What can we do to jump start the run?

[ChrisW]

I'd love to see Tavon in the backfield. He seems to be best used on stretch zone plays and tosses.

How hard is it to switch to a zone blocking scheme from a man blocking scheme?

I know Jake Long started to go downhill when MIA switched to a zone scheme. Would our line not be suited for this? I can't really see how it could get much worse.

 

[RaminExile]

Go to a spread - empty backfield with Austin in the slot. Audible him into the backfield and run it from there against a nickel package.

 

[HometownBoy]

Actually go deep, actually attack their CBs and safeties and back them off the line of scrimmage. When we do actually win the battles in the trenches, create holes. When we do create holes have players run to them, not just where they're designed to go.

That'd help a lot.

 

[mr.stlouis]

Agree with first two replies.

Take the top off the defense and THEN make them pay for it through the run! We run for 2 yards or less then throw an intermediate pass. The defense has no need to back off. That's the OC's fault, not the players. It's ugly to watch.

 

[OC--LeftCoast]

Is block better out of the question?

 

[jrry32]

Is block better out of the question?

Sadly, it seems so. But we aren't going to be able to run outside until our TEs start to seal the edge effectively. And that's just not happening. Get a true FB and get Harkey out there at TE.

 

[RaminExile]

Yeh but if you put Harkey out there and McNeil (is he still on the team) then its obviously a run. If Cook could at least pretend like hes interested in blocking you could at least keep them off balance a little bit.

What happened to Kendricks run blocking? I remember last year he made quite a few big wham blocks (Im thinking 49ers game at Candlestick in particular).

 

[jrry32]

Yeh but if you put Harkey out there and McNeil (is he still on the team) then its obviously a run. If Cook could at least pretend like hes interested in blocking you could at least keep them off balance a little bit.

What happened to Kendricks run blocking? I remember last year he made quite a few big wham blocks (Im thinking 49ers game at Candlestick in particular).

Harkey can catch the ball. Have him split time with Kendricks. Keep Cook as a detached slot WR type. Because he's not going to block anyone.

 

[-X-]

Yeh but if you put Harkey out there and McNeil (is he still on the team) then its obviously a run. If Cook could at least pretend like hes interested in blocking you could at least keep them off balance a little bit.

What happened to Kendricks run blocking? I remember last year he made quite a few big wham blocks (Im thinking 49ers game at Candlestick in particular).

You can still have 2 TEs and 2 WR's and choose what you're going to do out of those sets, because Harkey and Kendricks can catch fairly well. I haven't noticed Kendricks being motioned as much into setting up wham blocks this year either. Sup widdat?

 

[CGI_Ram]

Yeh but if you put Harkey out there and McNeil (is he still on the team) then its obviously a run. If Cook could at least pretend like hes interested in blocking you could at least keep them off balance a little bit.

What happened to Kendricks run blocking? I remember last year he made quite a few big wham blocks (Im thinking 49ers game at Candlestick in particular).

You can still have 2 TEs and 2 WR's and choose what you're going to do out of those sets, because Harkey and Kendricks can catch fairly well. I haven't noticed Kendricks being motioned as much into setting up wham blocks this year either. Sup widdat?

 

[HometownBoy]

Yeh but if you put Harkey out there and McNeil (is he still on the team) then its obviously a run. If Cook could at least pretend like hes interested in blocking you could at least keep them off balance a little bit.

What happened to Kendricks run blocking? I remember last year he made quite a few big wham blocks (Im thinking 49ers game at Candlestick in particular).

You can still have 2 TEs and 2 WR's and choose what you're going to do out of those sets, because Harkey and Kendricks can catch fairly well. I haven't noticed Kendricks being motioned as much into setting up wham blocks this year either. Sup widdat?

I agree with X.

To add on, we have guys who can catch, so coming out with 2 TEs that aren't Cook ought not to be as damningly obvious as it is.

That falls on Schottenheimer for not utilizing them properly. Kendricks and Harkey((Even McNeil in a crunch)) can catch, we ought to be throwing to them more so it isn't so obvious that we're running with them out there.

 

[A55VA6]

Tavon's dream is to be a NFL RB. He's too small, but he's gifted and I think he's our best option in the backfield. Give him a few carries a game - don't over do it, but make sure to give it to him. He's so quick and shifty, each run could be huge. More screen passes to Tavon would be a help too.

I think as a whole though, this whole team needs to get better. Go back to some things we did last year. Last year was amazing compared to this season.

 

[Thordaddy]

I watched the Denver game at Wild Wings with a Titans fan his answer to why such a great athlete was so underutilized

No one even bought he was going to block and if you did count on him to block he didnt so he was seldom "
forgotten"
The old "the TEis always open" didn't apply to him cuz he always got covered

Long story short , teach the guy to block and make it clear his job depends on it or trade somebody and move him to wr. which is what he and his agent claimed he was

 

[Angry Ram]

Trade for Trent Richardson.

I keed, I keed.

Since Daryl Richardson is the guy the coaching staff loves the most, use him on pitches, stretch plays...get him out in space. Enough going up the middle. Also if Isaiah Pead can't play, @ least play Zac Stacey...the guy they traded 2 picks to move up to get him. Use him up the middle.

 

[ChrisW]

Trade for Trent Richardson.

I keed, I keed.

Since Daryl Richardson is the guy the coaching staff loves the most, use him on pitches, stretch plays...get him out in space. Enough going up the middle. Also if Isaiah Pead can't play, @ least play Zac Stacey...the guy they traded 2 picks to move up to get him. Use him up the middle.

A toss and a stretch play is the same thing, isn't it?

Where a toss would be used in a man blocking scheme and a stretch would be zone blocking scheme?

 

[Yamahopper]

More blockers is a good start. 2 TE's maybe even a Pseudo FB at times. This even goes to what WR's is in the set. Put the best blocking ones out there.
They might be able to tweak the blocking scheme to take advantage of matchups.

The idea is to force the safeties closer to the LOS.

 

[Selassie I]

Run Block and have the O-Line go into the game with the mentality that they are gonna Kick Fucking Ass. All fucking day long.

 

[ChrisW]

Harkey and Kendricks at TE, either of them can play FB in the 22 set.

Can even put cook out wide with Givens. Or Austin and Givens. Or Cook and Austin.

 

[Angry Ram]

Trade for Trent Richardson.

I keed, I keed.

Since Daryl Richardson is the guy the coaching staff loves the most, use him on pitches, stretch plays...get him out in space. Enough going up the middle. Also if Isaiah Pead can't play, @ least play Zac Stacey...the guy they traded 2 picks to move up to get him. Use him up the middle.

A toss and a stretch play is the same thing, isn't it?

Where a toss would be used in a man blocking scheme and a stretch would be zone blocking scheme?

No, way I look @ it tosses are faster involving a few OL and TE while stretch plays take a bit longer to develop and requires the whole line to move.

 

[HitStick]

Do something to beef up the interior line. Jake Long looks bad because he is playing next to a backup at best. That backup is playing next to a backup and we have a backup RT.

This is not an NFL quality OLine.

Until that gets fixed we won't know what we truly have at RB, QB, or Receiver.