 CONCERNS ABOUT THE RUNNING GAME, BY TOM
RIVERS (Nov 14) |
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We have a playoff team, but
one that won't go very far if we can't run the ball more consistently. The teams that win
in the post-season control the game by running the ball and throwing when they want to.
Right now, we are not near as good at controlling the clock as last year's Falcons and
Broncos were. We have a better passing game than the 98 Falcons, but they were much better
at keeping the other team's talented offensive players on the sideline. The consistent first down run of four to five yards has an accumulative effect on a defense. The opponents will be less effective as pass rushers as the game goes on. Defensive backs, who are pretty brave guys, lose their appetite for contact after having to tackle a Jamal Anderson and Terrell Davis for three-quarters. Plus, the coaches have to cheat them up closer to the line of scrimmage in order to stop the run. Remember Air Coreyel football at San Diego? They were more awesome offensively than we are right now, and Dan Fouts was much better prepared for play off football than our young QB is. I am afraid our schedule won't allow us to play enough physical games, which are won and lost in the fourth quarter, to give us what we will need in order to play good January football. We are still a work in progress---we'll be a play off team, but I am not sure how good of one we will be. All coaches are naturally a little more cautious in January, since it is one loss and the season's over. The grind it out coaches like Parcels tend to win in those games because they know how hard it is to ride a great QBs arm through 3 to 4 tough games against the league's best 12 football teams. |
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