Offense: Calling more runs is the key the rest of the way

[BPF]

The key to the Pats offensive problems is running the ball more as Mike Lombardi pointed out in his blog today:

Even with Matt Cassel, the Patriots are still a 62 percent pass team in the first half and in three games, they have only called 35 runs averaging 4 yards per carry.

The National Football Post | National Football Post Tavern Talk

You need to be run 60/40 with a young QB who can't make reads quick enough yet. It would be better to cut the field in half after play action fakes to make it an easier read for him. Defenses are allowed to tee off when the passes come in bunches on offense and this type play calling brings out Cassel's weak points at this point of his career.

Hopefully coming out of the bye after the coaches do their self evaluation, which is typical during the bye week, they will see that they have a tendency to get pass happy and being that Tom Brady is no longer behind center this needs to change. Maroney, Morris and Jordan can all be workhorses and when one of them gets hot in a game ride that horse to victory. They can run the ball, they just need to call it more and stick with it. The key on offense the rest of the season will be patience with the run, then you can play action off of that and hit Moss deep. With an in-experienced QB this is the best way to succeed imho, it will also ease him in to games if they run more in the 1st half. Taking away 8 Cassel runs the Pats have run the ball a total of 72 times in the first 3 games, this number needs to be needs to be 30+ per game rather than the current 24 avg.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Ironic, BB signs a WR who is compared to Donte' Stallworth in his scouting report. I just don't see this offense getting away from pass first. With a healthy Maroney they'll be able to make teams play the run honestly and loosen things up a bit for the passing game.

 

[billdog3484]

I would like to think our OL play will improve. it has been awful, although cassel has to learn to make quicker reads. Im not sold on him, and I wonder how the front office feels about him at this point. i mean, i would think they would have to start throwing the deep ball to somebody just to keep everyone on defense spread out. the games against the dolphins and jets were poor offensive performance, and overly conservative. i understand running screens and such but we ran a few too many. gotta change things up after the bye

 

[CheerforTom]

The playcalling has been strange. On one hand they seem to be committed to sticking to the previous plan which was pass first, but on the other hand they don't seem to like the idea of giving Cassel longer routes to consider. Maybe they're just warming him up? Or maybe they were just experimenting and are getting ready to run more.

Either way they can't just keep blasting Morris and Jordan up the middle every play. Let's see some counters.

 

[SVN]

i actually disagree about calling more runs. Pats have always been a gameplan team and play the offense as needed.plus pts are scored in the passing game.if you have a great defense like the 2000 ravens ,or even 2001 pats, you can play more defense and conservative offense. right now our defense has to establish itself first as a premier ones otherwise we will be like going nowhere by just running the ball a lot.

 

[JoePats]

Running successfully is more important than calling more runs.

On Sunday, the Pats had 20 carries for 79 yards, but 19 of them were on a run by Wes Welker. Taking out Cassel runs, the backs had 16 carries for 56 yards.

Averaged only 3.2 per against the Jets too.

Ran well against KC but KC's run d is awful (Oak ran up over 300 in week 2).

That the running game has stalled a bit without Brady is not surprising of course, since they are facing less nickel on early downs and teams, to date, haven't had any reason at all to respect the deep pass. They can cheat up. Plus the OL isn't playing well.

I'd like to see one of those max protect, play action, send moss deep plays they ran a few times last year, such as week 1 against the Jets. The run game will continue to be average until Cassel hits a few deep passes.

 

[nashvillepatsfan]

I'd like to see one of those max protect, play action, send moss deep plays they ran a few times last year, such as week 1 against the Jets. The run game will continue to be average until Cassel hits a few deep passes.

yes, yes. It always seems predictable to me when they're gonna run. I want more play action out of those 2 TE formations. Like the Jags playoff game. Run it down their throat a few times, and play action a bomb to moss. Mix it up a little Josh!

 

[BPF]

i actually disagree about calling more runs. Pats have always been a gameplan team and play the offense as needed.plus pts are scored in the passing game.if you have a great defense like the 2000 ravens ,or even 2001 pats, you can play more defense and conservative offense. right now our defense has to establish itself first as a premier ones otherwise we will be like going nowhere by just running the ball a lot.

Unless they are able to control the tempo of the game on offense they will not be succesful. I don't believe it can be done w/Cassel passing all the time in a Brady style offense. The great thing about Brady is that the Pats could beat any team with any style passing game, be it short, intermediate or long but w/Cassel at the controls I believe a run first mentallity must be established in order to move the ball and then score with the play action game so Cassel and the Pats O have the game on their terms.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

the O-line is not built to run block. it was built around brady's strengths.

we don't have a mammoth o-line like dallas or philly

 

[unoriginal]

Few teams can run effectively enough to base their 1st half offense on it.

Most of the good running teams are (1) better runners than we are, and can whip off 80 yard TD runs (2) have aggressive defenses that force turnovers, putting their offense on short fields, (3) hence, can grab early leads, then churn out the yards and kill the clock as the game develops.

The whole idea from a game management perspective is you'll give up two 80 yard bombs for TDs for a forced fumble and an INT, because letting up quick scores and getting turnovers gives your offense more time to wear out the opposing defense, and you'll be on a short field sometimes.

Pats haven't been a ball-control team for quite awhile now. They've been perfectly happy to let other teams hold the ball for 7 minutes and wind up with a field goal. Especially last year, they attempted to be more efficient at scoring then the opposition; for every field goal you kick, we will score a touchdown. And due to recent rule changes, passing is a more efficient way of moving the ball than running.

 

[D-Money]

I find it hard to believe that running the ball will help this team.You need to pass the ball in this league.Get a damn QB who can!!!!

 

[BPF]

Few teams can run effectively enough to base their 1st half offense on it.

Most of the good running teams are (1) better runners than we are, and can whip off 80 yard TD runs (2) have aggressive defenses that force turnovers, putting their offense on short fields, (3) hence, can grab early leads, then churn out the yards and kill the clock as the game develops.

The whole idea from a game management perspective is you'll give up two 80 yard bombs for TDs for a forced fumble and an INT, because letting up quick scores and getting turnovers gives your offense more time to wear out the opposing defense, and you'll be on a short field sometimes.

Pats haven't been a ball-control team for quite awhile now. They've been perfectly happy to let other teams hold the ball for 7 minutes and wind up with a field goal. Especially last year, they attempted to be more efficient at scoring then the opposition; for every field goal you kick, we will score a touchdown. And due to recent rule changes, passing is a more efficient way of moving the ball than running.

This isn't last year and the circumstances are much different. I'm not saying we need to rip off 80 yd runs and honestly how many backs are there in the league that can rip off 80 yd runs on a consistent basis. I just want to shorten the game and control tempo so things don't look so helter skelter on offense and give Cassel a chance to have some success.

 

[Alex24]

The key to the Pats offensive problems is running the ball more as Mike Lombardi pointed out in his blog today:
The National Football Post | National Football Post Tavern Talk

You need to be run 60/40 with a young QB who can't make reads quick enough yet. It would be better to cut the field in half after play action fakes to make it an easier read for him. Defenses are allowed to tee off when the passes come in bunches on offense and this type play calling brings out Cassel's weak points at this point of his career.

Hopefully coming out of the bye after the coaches do their self evaluation, which is typical during the bye week, they will see that they have a tendency to get pass happy and being that Tom Brady is no longer behind center this needs to change. Maroney, Morris and Jordan can all be workhorses and when one of them gets hot in a game ride that horse to victory. They can run the ball, they just need to call it more and stick with it. The key on offense the rest of the season will be patience with the run, then you can play action off of that and hit Moss deep. With an in-experienced QB this is the best way to succeed imho, it will also ease him in to games if they run more in the 1st half. Taking away 8 Cassel runs the Pats have run the ball a total of 72 times in the first 3 games, this number needs to be needs to be 30+ per game rather than the current 24 avg.

Matt Cassel will improve.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

Even if Tom Brady was playing the offense would need a jump start. Why? He was addicted to the long ball which is not always a good strategy and that may have cost us the SuperBowl.

Matt Cassel is the opposite in that he will only attempt short passes.

Running game? Someone needs to kick the offensive line's collective asses.
Maybe if/when Stephen Neal returns, they will get a spark.

 

[Patriotis]

Matt Cassel will improve.

As former Denver Broncos GM Ted Sundquist said in this M.Reiss piece running the ball more would help Cassel get there and improve. I think that's what BPF's point was.

I also think their lack of being able to establish a really good run game to take some of the pressure off Matt is immense.

Early reads on Patriots - The Boston Globe

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

We passed more because we were behind the entire game. Look at the Jets game, we ran more than we passed. The situation is going to dictate the playcalling.