07-19-2018, 08:36 AM
(07-19-2018, 08:29 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: An interesting stat from last season:
When comparing "Rushing Yards Per Game" averages, 9 of the top 10 teams in the NFL made the playoffs. None of the bottom 10 in the NFL made the playoffs.
As the NFL Network replays some of the playoff games from a year ago, you can see how teams that can effectively rush the ball have their entire playbook open and they force defenses to alter coverages to help try and stop the run.
I know this isn't rocket science, but this gives me hope for how our team finished the year with the revised blocking scheme (which was incredibly difficult to install in-season), the new coach (Pollack), and new talent on the team (Glenn, Price).
This is always a chicken and the egg type thing to me. Teams that are generally winning games run more because they are trying to keep the clock moving. Teams that are trailing in games tend to have to throw more to catch up. One could argue that the amount of running isn't a predictor of success, but rather a product of success.Dave Lapham always used to throw out some stat about rushing attempts and the Bengals winning trying to associate it with causation, but again if the team is rushing that much it is because they most likely have a lead. It used to drive me nuts!
As to the question, you have to be able to run at least at an average clip to win.
