FinishTheDrill Posted October 21, 2023 Share Posted October 21, 2023 Controlling for Defense... Yards before first contact is primarily a function of the O line play and to a far lesser extent game script/scheme. Yards after contact is primarily a function of RB quality/skill. That was my premise. It was met with a flurry of " oh c'mon" and "yeah but's" . I figured I'd toss it over to the Huddle, jsut for fun and since there's a lull in games at the moment. Opinions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted October 21, 2023 Share Posted October 21, 2023 Also depends on the ability of the running back to find and run through the hole properly. Looking at you Dillon for not doing that. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaft Posted October 21, 2023 Share Posted October 21, 2023 I think the relationship between the O-line and RB is understated. Certain blocking schemes work better for certain RBs. Look at Le'Veon Bell, Marcus Allen, or Edgerrin James. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMD Posted October 21, 2023 Share Posted October 21, 2023 Yards before contact is obviously a function of run blocking, but it can also reflect the plays that are called - lateral plays, jet sweeps, end arounds, etc. It also reflects the passing game and how much respect the defense gives to it. Even the best of running backs cannot compensate for poor line play or an unimaginative offense with a bad passing attack. If a running back has less than a 4.0 yard average, there is something wrong because most any back with a bit of momentum should hit the open hole and fall forward for 12 feet. But sometimes you the No. 2 RB seem to run better than the No. 1 but that is because the defense reacts differently to them. There are a lot of variables that impact yards before or after contact, and offensive line blocking is always a culprit but hardly the only problem. It may not even be the biggest problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevegrab Posted October 21, 2023 Share Posted October 21, 2023 Good points by all. I would add that blocking (both by OL and back/receivers) can be a big part of yards after contact. If that WR misses that block the RB can't keep going downfield. I think the general premise offered in the first post is fairly accurate, not sure why some were outspoken against it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinishTheDrill Posted October 21, 2023 Author Share Posted October 21, 2023 1 hour ago, stevegrab said: Good points by all. I would add that blocking ...by... back/receivers... can be a big part of yards after contact. If that WR misses that block the RB can't keep going downfield. I think the general premise offered in the first post is fairly accurate, not sure why some were outspoken against it. I agree with your last sentence, which is why it become a conversation instead of just a passing comment on my part. The bold was a condensed version of the main rebuttal byu the most vocal , and I suspect it may have something to do with either their having played as a FB or WR or their lack of credit/apprecaition or credit for the OLine in general for O yardage stats. I do find that, especially those who never played the game and perhaps exacerbated by FF, OLine gets a lot less credit than most other positions. I am maybe going to troll up a few well placed comments next week related to the above and see if they bite. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.