***Week 8 GameDay Thread - Bengals @ Jets***

[jfkbengals]

(10-31-2021, 04:23 PM)KillerGoose Wrote: That is not how football works, and that's not why that play worked. Defenders have to play their gaps regardless of run game success. As soon as they don't play their gaps, the running game starts working. This has been studied thoroughly already, run game effectiveness has no relationship to play-action success. Play-action just works. 

That is correct.  But effective runs force the DC to call plays that lean towards a run responsibility.  That is why it makes PA work.  If you can't against a line, the DC is going to play the pass all day and let the line take care of the run.  If you can run effectively, the entire secondary will have responsibilities in the run game, which is what causes the hesitation needed for a receiver to get the separation.