Will we maintain our rushing this year, or not?

brasilbear
Hall of Famer

Posts: 5,802

Likes: 6,606

Will we maintain our rushing this year, or not? Sept 5, 2016 12:16:13 GMT -6 AlexM likes this

Post by brasilbear on Sept 5, 2016 12:16:13 GMT -6

I think we will see more rushing attempts as Fox tries to control field position and time of possession. I think the OFF we saw in PS is the OFF we should expect in the RS. Lots of short passes designed as running plays (those hated WR screens) to pick up positive yards and shots to Jeffery 10-15 yards downfield. THey might max-protect every once in a while in order to take a shot at White down field. But if White can't get to where Cutler expects him to be, that will decrease. I'm looking for greater than 55 % runs, even on third down. Fox tried it last year (ie win with his DEF) and with a better DEF this year than last he isn't going away from that.

Quote

Last Edit: Sept 5, 2016 12:24:02 GMT -6 by brasilbear

Deleted
Deleted Member

Posts: 0
Likes:

Will we maintain our rushing this year, or not? Sept 5, 2016 13:31:53 GMT -6 AlexM likes this

Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2016 13:31:53 GMT -6

Sept 5, 2016 12:16:13 GMT -6 brasilbear said:

I think the OFF we saw in PS is the OFF we should expect in the RS. Lots of short passes designed as running plays (those hated WR screens) to pick up positive yards and shots to Jeffery 10-15 yards downfield.

I disagree. While that might be an element of our offense, if that's the core of it I'll be greatly disappointed and more skeptical of the Log and the organization's offensive competence. The strength of this offense is in the receivers. You don't cut Mariani and Braverman in favor of Meredith and Thompson, Royal and Bellamy if you're just going to dink and dunk. As soulman noted earlier, this offensive roster is built around big edge receivers who can stretch the field and a QB who still has a cannon arm. I know that Fox's MO is run, run, run and I know Gase and Trestman loves their dink and dunk, but Trestman was a tool and Gase was running with a crippled offense 4/5 of the year. If you have Jeffery, White, Royal on the field, you have a lot of mid-long opportunities being created.

When you factor in the addition of Sitton and the stability of Leno on the left side - both of whom excel in pass-pro, one has to believe they'll at least attempt to - or threaten to stretch the field more than last year. If this is just a dink and dunk offense I'll be surprised. Naw, disappointed is a better word.

Quote

Last Edit: Sept 5, 2016 13:38:48 GMT -6 by Deleted

JABF
Administrator

Posts: 19,836
Likes: 20,495

Will we maintain our rushing this year, or not? Sept 5, 2016 13:48:09 GMT -6

Post by JABF on Sept 5, 2016 13:48:09 GMT -6

Sept 5, 2016 12:10:17 GMT -6 @soulman said:

Sept 5, 2016 11:41:21 GMT -6 JABF said:

Soul, you've probably followed John Fox's teams more closely than most of us here, if not all of us. At this point (granted it's early... just beginning his 2nd season here) what do you think his ceiling is here? If Pace can feed him the right people, what do you see in a best case scenario?

It's hard to put a number of wins on it because of the youth of the roster and some of the key injuries we're dealing with. What I can say is that Foxy is not exactly a patient man as the release of Robbie Gould would indicate. He's in year two of a four year deal so you can bet he's expecting progress this year both from his players and on the scoreboard and the W/L record.

As far as how far can he take the team I don't think there's any question that having been to two SBs and lost both he wants to win one before he retires and if he expects to do that it has to come within the next three years or he gets an extension if he's close and winning consistently but still hasn't gotten to the show.

He's 61 now and in three more years he's 64. How much longer he'll coach is anyone's guess but if he wins one or two I'm sure he'd be happy to retire on that note before he reaches 70. So I'd say that's his ceiling. He's been there before so we know he's capable of taking a team that far and I think they're getting much closer to having the team he wants personnel wise.

Thanks. I was curious about how you viewed him here. I've always felt that there was a "luck" component to all of this too. Hopefully we get a few good breaks these next couple of years that helps the team. Pace is young and will make some mistakes, but I'm sure hoping he is going to be better than Angelo and Emery - and keep the mistakes smaller and fewer... and can deliver the talent Fox needs to win a SB. It sure seems like we are blessed to have Fangio here too. I don't know what we have in Loggains. Hopefully he's going to be good - or gone.

Quote

"Do anything that might make the world a better place for someone"
-Walter Payton

brasilbear
Hall of Famer

Posts: 5,802

Likes: 6,606

Will we maintain our rushing this year, or not? Sept 5, 2016 16:02:37 GMT -6

Post by brasilbear on Sept 5, 2016 16:02:37 GMT -6

Sept 5, 2016 13:31:53 GMT -6 @belliot said:

Sept 5, 2016 12:16:13 GMT -6 brasilbear said:

I think the OFF we saw in PS is the OFF we should expect in the RS. Lots of short passes designed as running plays (those hated WR screens) to pick up positive yards and shots to Jeffery 10-15 yards downfield.

I disagree. While that might be an element of our offense, if that's the core of it I'll be greatly disappointed and more skeptical of the Log and the organization's offensive competence. The strength of this offense is in the receivers. You don't cut Mariani and Braverman in favor of Meredith and Thompson, Royal and Bellamy if you're just going to dink and dunk. As soulman noted earlier, this offensive roster is built around big edge receivers who can stretch the field and a QB who still has a cannon arm. I know that Fox's MO is run, run, run and I know Gase and Trestman loves their dink and dunk, but Trestman was a tool and Gase was running with a crippled offense 4/5 of the year. If you have Jeffery, White, Royal on the field, you have a lot of mid-long opportunities being created.

When you factor in the addition of Sitton and the stability of Leno on the left side - both of whom excel in pass-pro, one has to believe they'll at least attempt to - or threaten to stretch the field more than last year. If this is just a dink and dunk offense I'll be surprised. Naw, disappointed is a better word.

I hope you are right and I'm wrong. But at this point I'm in a show me kind of mood about the OFF. I see the subtractions over the past 2 seasons and don't see the additions as being equal.

I would love to see a power rushing game tied to a deep passing game, but I don't think we will. I would love to see runs until the DEF is forced to pack the box leaving Jeffery and White one on one with a single deep safety, but I don't think we have the backs for it. Howard maybe but not Langford. Langford strikes me more as a homerun RB, breaks a long one now and then. As a result I think the WR/TE screens will be used to generate yardage on running downs and try to keep 3rd downs manageable. So lots of short passes with wins for field position and TOP. I read somewhere (or hallucinated it) that yards after catch are a big part of what the Bears are looking for, hence Bellamy and Meredith over Braverman and Mariani. Who knows.

I've said before that I wish the Bears had a personnel to run the 2-TE that NE does. But we don't have the 2-way TEs that NE does. I also like the deep passing attack of the Cardinals, but don't think we'll see that either.

Quote

Last Edit: Sept 5, 2016 16:08:19 GMT -6 by brasilbear

Remembering Dick Butkus

Countdown Clock

Bears 2024 Schedule

Chitown Bears Affiliates

Announcements

Recent Threads

Will we maintain our rushing this year, or not?

Post by brasilbear on Sept 5, 2016 12:16:13 GMT -6

Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2016 13:31:53 GMT -6

Post by JABF on Sept 5, 2016 13:48:09 GMT -6

Post by brasilbear on Sept 5, 2016 16:02:37 GMT -6