04-03-2017, 01:28 PM
although the Bengals have ranked 13th in rushing yards each of the last two seasons most fans are concerned with the fact that we ranked 23rd and 21st in efficiency (yards per carry).
It is difficult to separate the problems with RBs from the problems with an O-line. For example, sometimes it seems to me that our RBs get stuffed for no gain or a loss much more often than other teams, but according to Footballoutsiders the Bengals ranked in the top half of the league (15th) in fewest stuffs last year, and the year before we were 3rd best in the entire league.
Footballoutsiders also uses a metric called "Adjusted Line Yards" to measure an O-lines run blocking efficiency. It gives more credit/blame to the O-line for losses and runs under 5 yards. It gives the RBs a little more credit for the yards gained from 5 to 10 yards passed the line of scrimmage (2nd level yards) and even more credit to the RB for yards gain 10+ yards passed the line of scrimmage (open field yards). It is interesting to note that each of the last two seasons the bengals have finished much lower in "2nd level yds" and "open field yds" than they did in "adjusted line yds"
.......ALY....SLY...OFY
'15....1.......14.....31
'16...14......26.....23
And even though it looks bad that we finished 23rd and 21st in average per carry the last two years we ranked even lower in number of runs of 20+ yds (25th and 28th).
I realize that good RBs will struggle behind bad lines, but they will also either make a guy miss or break a tackle to get a long run from time to time. I think we could use an upgrade. Hill is not as bad as a lot of people claim, but unless he improves dramatically in '17 he needs to be replaced. I like Gio much better, but he just did not get it done in'16.
It is difficult to separate the problems with RBs from the problems with an O-line. For example, sometimes it seems to me that our RBs get stuffed for no gain or a loss much more often than other teams, but according to Footballoutsiders the Bengals ranked in the top half of the league (15th) in fewest stuffs last year, and the year before we were 3rd best in the entire league.
Footballoutsiders also uses a metric called "Adjusted Line Yards" to measure an O-lines run blocking efficiency. It gives more credit/blame to the O-line for losses and runs under 5 yards. It gives the RBs a little more credit for the yards gained from 5 to 10 yards passed the line of scrimmage (2nd level yards) and even more credit to the RB for yards gain 10+ yards passed the line of scrimmage (open field yards). It is interesting to note that each of the last two seasons the bengals have finished much lower in "2nd level yds" and "open field yds" than they did in "adjusted line yds"
.......ALY....SLY...OFY
'15....1.......14.....31
'16...14......26.....23
And even though it looks bad that we finished 23rd and 21st in average per carry the last two years we ranked even lower in number of runs of 20+ yds (25th and 28th).
I realize that good RBs will struggle behind bad lines, but they will also either make a guy miss or break a tackle to get a long run from time to time. I think we could use an upgrade. Hill is not as bad as a lot of people claim, but unless he improves dramatically in '17 he needs to be replaced. I like Gio much better, but he just did not get it done in'16.
