Interesting article

[themuzzer]

Offensive balance out of whack last year in the NFL - CBSSports.com

I found this interesting but does having 3 new starters on the O-Line actually make our run game better or take pressure of CJ.

Does the opposing team all the sudden take our run game serious?

 

[Old Lion]

Nope. We may have to have several games where we run well before that happens.

Those stats are meaningless. Rules have changed to favor the passing game so those old stats are worthless. The problem is execution. No matter what the game plan, a team has to execute. I can guarantee 1 stat that 100% accurate and that is ALL teams that don't execute will struggle.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

Nope. We may have to have several games where we run well before that happens.

Agree with Old Lion. Until the Lions prove they can effectively run the ball on a consistent basis -- teams are going to continue leaving their safeties 20 yards off the line of scrimmage and make the Lions attempt to score on long drives.

I think that was the biggest difference for the offense in 2012 than the prior year. Teams took away the big play in the passing game. They also forced the Lions to find someone else to score in the red zone other than Megatron.

I honestly think the OL will be better at run blocking, with the addition of Warford and Reiff. Both guys were good run blockers out of college, so hopefully they continue to do so in the NFL and the Lions can force teams to move their safeties up, which will open up the passing game downfield.

 

[K.J.Ester]

The Lions won ten games 2 years ago because they had great players making great plays. They lived and died by the big play. Last year defenses took the big play away. They dropped the safeties back and also doubled up on CJ a lot more. Waalaah!! The big play is nearly invisible and the Lions never found the answer to it.

This year the defenses will continue to do the same thing. They will drop the safeties back because they will not respect the running game. Especially with a young inexperienced line. Most especially because the Lions still run a single back set. As long as the Lions run that scheme, the defenses will believe they can plug the holes with their linebackers. If Bush gets through or around the edges, the safeties are still able to come up and stop the big play. They will give up the 20 to 30 yarder now and then, but not enough to force them to move the safeties up. They would rather take their chances of stopping Bush before he breaks away for a long 70 yarder than give up the long passes to Calvin in the air several times a game.

When the Lions learn to use the lead blocker much more often, like any other good running team, then defenses will be forced to move up to stop them. Until then, they will continue to take the big pass play away and force the Lions to run with their single back scheme. IF Bush makes a team pay a couple times, they will move up to stop him. But that will only last for that game and the next opponent will take the big play away again.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

But that will only last for that game and the next opponent will take the big play away again.

I agree with much of your post, but I believe if the Lions can show they consistently move the chains on the gain -- it will force teams to bring their safeties up closer to the line of scrimmage. While 70 yard runs by Bush would be nice, I think all it will take is 5, 6, 7 yard runs consistently and teams will have to start defending the run.

Last year -- Detroit had too many runs for no gain or minimal gain and it put them in predictable situations. With the addition of Warford and Reiff (both who supposedly excel at run blocking) -- it should give the RBs more room to pick up yardage, giving the offense much more manageable 2nd and 3rd and shorts. That opens the playbook up for the Lions and gives them the opportunity to use play action successfully and puts the big play back on the table, as the safeties will be forced to move up closer to the line of scrimmage.

It is all going to depend on how the new OL performs. If it is much of the same from last year -- then Detroit will definitely see safeties 20 yards deep all game. I'm hoping that with the addition of Bush along with Warford and Reiff -- it will give the offense a better chance at succeeding in the run game.

 

[Dr. Evil-er]

If you want to be a terrible rushing team you need to be weak inside and predictable. Well we sure were that last year and we are bringing back Raiola the pussy to lead the way. He better be a lot stronger from his offseason muscle building efforts. That being said the most telling stat in that article was the % of our runs on first down. For all the arguments we've had about Linehan's lack of creativity and predictability that's a tough stat to argue. When you aren't any good at the run to begin with and teams have a pretty good idea of what you're going to do it makes it that much harder. Maybe that's why Leshoure's average wasn't very good when he's getting stuffed in the backfield by candy ass blocking and a play the D knows is coming.

 

[Naughtymax]

3 new starters, including both tackles (neither of whom have started in the NFL for even one full season), makes the O-line very, very shaky. I think it'll make the team better in the long run, but for 2013 if there are rookie jitters it could spell trouble. Getting Bush is just what the doctor ordered, so there can be plenty of play action and 3-step-drop short passes to keep the heat off the QB.

 

[Quackerjacked]

I don't think we necessarily have to run the ball that much more (we do need more, just not a ton more) as long as we can become more effective in our short to intermediate pass game. We don't run a west coast offense, but our style does require us to be able to make our short pass game become a supplement to our running game.