PFF: Rams Lead NFL in Yds/Run when Pulling Backside OL

[RamBill]

Pro Football Focus ‏@PFF

The Rams averaged a league-high 7.1 yards per run when pulling a backside lineman

 

[CGI_Ram]

Just saw this. Wow!

 

[DaveFan'51]

I like this a lot!!

 

[TheDYVKX]

Robinson had a lot to do with this.

 

[Robocop]

wow. you'd think this is something that would've come to light a lot sooner than now.

 

[A.J. Hicks]

Saffold is great at pulling and Robinson is pretty dang dominate in that role as well.

Let's see if Jamon Brown can have those kind of movement skills.

 

[HitStick]

Haha wait to watch that number go up when Gurley is carrying the ball

 

[psxpaul]

If you average 4.1 yards per carry on all rushing plays, but 7.1 yards per carry on a subset of those plays... why weren't you running that subset more often? I don't know, I thought part of the OC's job is to figure out what works well, and keep doing it.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

If you average 4.1 yards per carry on all rushing plays, but 7.1 yards per carry on a subset of those plays... why weren't you running that subset more often? I don't know, I thought part of the OC's job is to figure out what works well, and keep doing it.

And to extrapolate. If the Rams overall average of yards per carry was 4.1 and the yards per carry was 7.1 on a subset of those plays, then how low does that drop the YPC for the rest of the running plays? My guess is that the up the gut that Schott loved so much was pretty poor.

 

[fearsomefour]

This is great information.
Saffold and Robinson on that left side....good stuff.

 

[-X-]

I reckon that's why they'll be using more zone blocking this year.

 

[-X-]

If you average 4.1 yards per carry on all rushing plays, but 7.1 yards per carry on a subset of those plays... why weren't you running that subset more often? I don't know, I thought part of the OC's job is to figure out what works well, and keep doing it.

Because the defensive coordinator's job on the other side of the field is to adjust and attack those plays. And they do, most of the time. It's like when Tavon went nuts on the Colts who were playing zone coverage. What worked against them would not have worked against Seattle. So calling drag routes and shallow crosses a few times yielded like a 40 ypr in Indy. Why not do it all the time? As it relates to pulling linemen, some defensive fronts can neutralize zbs, and a few of them are in this division.

 

[BonifayRam]

This information was suspected in our forum last season. In the chat room last yr many should recall that we mentioned this many times but for some reason it got lost when the season ended.

Those left side runs were much more effective than running behind the Joseph/ Barksdale/ TE side. I can't wait to see how well Rodger plays with two arms & shoulders in use.

Maybe Boudreau knows a little something when he kept Rodger @ OLG?????

 

[Rmfnlt]

If you average 4.1 yards per carry on all rushing plays, but 7.1 yards per carry on a subset of those plays... why weren't you running that subset more often? I don't know, I thought part of the OC's job is to figure out what works well, and keep doing it.

Thanks, Schotty!

 

[Rmfnlt]

Because the defensive coordinator's job on the other side of the field is to adjust and attack those plays. And they do, most of the time. It's like when Tavon went nuts on the Colts who were playing zone coverage. What worked against them would not have worked against Seattle. So calling drag routes and shallow crosses a few times yielded like a 40 ypr in Indy. Why not do it all the time? As it relates to pulling linemen, some defensive fronts can neutralize zbs, and a few of them are in this division.

That's true... however, it is an average... so that says something about what you're pointing out, no?

 

[GabesHorn]

I remember Kent Hill was one of our greatest OG's that was awesomely sized and built just for all of the pulling plays and the infamous WHAM block that in my old days was just called a trap block. I believe Kent blocked for ED . He was with us for many healthy years. Tall,Long, Heavy, Strong and FAST #72. Saffold has quicker feet than he looks and plays better in a phone booth over out on the edge where he gets dinged. He now needs to avoid getting rolled up being on the inside.

 

[Fatbot]

Yes I'll take any stat showing the Rams #1, but in my usual Debbie Downer role I have to point out we don't have the data, it's impossible to put any meaning to a stat without context. There are just too many possible reasons to why the Rams were great on these plays other than just simply "they are the greatest pulling linemen team in the NFL and Schotty sucked for not calling it more". Even if I'd love to agree with both sentiments.

I suspect the #1 reason is small sample size. Then there's the set distribution -- is it consistent big chunk plays? Or a bunch of 3 yard fails then one huge home run TD that skews the average? Then there's other variables like opponent quality, field position/time of game context, type of play, etc...

The type of play is important to even tabulate this data. What does PFF deem, in their infinite wisdom, a "pulling backside OL"? Break it down -- what do they consider "pulling"? A set assignment in a power scheme? A pin-pull zone block rule? Does it have to be a lineman pulling all the way across to a playside gap, or if anyone backside pulls just one gap (even if that gap is still backside) does that count? Is the center always counted as backside or omitted? What about a draw play up the middle, do we judge if the pulling man is "backside" based on whether the play call is the 1 or 2 hole, or which side the RB ends up running to?

This minutia might seem overkill but if you're talking a sample size of perhaps 20-25 runs then 1-2 differences in all these classifications can skew data very quickly. Sincerely yours, Buzz Killington.

 

[Big Game]

If you average 4.1 yards per carry on all rushing plays, but 7.1 yards per carry on a subset of those plays... why weren't you running that subset more often? I don't know, I thought part of the OC's job is to figure out what works well, and keep doing it.

And that's why so many are happy that Shotty has moved on lol

 

[dieterbrock]

I wonder how many plays qualified

 

[BelgianRam]

I wonder how many plays qualified

this is probably something we should know before judging this stat. If for instance the 89 yard run is part of this and we only ran 100 plays. This one run would account for 0.89 yards by itself which is a lot me thinks.