Q&A: Several reasons for poor Broncos' running game

[Denver Native (Carol)]

http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_16219563?source=rss

Today's question about the Broncos comes from Josh Kroll in Louisville, Ky. Send your question via e-mail to jlegwold@denverpost.com.

Q: I see this team as a work in progress and moving in the right direction. With the glass half full, I believe that this team will be dangerous when the running game gets going. My question is this: What do you see as the primary issues, and what will it take to get on the right track?

A: Josh, running the ball is more complicated than it appears. And running the ball well, consistently well, is something an organization has to be committed to at the personnel level, in terms of the players they sign and draft, to the on-field level where it is practiced and refined.

It's no accident the Broncos consistently ran the ball well under Mike Shanahan for so many years no matter who was in the backfield. They had a scheme that was proven and one they worked hard to keep refined.

The players were selected specifically to play it, and they played with discipline to do it well.

The Broncos are in just the second year of changing to a more diverse look. It has been too simplistic to say they were a zone run team under Shanahan and would now strictly be a 1-on-1 power team under Josh McDaniels.

Every run play the Broncos' offense had against the Colts on Sunday, for example, was a zone run play. With the Colts' speed on defense, the Broncos were trying to limit the gaps for the Colts' defenders to run through to make tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

But for the most part, the Broncos would like to be more of a straight-ahead power team more often.

They've struggled so far because they have a rookie center — one of the most difficult positions for a rookie — a rookie right tackle filling in for the injured Ryan Harris and a guard in Stanley Daniels who is in his first year as a starter.

Their top two backs missed virtually all of training camp and the preseason with injuries. They didn't run with the authority needed in the early going, and Knowshon Moreno has suffered another hamstring injury that has him on the sideline.

Put all that together with the fact the starting running back at the moment, Laurence Maroney, has been with the team for only two weeks, and you have a recipe for struggle.

A good running game requires continuity. In general, it requires more people doing the right thing on individual plays than a pass play does.

You'll get plenty of argument on that from coaches, but a pass play can often be saved from failure if the quarterback makes a play or if the receiver makes a play.

The Broncos' backs haven't been assertive enough when they've had the room to work and haven't made the first defender miss enough or broken enough tackles. In short yardage, the Broncos haven't won the line of scrimmage.

They have a mistake, either up front or in the read by the back on most of their run plays. That can't happen in dealing with a defensive front, because that sets a defender free close to the point of attack.

This offense is not going to be a run-first affair under McDaniels, but it has to be far more productive or the offense will be stunted in its growth because people aren't going to let Kyle Orton stand there and throw 57 times too often.

[Northman]

Key points i liked.


is something an organization has to be committed to at the personnel level, in terms of the players they sign and draft, to the on-field level where it is practiced and refined.
A good running game requires continuity. In general, it requires more people doing the right thing on individual plays than a pass play does.
The Broncos' backs haven't been assertive enough when they've had the room to work and haven't made the first defender miss enough or broken enough tackles. In short yardage, the Broncos haven't won the line of scrimmage.
but it has to be far more productive or the offense will be stunted in its growth because people aren't going to let Kyle Orton stand there and throw 57 times too often. Great article Carol.

[rcsodak]

new Oline coach. New rb coach. New C. New OT. New LG. Rusty LT. Recuperating RG. Rb's that missed TC. Out of football shape, recuperating. 2 new rb's. Starting FB out.

What dumbass excuses!
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[Denver Native (Carol)]

http://cbs4denver.com/broncos/elway.tebow.tim.2.1942522.html

He didn't go so far as to call it a ridiculous idea, but Hall of Famer John Elway said on Friday he thinks he understands why Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels isn't sending Tim Tebow into games for goal line running plays.

Earlier this week McDaniels used the word "ridiculous" in response to questions along those lines about the rookie quarterback and the dismal Broncos running game.

"I don't think they drafted Tebow in the first round to be a short yardage back even though he's a big guy that has run the ball a lot," Elway said on the sports radio show of CBS4's Vic Lombardi and Gary Miller. (Throughout the season the Broncos Hall of Famer will be appearing on Lombardi and Miller's show Friday mornings at 8 a.m. on The Ticket, 87.7 FM.)

"They've got to stick with what they're doing offensively," Elway said. "You only have so much time to get things into the playbook week in and week out, and not only that you've got to do things that the players have executed (in practice). So it's not as easy for Josh to put in a whole new set of plays and get those things executed each week as people think it is."

The only action Tebow has seen so far was again Jacksonville when he took three snaps and rushed twice for 2 yards. Elway says the Broncos are giving Tebow time to get comfortable with their offensive system. Once the coaches feel he's gotten there he said the offense will be "able to take advantage of some of the things he does."

The running game for the Broncos currently ranks near the bottom in the NFL in terms of yards per game with a 67 yard average. Elway says that's not necessarily something to get too worked up about; the offense hasn't really put up big rushing numbers in any game since head coach Josh McDaniels arrived last year. Elway says many Broncos fans are probably still getting used to the team's different philosophy.

"If you look at New England -- the system Josh comes from -- they're not a running team. Instead, they try to run the ball effectively, which is different than what we're used to here in Denver because we ran the ball so well with Mike Shanahan and Dan Reeves was such a guy who wanted to run the ball also."

A bigger concern than overall numbers in the running game is not getting those short yards at critical times. The blame falls partly on the runner and partly on the offensive line, according to Elway.

Elway said the offensive lines of his Broncos teams practiced goal line running situations over and over and his coaches always emphasized eliminating all chances of penetration by defenders. If one lineman allowed penetration, it created havoc.

"If the running back has to change directions in the backfield before he gets to the line of scrimmage he's going to lose momentum and everybody's going to catch up to him," Elway said.

Elway says the reason Terrell Davis was so good in the red zone was he could seek out "any kind of softness or any kind of crease" in the defensive formation and exploit it. So far Denver's main running backs -- Knowshon Moreno, Correll Buckhalter and now Laurence Maroney -- haven't really been able to do that.

Elway also said the runners for the Broncos haven't always been using the most effective mechanics in their short yardage runs.

"You've got to have your shoulders square to the goal line ... otherwise you won't be able to get in the endzone with the power you need to," he said.

Watch the Broncos take on the Tennessee Titans at 11 a.m. on CBS4 on Sunday.

[broncofaninfla]

new Oline coach. New rb coach. New C. New OT. New LG. Rusty LT. Recuperating RG. Rb's that missed TC. Out of football shape, recuperating. 2 new rb's. Starting FB out.

What dumbass excuses!
Mobile Post via Mobile.BroncosForums.com/forums

One thing that never ends Mcd's team is excuses. Used to piss me off to read them now it's comical to log on and read. Watch as the season progresses, they will grow more and more absurb.

[Lonestar]

here is what I took out of it





They've struggled so far because they have a rookie center — one of the most difficult positions for a rookie — a rookie right tackle filling in for the injured Ryan Harris and a guard in Stanley Daniels who is in his first year as a starter.

Their top two backs missed virtually all of training camp and the preseason with injuries. They didn't run with the authority needed in the early going, and Knowshon Moreno has suffered another hamstring injury that has him on the sideline.

Put all that together with the fact the starting running back at the moment, Laurence Maroney, has been with the team for only two weeks, and you have a recipe for struggle.

A good running game requires continuity. In general, it requires more people doing the right thing on individual plays than a pass play does.

You'll get plenty of argument on that from coaches, but a pass play can often be saved from failure if the quarterback makes a play or if the receiver makes a play.




http://cbs4denver.com/broncos/elway.tebow.tim.2.1942522.html

He didn't go so far as to call it a ridiculous idea, but Hall of Famer John Elway said on Friday he thinks he understands why Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels isn't sending Tim Tebow into games for goal line running plays.

Earlier this week McDaniels used the word "ridiculous" in response to questions along those lines about the rookie quarterback and the dismal Broncos running game.

"I don't think they drafted Tebow in the first round to be a short yardage back even though he's a big guy that has run the ball a lot," Elway said on the sports radio show of CBS4's Vic Lombardi and Gary Miller. (Throughout the season the Broncos Hall of Famer will be appearing on Lombardi and Miller's show Friday mornings at 8 a.m. on The Ticket, 87.7 FM.)

"They've got to stick with what they're doing offensively," Elway said. "You only have so much time to get things into the playbook week in and week out, and not only that you've got to do things that the players have executed (in practice). So it's not as easy for Josh to put in a whole new set of plays and get those things executed each week as people think it is."

The only action Tebow has seen so far was again Jacksonville when he took three snaps and rushed twice for 2 yards. Elway says the Broncos are giving Tebow time to get comfortable with their offensive system. Once the coaches feel he's gotten there he said the offense will be "able to take advantage of some of the things he does."

The running game for the Broncos currently ranks near the bottom in the NFL in terms of yards per game with a 67 yard average. Elway says that's not necessarily something to get too worked up about; the offense hasn't really put up big rushing numbers in any game since head coach Josh McDaniels arrived last year. Elway says many Broncos fans are probably still getting used to the team's different philosophy.

"If you look at New England -- the system Josh comes from -- they're not a running team. Instead, they try to run the ball effectively, which is different than what we're used to here in Denver because we ran the ball so well with Mike Shanahan and Dan Reeves was such a guy who wanted to run the ball also."

A bigger concern than overall numbers in the running game is not getting those short yards at critical times. The blame falls partly on the runner and partly on the offensive line, according to Elway.

Elway said the offensive lines of his Broncos teams practiced goal line running situations over and over and his coaches always emphasized eliminating all chances of penetration by defenders. If one lineman allowed penetration, it created havoc.

"If the running back has to change directions in the backfield before he gets to the line of scrimmage he's going to lose momentum and everybody's going to catch up to him," Elway said.

Elway says the reason Terrell Davis was so good in the red zone was he could seek out "any kind of softness or any kind of crease" in the defensive formation and exploit it. So far Denver's main running backs -- Knowshon Moreno, Correll Buckhalter and now Laurence Maroney -- haven't really been able to do that.

Elway also said the runners for the Broncos haven't always been using the most effective mechanics in their short yardage runs.

"You've got to have your shoulders square to the goal line ... otherwise you won't be able to get in the endzone with the power you need to," he said.

Watch the Broncos take on the Tennessee Titans at 11 a.m. on CBS4 on Sunday.

everyone seems to think that we are going to become a run first team like we were.
We are evolving to become a spread offense that uses the running back sparingly running the ball. just enough to keep the defense honest. that is all folks anyone expecting us to have a bunch of pro bowl running backs need to look elsewhere. now heap praise on the QB, and a flock of WRs that will be getting a bunch of yards and HOPEFULLY TD's.

when we are consistent doing that the running game will come around but never be a couple of 1000 yards runners every year.