Run Andy Run

[reldnahkram]

So as soon as the Super Bowl was over, I started voicing concern over the Eagles' run game. They never addressed the run game in offseason, and the barely ran the ball in the first four games this year. Boy did it come back to bite them today. An unwillingness and inability to run the ball led to two things - one, an inability to effectively establish drives, instead having to simply throw the ball. This was the case because the Cowboys, having observed the unwillingness to run, simply laid back in pass coverage, not even bothering to focus on the run. As a result there were a lot of three-and-outs, which led to problem two, the defense had to spend too much time on the field. As a result, the Cowboys had plenty of opportunities to score and, because they were able to pick up the blitz all day, did so frequently. A running game would have balanced the offense, lengthened drives, and kept the defense off the field. Even with the defense struggling to stop the Cowboys, doing those things would have been much more effective in keeping the game close, rather than trying to throw the ball on every play and trying to keep pace.

While the rushing average is middle of the pack, the total yardage is low. The average is where it is, I think, because a few long plays are covering for the more common weak rushing plays. I suspect that with more rushes, the long plays wouldn't be proportionally more common, and the average would drop. The reason the Eagles don't run the ball is because they simply aren't very good at it this year. There are two reasons for this. The first is that Brian Westbrook is not the answer as the everydown back. He's a phenomenal weapon, but someone else on the team needs to be able to run the ball, so that if he's not in the backfield, it's not blatantly obvious that it's a pass play. Lamar Gordon is not that back. However, I think the bigger problem is the weakness of the O-line. Every running play sees the complete collapse of the O-line; there rarely are holes opened up. I point at the guards. They're essentially playing two rookies at the guard position - Hicks has been a backup his whole career and Andrews was hurt all of last year. The weakness here leads to an inability to run the ball, as the guards are unable to open up running lanes.

Comments

[uncleamos]

Much as I hate to agree with Aikman and co at Fox, it's a little different when your defense and special teams combine to give up two touchdowns in the first five minutes.

[reldnahkram.livejournal.com]

But if you can stay calm and establish the running game, slow the game down, two touchdowns isn't so much. If you go three-and-out following the first two touchdowns and put the Cowboys offense back on the field, you're in more trouble than you are if you're able to make a long drive down the field, settle everyone in. But incomplete passes stop the clock and don't gain any yards, whereas even a two-yard run is good for 30-40 seconds of game clock and two yards.

[uncleamos]

Fair.