12-23-2021, 04:12 PM
(12-23-2021, 12:59 AM)rfaulk34 Wrote: Balance, in itself, has no correlation. There has to be effective running--as you pointed out in the beginning of your post--for the run game to be causitive. Unless, of course, the QB throws it 40 times for 400 yds and 4 TDs. The running game can average 1.2ypc and the QB can throw 15 times for 98 yards and if the defense shuts the opponent out, the other stuff doesn't matter.
For this specific Bengals team, the defense (1st and foremost) + Sir-kicks-a-lot + an at times balling Burrow and/or an effective running game has been the thing that has lead to so many more wins. It has nothing to do with running the ball 25 times and passing the ball 25 times.
So, anyway, check this out.
In wins this year, Mixon had ypc averages of: 4.38, 5.00, 4.19, 5.22, 4.92, 4.10, 5.89, 3.41
In losses this year, Mixon had ypc averages of: 3.45, 3.30, 2.36, 4.92, 2.84, 3.22
See a trend there? One outlier in each instance and consistency in all the others.
Yeah, in the end execution is really what matters and taking what the Defense gives you.
If you run the ball all the time at 1.8 YPC it doesn't really matter that much except for making the D think about the run.
