Ask any Giants fan what they want
to see out of their offense and a majority will talk old football clichés about
running the ball between the tackles. Giant’s fans firmly believe that in order
to have an effective offense, their team needs to be able to run to the
football. During the Tom Coughlin era, the Giants have been a dominant run
team. Anchored by a great offensive
line, they have sliced through opponent’s defenses with valuable ball carriers
such as Tiki Barber, Derrick Ward, Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. This year
has been a different story. Through five games, the Giants rank 31st
in the NFL in yards per rushing attempt, and 28th in yards per game.
Ahmad Bradshaw’s frustration with the running game, which was detailed in Mike
Garafolo’s column this week, seemed to boil over during last week’s home
loss to Seattle:
“Late in the third quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks,
Ahmad Bradshaw was tackled at the end of a 3-yard gain he clearly felt should
have gone for more.
Fox cameras and microphones captured the Giants running back’s ire,
which was directed at left tackle Will Beatty.
“What are you doing, Will?!” Bradshaw yells.
“Don’t yell at me!” Beatty replies. A few seconds later, as the Giants
break the huddle, a frustrated Bradshaw grumbles, “Crazy! I’m tired of this
(stuff)!”
Everyone involved with the Giants’ running game is tired of being stuck
in the mud lately.”
Along with the Giants offensive line’s failure
to keep Eli upright, they have also been unsuccessful in opening up holes for
Bradshaw and Jacobs. With a little over a quarter of the season in the books,
are the fans and media overreacting to the lack of punch in the run game? Is it
necessary to have a powerful run game in order to win the National Football
League?
To
answer this question, we will examine the records of every team that finished
in the top half of the NFL in yards per rushing attempt in the 2010 season. If
running the ball effectively is crucial to success in the NFL, teams that ranked
in the top half of the league should have records to support that claim.
Looking at the numbers, the data suggests otherwise. The top sixteen teams in
yards per rush finished with a collective record of 122-134 during the 2010
season. One stat that could be a key driver to a team’s success is yards per
pass attempt. Last year, teams that finished in top half of the league in yards
per attempt finished the season 153-119. Old school fans and long-time members
of the NFL media like to hang on to the cliché that teams need to run the
football to win games, but lately, with new rules shifting the NFL from a
running league to a passing league, the ability to run the football is no
longer a prerequisite to winning in the NFL.
The
biggest concern for the Giants offense should be focused on their pass
protection. The Giants rank 24th in the NFL in offensive sack
percentage, which could be one of the main reasons they are 29th in
the NFL in 3rd down conversion rate. Luckily for the Giants, they
face a Bills team that is last in the NFL in defensive sack percentage. This
Sunday in East Rutherford, the Giants offensive line may face its easiest
opponent all season.
NFL
offenses are built on the big play. Teams that have the arsenal to attack
defenses through the air are going to succeed in the NFL. Thanks to the acrobatics of Victor Cruz, the
Giants have been able to convert some big plays in their passing game. They are
currently 3rd in the NFL in yards per pass attempt with an average
of 9.1. To win games in the NFL, a
powerful running game should be viewed as a luxury, not a necessity.
Twitter: MattB_NY_Sports
No way the Giants can survive without some type of run game. I'm not saying the Giants and Packers run games were all that effective, but they needed it to run out the clock and pick up important first downs. The run games tends to not open the pass game like the past, but it still helps and of course beats up opposing D's. The Giants need help with the offensive line and could use a wicked fast tight end.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the information.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.priceperhead.com
I agree with Perhead. They need some type of running game to be able to run time off the clock late in the game.
ReplyDeletehe Giants rank 24th in the NFL in offensive sack percentage, which could be one of the main reasons they are 29th in the NFL in 3rd down conversion rate. Great stuff!
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