02-18-2023, 03:43 PM
(02-17-2023, 11:06 PM)samhain Wrote: Mahomes is getting a lot of run this week, perhaps rightly so. I think it's a bit exaggerated, but whatever.
One particular thing I noticed in the second half of that game, ie the major momentum shift: KC's run game.
Pacheco was running like his life depended on it, and KC kept giving him the ball. The Eagles' mighty pass rush was neutralized, and there was no answer for it.
People can talk about refs (I did) and Mahomes being a Marvel movie character all they want, but the run game and KC actually deciding to utilize it turned that game. KC always had the pieces to run successfully, they just had little interest in doing it consistently. When they did, it was a problem.
Go back to the Bengals' regular season tilt vs KC. The team was at their peak IMO. Mixon was out. Perine was running angry, and Cappa/Collins were healthy. Collins gets some shit here. but when those two were blocking down on run plays, it added a dimension that they missed badly when Collins was lost in Foxboro.They could actually win physical battles at the line of scrimmage.
Bottom line: A run game and a willingness to use it will fix just about every problem this offense has. Recall the Buffalo playoff game. The Bengals ran wild and the Bills never stood a chance. This time it was Mixon getting the carries.
IMO this is the key to the offseason and the final piece of the puzzle when it comes to this team winning a title. Burrow and the receivers with a consistent run threat would be an absolute juggernaut. The goal this offseason should be to facilitate that in every way possible.
Great post and thread Samhain. Completely agree, if we can get the running game elite no team can beat us. This is why we need
to add at least a couple OT's to the team, one in FA like a Garrett Bolles and one in the Draft like Darnell Wright for insurance in case
La'el and Jonah aren't either healthy or up to par. True that when La'el was finally getting healthy this Offense started to look insane
with a running game.
Mixon had a few big games running the ball, but blitz pickup is essential and his contract takes up too much dough IMO.
Bring back Perine, cut Mixon, draft a RB that can pick up the blitz like McKinnon and run like a mad man like Pacheco...
Look out if we do all this.
