12-03-2018, 11:15 AM
(12-03-2018, 08:09 AM)Hulk01 Wrote: If we don't improve our run blocking significantly, that will all but moots our discussions about the team's prospects. We'll be talking about what we might do to finish 8-4, rather than how we might put together an 11-2 season.Totally agree. We can't be unable to run and have success. The fact we did as well as we have this year was a bit of a miracle. We were built to be a ball-control running team that would occasionally throw a pass over the top for a big play. The fact we were able to become almost "air-raid lite" and win some games that way would have been considered insanity last August. Next year, we don't have JJAW, Smith, or Irwin. There will be some drop-off due to lack of experience, and we will need to change philosophy. We can't always throw jump balls. Parkinson is big, but the others aren't so much. Irwin could often get open, and ran precise routes so the QB would always know where he would be. It also helped that many teams eventually double covered JJ. Next year, we won't have that threat.