points from being scored is how ball games are won. Until they start counting passing TD more than 6 points how the ball gets over the goal line does not matter.

This much is true. But it remains the case that throwing the ball effectively is the easiest way to put points on the board, which is why doing that well is such a good indicator of who's going to win.

Hey, if we could have a theoretical rushing game so effective we didn't need to pass--making it impossible to pass ineffectively--and could stop the other guys from passing ourselves, I'd be all for it. Not sure such an advantage exists anywhere in the league, though. It makes more sense to put a team together than can run to get you in whatever game situations you want to be in, one that's effective at goal line and short yardage, too, and to be able to pass effectively from there. Which is pretty much exactly what we did this season.

If you were to plot rushing effectiveness per game, passer rating per game, opponent passer rating per game, and wins over the 17 weeks of the season, you're going to see the correlation is between the wins and passing effectiveness, regardless of the rushing effectiveness. All while recognizing that rushing touchdowns and receiving touchdowns both count for six points in both the wins and the losses.

 

[Stryker44]

Huge. If you have a power run game, you can run the same play 10 times in a row and not be stopped.

 

[Doomsday101]

This much is true. But it remains the case that throwing the ball effectively is the easiest way to put points on the board, which is why doing that well is such a good indicator of who's going to win.

Hey, if we could have a theoretical rushing game so effective we didn't need to pass--making it impossible to pass ineffectively--and could stop the other guys from passing ourselves, I'd be all for it. Not sure such an advantage exists anywhere in the league, though. It makes more sense to put a team together than can run to get you in whatever game situations you want to be in, one that's effective at goal line and short yardage, too, and to be able to pass effectively from there. Which is pretty much exactly what we did this season. If you were to plot rushing effectiveness per game, passer rating per game, opponent passer rating per game, and wins over the 17 weeks of the season, you're going to see the correlation is between the wins and passing effectiveness, regardless of the rushing effectiveness. All while recognizing that rushing touchdowns and receiving touchdowns both count for six points in both the wins and the losses.

Easier for some than others, not every team is playing the west coast offense or the pistol for some if their run game is not effective it will have a major impact on their ability to pass the ball. I'm a proponent of both run and pass because over the course of the season you will face defense who are very good vs the pass but not so much vs the run and vise versa and to be able to exploit the weakness of a team is what a top offense is able to do. I maintain the object is for an offense to move the ball down the field and put up points and a good way to do that is to keep a defense off balance.
If someone tells me the only thing that matter is how you pass the ball sorry I don't agree and have heard enough NFL HC talk of the importance of running and being able to stop the run, this does not mean I do not think the passing game is unimportant it is very important

 

[Doomsday101]

Huge. If you have a power run game, you can run the same play 10 times in a row and not be stopped.

I agree, I guess where I come down on this is both passing and rushing is what makes an offense tick. There are ways to stop the run if you are willing to commit enough players to the line of scrimmage but in doing so you expose your team to the passing game. To me what made the 90's team as great as they were was the ability to run it or pass it and let the defense choose how they wanted to die that day. You bring the safeties up? fine we attack, you drop into nickel or dime packages we will attack you on the ground. I have seen drives were as you said it would be 10 straight handoffs but we would drive the field and put points on the board.