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Excellent analysis of TRich/Alabama RBs.

Dustin

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Dustin Walk On

Dustin

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http://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/1tqi37/which_winnertakeall_game_are_you_the_most_excited/ceaih26?context=1

 

Credit to /u/Barian_Fostate. Barian works for NFLN and is a writer for the Texans SB Nation section, Battle Red Blog.

 

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 It's not about the fact that they all came from Bama, it's the fact that all these Bama backs have (mostly) not been used properly. Bama's offenses is basically a carbon copy of the Texans/Seahawks/Redskins offense. It's all zone runs, lots of PA boots thrown in with deep shots to Amari Cooper (and Julio Jones back in the day). For a running back, reading zone blocking is way, way different than reading power. In a zone scheme the reads are often protracted and take more time since any one of three or four different holes could open up over the course of one run.

 

For instance, on a zone stretch the primary read might be a 5-tech defensive end. If his offensive tackle executes a successful "reach block" and seals the edge, then he races to the corner and tries to turn up field. If the defensive end beats the tackle to his outside shoulder, then his read suddenly becomes off the guard and center (depending on the alignment of the defensive front). Again, he's reading to see if the defenders are on the right or the left of their blockers. Because of the lateral motion of the run, defenders can't really "two gap" like they normally would against a north-south power run scheme. Either they contain play side, or pursue back side, not both. The back reads which linemen win, which linemen lose, and makes his decision based off of that. The read takes longer, but if you have a back that can do it they can be deadly. Often this vision is what makes or breaks a one cut zone runner rather than athletic ability (case in point Arian Foster and Alfred Morris).

 

Now, on a power scheme the back is often reading one designed hole that the play is intending to get the ball through from start to finish. It's a faster read, and more often than not the back has to follow a full back or pulling lineman into the hole and react based on whatever chaos gets created in the wash. Power runners are often more athletically gifts (or just flat out bigger humans) because they have to bounce, juke, and pound their way through a mass of bodies that usually ends up in different places than initially planned. A lot of pure zone runners either lack the instinct or lack the physical ability to succeed in power schemes because it's a completely different style of read. Similarly, a lot of pure power runners fail in zone schemes because they lack the vision to dissect multiple blocks at the same time and make a decision to cut up field at the appropriate time (think Darren McFadden failing miserably last season when the Raiders switched to a zone scheme).

 

So what does this have to do with Bama backs? Indy runs power, Green Bay runs zone. Trent Richardson's bruising reputation in college caused him to get labeled as a "down hill power runner" coming into the league, but in reality he was just a one cut zone runner that also happened to be really, REALLY hard to tackle. He's basically Marshawn Lynch 2.0, except Lynch also happens to be in a zone scheme where his talents and vision can flourish with his ability to fight for yardage. Cleveland ran power, found out quickly that he wasn't a power runner, and traded him to Indy, who is now also finding out that he has no idea what he's doing in a power scheme.

 

Contrast all this with Lacy, who is in a scheme that runs lots of stretches, lots of pin and pull zone plays to the edge, and lots of tosses in order to get into situations where he is most successful - in space. Lacy thrives when he has time to read his blocking, so the Packers cater to that by using a lot of run plays that take longer to develop than the Iso's and Dives that come with most power run games. Will the Pack run a power play every now and then to take advantage of Lacy's size? Absolutely, but their bread and butter is letting Lacy read zone blocking and use his size and power to break tackles in space. Lacy is a very similar back to Trent Richardson. Both of them are big, powerful runners. The only difference is that one team is trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, while the other is not.

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Guest TeamLoloJones

Guest TeamLoloJones

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I think it has to do with the wear and tear that Bama backs come into the league with. 

I don't think that has anything to do with it.  They never just use one running back, so they never overload one guy with carries.

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The Fish Active Roster

The Fish

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They're moving Trent around and throwing it to him. They're lining him up at WR. They're going to figure out how to get some mileage out of Trent. I don't think the Power and Zone schemes are really the issue. Trent get's stuffed despite the read very often. Dude is perplexing, he can't get out of ankle tackles in space, but he can't be dropped, when he's stuffed 5 yards deep.

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SLILLINGTON10 Practice Squad

SLILLINGTON10

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What's Mark Ingram's excuse?

No RB is really featured in NO. It is the Drew Brees show, not to mention you have to share your touches with like 3 other RBs. Hard to get good at your trade when you don't get much practice. For example look at Reggie Bush, really sub par with the saints then went to Mia and was pretty decent, and finally has been pretty darn good in Det this year.

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Smonroe Ring of Honor

Smonroe

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I don't think that has anything to do with it.  They never just use one running back, so they never overload one guy with carries.

That's right, and it not only applies to their RBs. Saban is always getting the 'next guy' game reps. The only guy that gets all the snaps is the QB.

The RB splits always prepares the next guy for the next season.

Ingram, Trent

Trent, Lacy

Lacy, Yeldon

Yeldon, Drake

Trent is just a hard runner, he gets a lot of dings. The article makes a very good case.

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Guest TeamLoloJones

Guest TeamLoloJones

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He's started 12 games in his career stuck behind Thomas and Sproles in a pass heavy offense, He has done well when he has got the chance

He's also been banged up most his career.  He's looked decent when he's been healthy.

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JPFolks Practice Squad

JPFolks

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It is too bad we don't have a Colts ombudsman to address this question for us.  But then how could they remotely acknowledge someone else may have figured out a fatal flaw in their efforts.  

 

I think, in the end, Cleveland is enjoying their late round #1.  We just need to hope our flashes of awesomeness against the top talented teams we have played this year continues into the post season when we see them all again.  And next year with what is left of our draft choices, we need to hope it is more like the boom of 2012 than the bust of 2013.  I think our personnel moves were just as bad this year as they were good last year and that is a significant downgrade.  Perhaps it was just a Sophomore Slump.  No idea what our salary cap will be like or how much play we might have in signing some decent O-Line and 2 quality receivers.  I'll take Luck with any backs and any O-Line as long as he has excellent receivers and plenty of them across the board to throw to including some spares.  Look at the amazing depth on our Indiana Pacer squad.  They proved it can be done in their sport, let's hope it magically rubs off on the home town Football team as well.  

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esmort Practice Squad

esmort

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Hopefully trying to change players into what they want, instead of drafting/acquiring players who already fit the mold and have the skills we require does not become a habit for Grigson/Pagano and Co.

 

Tinker and play "mad scientist" with Waivers, UDFAs, and the practice squad ... not with high draft picks.

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HarryTheCat Walk On

HarryTheCat

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Hmmmm....In watching TRich on replays, many times he seems to have a tiny little hesitation just as he takes the hand-off.  It's almost like he's still trying to read zone blocking before he hits the line.  When he just takes the hand-off and hits the designated hole without that little hiccup he seems to get much more out of his carries. On the other hand, Brown doesn't seem to have that little "hitch", and has been more productive. Is TRich's lack of production just a result of him still trying to retrain himself to think "power" and not "zone"?

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BleedBlu8792 Walk On

BleedBlu8792

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Hmmmm....In watching TRich on replays, many times he seems to have a tiny little hesitation just as he takes the hand-off.  It's almost like he's still trying to read zone blocking before he hits the line.  When he just takes the hand-off and hits the designated hole without that little hiccup he seems to get much more out of his carries. On the other hand, Brown doesn't seem to have that little "hitch", and has been more productive. Is TRich's lack of production just a result of him still trying to retrain himself to think "power" and not "zone"?

 

Go back and watch Donald's first couple of years. He did the same thing, and we were all up in arms when he would run in to the back of an O-lineman. Donald has FINALLY turned in to a decent runner, but it's taken him 5 years to get "it". I still think Trent will be fine but Trent AND Pep need to find some common ground in getting something to work and work consistently.

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BOTT Walk On

BOTT

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That offense spreads everyone out. How often do you see a double TE set, or an extra tackle in on the Saints plays? Very rarely, if at all. Green Bay, with Rogers, is the same exact way with tons of 3-4 wide and running from there.

You don't need that to run the ball. Green Bay's problem was having a commitment to the running game imo.

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