Running game concerns

[Brick27]

Sony will get his. As mentioned, simply having him on the field was valuable with the way it created PA opportunities.

If defenses want to go the route Pittsburgh did and continue to lean run heavy when Sony’s on the field, they’ll pay dearly for it with this talent at WR.

 

[varjao]

Is Dwayne Allen available? I remember he was cut from the Lolphins

 

[Ivan]

Not worried at all.

 

[Mack Herron]

Changing personnel at arguably the two most important positions on the OL will take some time to figure out what the new guys do well. Wynn is a very different player than Brown, and Karas is different from Andrews. Coaches will design plays for new skill sets which means new responsibilities for many that have to be coordinated. Wynn and Karas are plenty talented but their talents are not the same as the guys they replace. I don’t know yet how well the OL as a unit will execute different assignments, and Josh, Scar and Bill may not know either. Here is what I know: This is the deepest backfield the team has ever had. Did you see Sony in the playoffs? He is better now. AB, JE11 and Flash may be one of the best sets of receivers the Patriots have had, and maybe one of the all time best. There is no part of the field this offense doesn’t threaten. So am I worried about the running game? Do I think Sony will continue to average <1 ypc? Plenty of talent in every phase of this offense. The guys in charge are Scar, Josh and Bill. Hard to think of a better guy for any of these guys. Barring serious injury, I see an offense that will threaten records of the NFL’s best. Ever. Or maybe it’s the whiskey.

 

[woolster22]

Anyone know the packages pitt trotted out for dev/sony? Collinsworth had mentioned all the various match ups pitt was subbing for on d early. My baked recollection remembers moving through the air all night and one drive in particular (for sony) where he converted 2 or 3 short yardage situations. It also seemed like pitt was selling out against the run with him in the backfield (remember a few hard bites specifically from their lb on Sony PA).

Leave it to Tomlin to sell out against the run like its 1995.

The coach/qb disparity between NE/NO and the rest of the league seeme to keep getting worse as all of them age.

 

[TheFlyingWedge]

Let’s see how they run against Miami before worrying too much. Dolphins defense doesn’t look like they can stop anything while the Steelers have a great front.

 

[Biffins]

Every time Sony stepped in, they packed the box with 8 or 9. I think the Pitt game plan was to play last year's playoff team and kill the run. We are not that team. There was a ton of discussion leading up to this game about a lack of film to prep. "You just go out there are do what you do better than the other team because you cannot film prep." BB said he would not argue with that because that is hogwash. You gameplan on what you know. Tomlin planned for last year's playoff team. BB gave him a totally different team that went back to the pass after a poor first drive. Tomlin did not adjust.

Pitt committed and bit on every play action, even in the second half. That is not Sony's fault. Couple that with a new Oline and no Gronk/Allen leading the way and you have Sunday night. That does not mean Sony got put on the shelf or played poorly. He opened the passing game on play action when he was in. Burk and White were just better weapons for this D. His area of improvement will be the passing game. He was a 1 dimensional threat. A few passes where he rips off Burkhead type plays will give him less in the box.

That makes sense.

 

[Snooky97]

Run game doesn’t worry me, it doesn’t need to be great yet, as long as we have positive yardage in the run game I’m fine with it. Sony will also improve in the passing game as well, these things take time.

This team will change what they do week to week depending on the defensive match up. Steelers had young LBs so line up heavy and just run PA to Jules over the middle.. against other teams it may be more of a run heavy game.

This is what make this team so good every year is that no one can predict what we are going to do.

 

[Water Boy]

I think its reasonable to be concerned that our O line minus Brown, Andrews and Cannon is not going to be as effective as last year's unit. Assuming AB doesn't get arrested for rape, Gordon stays sober, and Edleman stays healthy, I think we will be a pass first team that will pass to set up the run.

 

[pats_premi]

I wonder if the Patriots would sign Dwayne Allen when he is healthy.

 

[Bfanlc]

Any chance Damien Harris gets a look? Last I heard he possibly had an injury?

 

[luuked]

Any chance Damien Harris gets a look? Last I heard he possibly had an injury?

A look for what ?

He will not replace Michel, White or Burkhead. Bolden has immense ST value. Sounds like a redshirt, depth player year ahead for him until someone (most probably Rex) misses some games.

 

[PatsFan2]

I don't think it's going to be concern going forward with Teams playing nickel and dime. I mean how do you Defend Edelman - Gordon - AB plus our RB.??IF we even go Three Wide with a TE for threat of the Run: Teams will be at the mercy of Play-action its going to be fun to watch. It now will be very easy for us to use the pass to set up the run.

 

[patsrj]

I wonder if the Patriots would sign Dwayne Allen when he is healthy.

I was wondering the same, because izzo, lacosse and Watson aren't great blockers..

Maybe now we can get him for the right price

 

[TheRainMaker]

Stop panicking! Steelers have a solid front seven and were crashing the line when Sony was in. That’s why the play action worked so well.

 

[captain stone]

Stop panicking! Steelers have a solid front seven and were crashing the line when Sony was in. That’s why the play action worked so well.

Who's panicking? There is however reason to be concerned when 4 (5 if Cannon misses time) of the 8 blockers (5 OLmen + Develin + Gronk + D.Allen) who made the running game work so well at the end of last season are not with us now this season.

 

[Hyped]

I am concerned myself, but I am a worry wart type.

I'd like to see Michel average 4.0 ypc though.....nitpicking...I know....but our team is so good and expectations are high.

 

[Kdo5]

You can place blame on poor run blocking or a stingy DL of Pittsburgh for Sony not getting anything going.

I will say though he did not run hard or with decisiveness. Didn’t look like how the Sony of last year ran the ball. Meanwhile Rex ran hard and successfully behind the same line against the same DL.

It was reminiscent of Laurence Maroney. That said it’s one game, means little until it becomes a pattern. He should be fine.

 

[DaBruinz]

I think people are over-reacting to what Michel did in the running game and ignoring how well he and Brady sold the Play-Action Pass.

I believe that 13 of 15 of Michel's runs were between the tackles. I think this was by design. I could be mistaken, but every single Play-Action Pass they ran resulted in the Steelers LBers biting so hard that they were out of position to make a play on a reception.

Burkhead and White ran completely different running plays than Michel. They were primarily draws.

I'm not going to be worried about the running game this early in the season. If it's November and Michel is only getting 1-2 yards per carry, then we should be worried.

 

[DaBruinz]

You can place blame on poor run blocking or a stingy DL of Pittsburgh for Sony not getting anything going.

I will say though he did not run hard or with decisiveness. Didn’t look like how the Sony of last year ran the ball. Meanwhile Rex ran hard and successfully behind the same line against the same DL.

It was reminiscent of Laurence Maroney. That said it’s one game, means little until it becomes a pattern. He should be fine.

Sorry, but unless you compared the actual run calls, saying that they ran behind the same line is a ridiculous. It's not even a true comparison. Fact is that 13 of 15 of Michel's runs were between the tackles. I think Burkhead had 2 that were between the tackles and one of them was only because the blocking got blown up and he had to juke away from the Pitt DT.

As for you saying that Sony didn't run hard or with decisiveness, please. He ran hard on every single play. It's how he was able to sell the play-action passes later one.