Running Game - 2012 Playoffs

[Halifax_Pats_Fan]

With an offense like this it is a bit challenging to determine how much to use the running game.

Most times as the game develops you know when and in what scenario it should be used esp. as the game goes on late into 3Q and the 4Q.

1) How often will it get called for us?

2) If it fails early do you come back to it? abandon it temporarily? if temporarily, when do you come back to it? is there a point in the game when you abandon it permenantly (other than obviously being down late in the game)?

You never quite know how to use it with this team. If you run well, then you show balance, if you try it and it fails then you are an idiot cause you should have been passing.

I am a big fan of the Law firm and I think Ridley should definitely get more touches in the playoffs, you can see he is hungry. Yoo have to be careful with ball security with this kid though, however so far so good.

I remember when our boys were playing the Colts in a play-off game and 28 came out and ran the ball exceptionally well in the third quarter on an 8 minute drive. Epic.

How much, if at all and when would you use the running game on this team. What is the balance, esp in the first half.

I know easy answer is do what got you here. But I would counter that with, this is the playoffs. It ain't the regular season.

 

[RobertWeathers]

First and foremost. Brady and the passing game is what will get this team where it wants to go. That is stating the obvious.

I do believe that if the passing game is out of sync or the pass rush needs to be cooled a bit then the team needs to run the ball.

The team wanted to do that vs the Jets last year but I thought didn't have the playmaking in the backfield to made defenses concerned enough about about giving up a game-breaking play. This year, they have that with Ridley. Can he hang on to the football? I don't know but he has speed, power and can break tackles so vs a 3 man/4 man front, he can cause some damage. If defenses bring more players up to the LoC, then it's the Gronk, WW and AH show and matched vs single coverage. If you watched Starks for Gb last year, the ran it just enough to help out Rodgers and the receivers get open. I'd like to see the Pats employ a similar approach. The also have the advantage in running a 2-TE offense...lots of guessing for the defense.

My point is that the running game needs to be respected and running for the heck of it does no good.