why can't we run the ball?

[Novacane]

How do we go from an above average team running the ball last year to one of the worst this year. It just does not make sense. Any opinions?

[Ð]

Coaching, or lack thereof

[Novacane]

I agree our coaching is weak and they did not even try to run againt Miami and Philly but what about weeks 1 and 2. They tried to run the ball and could not. It's got to be more than just coaching

[WCoastFin]

Originally posted by Fairway To Green
why can't we run the ball?


simple question, simple answer:

Cuz your RB's suck.


Let me brake it down to you:

T.Henry - Overrated
W.McGahee - Injured
J.Burns - Scrubb
K.Simonton - ....need I go on?


:bf1: :bf1: :bf1:

[Novacane]

Simple answer from a simple mind. Theres more to it than that. Henry does not go from a 1400 yard back to sucking over 1 season. He may be overated but theres is more to the problem than just RB's.

[Ð]

Hey, until the last year Miami knows all about scrub running backs.

I thiink they invented the term.

[jaja54]

Originally posted by Fairway To Green
How do we go from an above average team running the ball last year to one of the worst this year. It just does not make sense. Any opinions?

Question: Could it be the lack of having Peerless? Defenses now have the luxury of not having to double both wideouts and thus are able to use an extra man to stuff the run. Just an idea.

[L.A. Playa]

could it be the man that gregg williams was a best man for in his wedding was fired???? gregg was pissed and wants to be let go because he has no control over his staff so to get back at the bills he is putting the team in positions that they can't win


conspiracy theory # 2,589,378,429

[HenryRules]

It has nothing to do with our RB's ... it's the fact that our OL cannot open any holes at all. When was the last time that you saw an RB on our team not meet someone within the first 2 yards after the LOS on a run between the tackles?

I don't expect holes like that on every play, but honestly, in the first 4 games I can't remember a single hole like that at all. I don't blame Gilbride at all for not running the ball ... if we were occasionally opening holes, okay, but not opening a decent hole on approx. 70 or 80 carries? Why the hell would anyone run?

The OL had plenty of chances against NE and Miami to prove they could open holes and didn't ... do not blame Gilbride for not going to it again - blame the OL coach or players.

[LABillsFan]

Gilbride is the OC, if he knows there is a problem with the running game he should be working with Ruel to develope plays that will work. What new plays have been installed? None that I see. KG totally under utilizes the screen and roll outs, Bledsoe is not that immobile as he is made out to be. KG is a major part of the problem and it's his job to run the offense. He had some good years in Houston before getting slapped upside the head by Ryan, then 2 out of 3 decent years in JAX, got booted in SD after 1 year and ousted in Pitt. Talk about things you want to leave out of a resume.

[LtBillsFan66]

Originally posted by LABillsFan
Gilbride is the OC, if he knows there is a problem with the running game he should be working with Ruel to develope plays that will work. What new plays have been installed? None that I see. KG totally under utilizes the screen and roll outs, Bledsoe is not that immobile as he is made out to be. KG is a major part of the problem and it's his job to run the offense. He had some good years in Houston before getting slapped upside the head by Ryan, then 2 out of 3 decent years in JAX, got booted in SD after 1 year and ousted in Pitt. Talk about things you want to leave out of a resume.

I agree about the lack of screens and roll outs.

How about lack of play action. Of course you have to run the ball a little first....

[venis2k1]

Originally posted by Fairway To Green
How do we go from an above average team running the ball last year to one of the worst this year. It just does not make sense. Any opinions?


when were we an above average running team. We finished 24th in run offense last year. there were 23 other teams that moved the ball for more yards than us on the ground last year, these include Cincinnati, Dallas and Arizona.

[HenryRules]

Gilbride doesn't have time to do someone elses job ... if the OL coach sucks, then the OL coach sucks, not Gilbride. I don't know who hired the OL coach, but blame them, not Gilbride (unless it was Gilbride that hired him, but I don't believe it was).

Gilbride has absolutely no background in OL development as far as I know, why the hell should he be expected to coach it?

[HenryRules]

Originally posted by billsfanone


I agree about the lack of screens and roll outs.

How about lack of play action. Of course you have to run the ball a little first....

If the other team can get pressure without blitzing, the screen and roll outs are useless.

Play action sucks unless you can run (as you stated).

All of screens, roll outs, dump offs, play action, etc. rely on you being able to do the basics right, not the other way around.

[LABillsFan]

Play action is still available. If DB rolls out the D line will adjust, he either hands it off as a counter play or passes. Mixing up both options establishes play action.

[HenryRules]

How is play action still available? ... why would the other team's db's ever bite on a run-fake? our RB's have yet to pass the line of scrimmage

[Michael82]

One name for you....Mike Pucillo! :puke:

[LABillsFan]

If you have roll outs with receivers running mid to long range routes the Db's have to cover them. You get the LB's moving to one side of the field and run to the other.

What it is, is poker in essence. You don't bet big every time you have a good hand. You do that and people fold before you can raise. On the other side, once you set a certain tendancy, you can gamble with a large bet on a mediocre hand because of your prior bets. I'd love to get KG in a card game.

I don't agree with the run having to set up the pass in every instance. The West Coast Offense is a prime example, not that the Bills should run that type of O, but if you set the tone of one phase, the other will open up. Right now its an unbalanced passing attack that is part of the problem regarding the running game.

[The_Philster]

Originally posted by Mike32282
One name for you....Mike Pucillo! :puke:

Bingo. They replaced Sullivan with Pucillo because he was "a better pass-blocker."
First of all, Sullivan never helped sack Bledsoe like Pucillo did yesterday.
Secondly, the right side of the line is generally supposed to be a run-heavy side. We've got a run-blocking OT in Mike Williams who seems to have to compensate for Pucillo's short-comings constantly. Get Sullivan in the game or give us a better explanation why he's not even dressing for games. :madfire:

[HenryRules]

Thing is, right now it doesn't matter what side we run the ball on, we get no push at all.

Its not like our backs are hitting the holes late, the holes just never seem to appear.

I'd like us to either try some quick hits right up the gut or if we're going to run off-tackle all the time, then try pulling the offside guard to see if he can help us get some push. I realize that would slow the play down even more, but it's not like what we're doing now is working.

[helmetguy]

The offensive line must be a cohesive unit. Five average guys up there will perform better than three studs and a couple of has-beens by a factor of at least a magnitude. One weak link-particularly in the interior of the line-is the formula for disaster. In the case of Pucillo, his inadequacies are such that even the left side of the line has to adjust to compensate for his weakness. That's probably why you don't see our backs getting any holes on the left side, either.