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The Case for a Run Coordinator

grandy

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2011
Messages
11,640
https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2017...d-hire-run-game-coordinator-2018-jim-caldwell

It?s not too common in the NFL (yet), but it looks to have helped some teams...and the Lions need all the help they can get for the ground game.

Thought this was pretty interesting too:

?Time for changes on Caldwell's staff. OL coach Ron Prince needs to be replaced. Have allowed the second most sacks and can't run the ball. Coincidentally, haven't had a 100 yard rusher in four years. Detroit hired Prince in 2013.?

https://twitter.com/pfnnewmedia/status/933830656643215362?s=17
 
The Lions had a run game coordinator in 2013 with Curtis Modkins. Last time they ran decently. They should fire Prince and add a run game coordinator with a new Oline coach
 
The Lions had a run game coordinator in 2013 with Curtis Modkins. Last time they ran decently. They should fire Prince and add a run game coordinator with a new Oline coach

Does this narrow down the problem or is it just aiding to poor play calls, purous rbs, and lackluster run blocking?
 
Does this narrow down the problem or is it just aiding to poor play calls, purous rbs, and lackluster run blocking?

It would fix the play calling and help the run blocking with the proper scheme with the right guy. Oline coach would help the run blocking as well with the right guy with the right scheme. Health of Oline and RBs should also help. Adding a power back to share with Abdullah would help too. This all leads to better run success which can lead to more carries, more first downs due to better down and distance which leads to a better offense
 
I honestly think the 100-yard drought is a bit overblown, especially since the league has shifted away from heavy-load one-RB-type backfields.

What's more concerning is the lack of 100-yard team rushing yard games.

Here are the number of games with total team rushing yards above 100 since thanksgiving 2014 (by season):

2014 (3 games): 2
2015 (16 games): 6
2016 (16 games): 3
2017 (11 games): 2

Total: 13 out of 46 games (28%)


If you lower that to just 75 yard games, it also isn't pretty:

2014 (3 games): 3
2015 (16 games): 9
2016 (16 games): 11
2017 (11 games): 4

Total: 27 out of 46 games (59%)


They can't even manage 75 yards as a team in a little under half of their games.


Want more?

Here are the counts of games with 4.0 YPA or higher:

2014 (3 games): 2
2015 (16 games): 7
2016 (16 games): 7
2017 (11 games): 2

Total: 18 out of 46 games (39%)


One could argue that the yard totals are misleading due to low attempts, but they aren't even efficient in more than half their games.

To give you an idea of how that compares...so far in 2017, 22 out of 32 teams are averaging 4.0 YPA or higher for the entire season. League average is 4.1 YPA.

The run game is bad, really bad, no matter how you look at it. I don't care if they've been primarily passing teams, they're not even efficient when opposing defenses are more worried about the pass.
 
I honestly think the 100-yard drought is a bit overblown, especially since the league has shifted away from heavy-load one-RB-type backfields.

What's more concerning is the lack of 100-yard team rushing yard games.

Here are the number of games with total team rushing yards above 100 since thanksgiving 2014 (by season):

2014 (3 games): 2
2015 (16 games): 6
2016 (16 games): 3
2017 (11 games): 2

Total: 13 out of 46 games (28%)


If you lower that to just 75 yard games, it also isn't pretty:

2014 (3 games): 3
2015 (16 games): 9
2016 (16 games): 11
2017 (11 games): 4

Total: 27 out of 46 games (59%)


They can't even manage 75 yards as a team in a little under half of their games.


Want more?

Here are the counts of games with 4.0 YPA or higher:

2014 (3 games): 2
2015 (16 games): 7
2016 (16 games): 7
2017 (11 games): 2

Total: 18 out of 46 games (39%)


One could argue that the yard totals are misleading due to low attempts, but they aren't even efficient in more than half their games.

To give you an idea of how that compares...so far in 2017, 22 out of 32 teams are averaging 4.0 YPA or higher for the entire season. League average is 4.1 YPA.

The run game is bad, really bad, no matter how you look at it. I don't care if they've been primarily passing teams, they're not even efficient when opposing defenses are more worried about the pass.

I don't know. This tells me we are on the outside looking in when it comes to running the ball..

http://www.footballdb.com/stats/100-yard-rushing.html

Numbers may be off but it points to 25 different runners with 100 or more rushing yards this season. Still 5 games to.
 
Last edited:
Our running game is just so inconsistent it is hard to keep at the run. We don't run the ball often, so I expect us to be near the bottom of the league in yards.

The biggest issue is the amount of negative plays.

We actually aren't bad in bigger plays. In 10+ yard rushes we are ranked 16th for % of runs over 10 Yards (10.5% are 10 yards or more). We are top 10 in runs of 20 yards or more (2.73%).

Where we suck at is we get 0 or negative yards on 31.2% of our run plays. Only Miami is worse. League average is 23.2%

So it makes it tough to run more, because on nearly a 1/3 of the plays result in 0 or negative yards. When we don't get into 2nd and 6, it makes it tough to keep running. without frequent rush attempts you will never put up good yards.
Look at Minnesota game, people walked away with the impression they ran all over us, fact is, they did very little for 58 minutes of the game. 1.1 YPC for majority of the game, but they kept at it and ran for 75 yards in one drive on 4 plays.
 
I don't know. This tells me we are on the outside looking in when it comes to running the ball..

http://www.footballdb.com/stats/100-yard-rushing.html

Numbers may be off but it points to 25 different runners with 100 or more rushing yards this season. Still 5 games to.

Look at the wins vs loses when a player gets 100+ yards. It's 47 wins, 9 loses. Maybe it's more important than we think.
 
Look at the wins vs loses when a player gets 100+ yards. It's 47 wins, 9 loses. Maybe it's more important than we think.

A lot of blowouts too. It's easier to hit 100 with a comfortable lead and a run-focused game plan. I think you have a fair point, but 100 yard games need context too. The Lions never seem to jump out too a big lead, which makes things more difficult for them. Regardless, I think efficiency is a bigger problem, I'd be much more pleased if Abdullah was getting 80 yards consistently on 15 carries as opposed to 100 yards on 30 carries.
 
A lot of blowouts too. It's easier to hit 100 with a comfortable lead and a run-focused game plan. I think you have a fair point, but 100 yard games need context too. The Lions never seem to jump out too a big lead, which makes things more difficult for them. Regardless, I think efficiency is a bigger problem, I'd be much more pleased if Abdullah was getting 80 yards consistently on 15 carries as opposed to 100 yards on 30 carries.

Sure, and yes too many other variables. But I still think being able to run the ball is important. It's not like other team are defending the run. We need more than 2-3 games out of 11 out of Abdullah.
 
Just get rid of cooter and get an oc that knows what he's doing. If you get a run game coordinator you're pretty much saying your oc doesn't know wtf he's doing.
 
Just get rid of cooter and get an oc that knows what he's doing. If you get a run game coordinator you're pretty much saying your oc doesn't know wtf he's doing.

Not just him. Our OC in the 90's was like "Give it to Barry."
 
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