History Shows why Our Running Game.....

WinnipegPackFan

Cheesehead
Joined
Sep 23, 2005
Messages
1,943
Reaction score
0
The 4-0 Packers are averaging just 54.3 yards rushing this season. In NFL history only 5 teams averaged fewer than 60 yards rushing per game in a complete season ...

Year Team Yards W-L

1940 Eagles 27.1 1-10

1946 Lions 42.5 1-10

1935 Pirates 42.9 4-8

1944 Yanks 46.1 2-8

1939 Eagles 57.4 1-9-1



The lowest in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) is 66.4 by the 2000 Chargers, who finished 1-15. The lowest season rush YPG by a playoff team since 1970 is 77.8 by the 1999 Lions.

Source Link: http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d802e1f6f&template=with-video&confirm=true
 

PackwillBEback

Cheesehead
Joined
Jan 1, 2006
Messages
464
Reaction score
27
yeah...favre cannot be automatic every game..but imagine with a average running game...this team can go far....
 

Greg C.

Cheesehead
Joined
Jun 1, 2005
Messages
2,856
Reaction score
0
Location
Marquette, Michigan
The 4-0 Packers are averaging just 54.3 yards rushing this season. In NFL history only 5 teams averaged fewer than 60 yards rushing per game in a complete season ...

Year Team Yards W-L

1940 Eagles 27.1 1-10

1946 Lions 42.5 1-10

1935 Pirates 42.9 4-8

1944 Yanks 46.1 2-8

1939 Eagles 57.4 1-9-1



The lowest in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) is 66.4 by the 2000 Chargers, who finished 1-15. The lowest season rush YPG by a playoff team since 1970 is 77.8 by the 1999 Lions.

Source Link: http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d802e1f6f&template=with-video&confirm=true

So by going 4-0 with under 60 yards rushing per game, the Packers have already blown this precedent out of the water. They are in new territory.

Bad teams rely on the passing game because they are always playing from behind. The lack of runs is more of an effect than a cause of a team being bad. The Packers, on the other hand, have been passing aggressively to win games, rather than passing desperately to try catching up.

It would be good for things to balance out, though. Hopefully they will. There are still 12 games to play.

But here's a thought: If the Packers lose next Sunday, the loss will be blamed on their lack of a running game (assuming they have another low yardage day on the ground), and yet, they will have passed their way to a 4-1 record, which is not too shabby. At some point it has to be admitted that this strategy is legitimate, and yes, a short passing game can be quite effective in bad weather later in the season, especially with Favre throwing the ball.
 

kewlbeans

Cheesehead
Joined
Aug 3, 2006
Messages
160
Reaction score
0
Like Greg alluded to, The Packers have basically proven history wrong and are going about winning by a different way of thinking offensively. Sure we would be a much better team if we could run the ball effectively , no doubt about that. But I see no reason to force the issue by running our weakness against many teams strengths.

Before the season started we all could have named numerous reasons why the Pack might struggle this season (ie. safeties, TE's, WR's, RB's, Sp teams,). But today I would say there are a lot of teams that would love to have our problems.
 

trippster

Cheesehead
Joined
Dec 16, 2005
Messages
1,405
Reaction score
2
Location
Kenosha
Greg C. said:
The 4-0 Packers are averaging just 54.3 yards rushing this season. In NFL history only 5 teams averaged fewer than 60 yards rushing per game in a complete season ...

Year Team Yards W-L

1940 Eagles 27.1 1-10

1946 Lions 42.5 1-10

1935 Pirates 42.9 4-8

1944 Yanks 46.1 2-8

1939 Eagles 57.4 1-9-1



The lowest in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) is 66.4 by the 2000 Chargers, who finished 1-15. The lowest season rush YPG by a playoff team since 1970 is 77.8 by the 1999 Lions.

Source Link: http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d802e1f6f&template=with-video&confirm=true

So by going 4-0 with under 60 yards rushing per game, the Packers have already blown this precedent out of the water. They are in new territory.

Bad teams rely on the passing game because they are always playing from behind. The lack of runs is more of an effect than a cause of a team being bad. The Packers, on the other hand, have been passing aggressively to win games, rather than passing desperately to try catching up.

It would be good for things to balance out, though. Hopefully they will. There are still 12 games to play.

But here's a thought: If the Packers lose next Sunday, the loss will be blamed on their lack of a running game (assuming they have another low yardage day on the ground), and yet, they will have passed their way to a 4-1 record, which is not too shabby. At some point it has to be admitted that this strategy is legitimate, and yes, a short passing game can be quite effective in bad weather later in the season, especially with Favre throwing the ball.


Greg, you ought to be flogged with a hundred marshmellows soaked in caramel and then fed to the bears! Shame on you!!!

I prefer to think how much better it looks when we go 5-0 with no running game!
 

Pack93z

You retired too? .... Not me. I'm in my prime
Joined
Aug 2, 2005
Messages
4,855
Reaction score
8
Location
Central Wisconsin
Look at our schedule, this stretch was probably the roughest stretch of the overall season.

Sun., Sept. 9 Philadelphia Eagles
Sun., Sept. 16 @ New York Giants
Sun., Sept. 23 San Diego Chargers
Sun., Sept. 30 @ Minnesota Vikings
Sun., Oct. 7 Chicago Bears
Sun., Oct. 14 Washington Redskins
Sun., Oct. 21 Open Date
Mon., Oct. 29 @ Denver Broncos
Sun., Nov. 4 @ Kansas City Chiefs
Sun., Nov. 11 Minnesota Vikings
Sun., Nov. 18 Carolina Panthers
Thurs., Nov. 22 @ Detroit Lions (Thanksgiving)
Thurs., Nov. 29 @ Dallas Cowboys
Sun., Dec. 9 Oakland Raiders
Sun., Dec. 16 @ St. Louis Rams
Sun., Dec. 23 @ Chicago Bears
Sun., Dec. 30 Detroit Lions

It probably wasn't the time to try and establish the run, get behind and try to play catch up on those defenses. The Bears defense might be wounded and battered, but they will bring it on Sunday no doubt, so we probably we see the same again. Add to that the Bears secondary is probably tatered the worst.

We never tried to establish the run in any game, maybe the Eagles game being the exception. Some point to the lack of trust, faith or talent as being the reason.

I think some mindset changes, slight tweaks in the blocking scheme, and committing to the run, and we will see this teams running game start producing more. Will they be among the best in the NFL, no, but should balance the O out a bit.

So far, we have exposed the weaknesses of the opposing defenses, utilized the bias that favors the passing game in the NFL current rules, and maximized the greatest strength on this offensive team. The right arm and mind of veteran Brett Favre.

Additionally, you are starting to see those linebackers bailing out of the box on the defenses. Teams are going to start to game plan for those short routes by hedging the backers out even more. The Pack have established an identity on offense and the world knows it.. but sooner or later we will start to sneak the running game into the offense. It will be something like the tojan horse redux... they will think we have abandoned it completely until it bites them in the arshe. The Backs and Line will become more confident in the attack and it will begin to produce.

To me, by gameplanning away from it and riding the hot hand is a sound strategy at this point until the defenses lax. Then try to establish the run and gain confidence in it.

We tend to forget how emotional the game of football is.. beating the running game into the ground when it is not working is a mistake.

Sooner or later we will need it to start to roll, I think post bye is about when it will start.
 

warhawk

Cheesehead
Joined
Dec 8, 2005
Messages
1,922
Reaction score
17
Location
Gulf Shores, Al
If you look at the those years used as an example it's far, far away from how teams play today.

Back then you HAD to run the ball to win. Great passing attacks were a rarity.

Secondly, the way they have the rules today it is definately in the offenses best interest to emphasize getting the ball to a receiver. Not letting the defender get to the receiver past five yards changes the game from the '40s completely.

Finally, what would surprise me more than anything would be that we would end up in that catagory when apparantly the the last team to average so few yards was 1946.

Common sense tells you that's not how it will play out over the entire year.
 
OP
OP
W

WinnipegPackFan

Cheesehead
Joined
Sep 23, 2005
Messages
1,943
Reaction score
0
Greg,

As the stats posted above show what has happened to teams based on a full season of play and not just four games; we cannot say that the Packers have proven history wrong.

Kewlbeans,

I do not want us to "force" a running game when our passing game is our obvious strength either, but I think what the numbers show us is that if we don't improve the running game; we will have to make history to finish on top.

I, like you agree that many teams would love to have our problems right now, I love being 4-0 as well but that does not mean we will not need to improve this aspect of the game soon if we expect to keep winning.

Cheers !!!
 

Greg C.

Cheesehead
Joined
Jun 1, 2005
Messages
2,856
Reaction score
0
Location
Marquette, Michigan
Greg,

As the stats posted above show what has happened to teams based on a full season of play and not just four games; we cannot say that the Packers have proven history wrong.

Thanks for your reply, Winnipeg. I think the Packers have already broken the mold because the only way their winning percentage could be as low as one of those teams (the one that finished 4-8) is if they lose all but one of their remaining 12 games. It's mathematically possible, but highly unlikely.

Packnic: There are a lot of threads about the running game because it is the biggest concern for this team right now. I don't see anything wrong with that. Everything else is going pretty well.
 

Packnic

Cheesehead
Joined
Mar 29, 2006
Messages
2,454
Reaction score
6
Location
Salisbury, NC
Greg C. said:
Greg,

As the stats posted above show what has happened to teams based on a full season of play and not just four games; we cannot say that the Packers have proven history wrong.

Thanks for your reply, Winnepeg. I think the Packers have already broken the mold because the only way their winning percentage could be as low as one of those teams (the one that finished 4-8) is if they lose all but one of their remaining 12 games. It's mathematically possible, but highly unlikely.

Packnic: There are a lot of threads about the running game because it is the biggest concern for this team right now. I don't see anything wrong with that. Everything else is going pretty well.

fair enough.

still dont think we should worry about it too much... Pack93 gave a great breakdown above i think!.
 

dhpackr

Cheesehead
Joined
Sep 14, 2005
Messages
1,635
Reaction score
0
Location
SE Wisconsin
did those teams have #4 and the slant.

as long as our #3 WR is better than opposing teams nickle back, we will continue to win!
 

porky88

Cheesehead
Joined
Mar 11, 2006
Messages
3,991
Reaction score
0
Location
Title Town
No team in the History of the NFL won the Super Bowl with the worse rushing defense in the NFL until last year with the Colts.

Maybe the Packers can get their running game going at the right time.

For the most part though I'm not thinking that far ahead. Week by week and if they keep winning that is great for me.
 
OP
OP
W

WinnipegPackFan

Cheesehead
Joined
Sep 23, 2005
Messages
1,943
Reaction score
0
Greg C. said:
Greg,

As the stats posted above show what has happened to teams based on a full season of play and not just four games; we cannot say that the Packers have proven history wrong.

Thanks for your reply, Winnipeg. I think the Packers have already broken the mold because the only way their winning percentage could be as low as one of those teams (the one that finished 4-8) is if they lose all but one of their remaining 12 games. It's mathematically possible, but highly unlikely.

Greg,

Thanks for you reply, I understand what you are saying friend !!!
 

Members online

Latest posts

Top