I'm w/ Uffda on this, give me a team that runs, I'll show you a team I can beat every time.

Defenses are too specialized and fast for anyone to run consistently. A team starting at the 20 or 30 will have to convert 6 or 7 straight 3rd downs; they will rarely score and almost never a TD. Also, it's very hard to score a TD running from beyond 1st and G at 5.

Rain, snow, ice, cold, advantage the passing game; only wind is a problem. Plus, when it's cold we only get half of a Lacy. And Uffda is right about our OL

Only teams that suck want to shorten games. The 13 teams that play us this year would love it if each team only got the ball 4 or 5 times.

That said this running dumbassity is not in MM's DNA. I wouldn't believe Mike Martz if he said this either.

Here's what it about:

MM has dreamed of every night of his life and never had [as OC or HC] 2 good TEs that can block [2 Jimmy Grahams are worthless] and be receiving threats. The Bennett/Gronkowski thing has given MM TE penis envy. Cook has been a very good blocker for stretches of his career. Cook, Rodgers, Perillo [and either Bachman or Henry] will form one of the NFL's better TE blocking groups and will be not be Gronk/Bennett, but they'll be a decent receiving threat.

Teams will have to play base so as not to get overpowered; especially if their playing a safety as ILB like AZ. Then we run 3x1 or 4 WR sets. If we catch them in dime, EG, after converting a 3rd and 10, then we run no huddle and run down their throats; they'll need to call a TO to substitute. And imagine the possibilities with Monty in as RB w/ 2 TEs and 2 WRs.

How do you stop this and control AR from scrambling? Answer: you cant. We can keep a third RB, 'cause we wont need a punter 😲.

The key to this is being proficient running these 2 TE sets and that is what MM is focused on for pre-seaon.

A run game is as important as your pass game.

When you run the ball efficiently then you open up your pass game. You get the opposing defences blitz all mixed up. You give more time to Rodgers and also open up the play action. When you need to keep the ball out of the opposing quarterback in the 4th quarter of the game when your leading, you better wish you've got a hell of a running game to chew up most of that clock.

When you run the game your going to be tiring the opposing defence.

Like the Seahawks when they made there two runs to the SB ... they kept pounding the ball against opposing defences, in which Wilson just had to make the right throw at the right time that's if he decided not to run with it as well ...

So if you guys had Aaron Rodgers at goal line like the Seahawks in the SB loss, would you have thrown the ball or ran it in with Lacy? ... I sure hell would put my money on Lacy regardless who's QB in that spot.

Anyways point being if you don't got a good running game you're not getting quite far in the NFL.

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They're running Lacy alot to get his fat ass in shape.

Dude lost like 15 doing P90X, but then doesn't seem to have kept it all off between OTAs and TC.

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That's simply not true.

2014 Pats
2011 Giants
2010 Packers
2008 Steelers

None of these teams averaged over 4 yards a carry and none had a 1,000 yard rusher. Hell, New York was dead last in rushing yards and average in 2011. All play in outdoor, northern stadiums. All won the Super Bowl.

... And the Greatest Show on Turf had Marshall Faulk. The year they won they were 5th in yards and 2nd in average.

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If we can be effective running the ball--and early indicate we should be--that will only make the passing game more effective.

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I don't believe he was saying the ONLY way to win is with a great defense and great running game. The Packers ran the ball effectively and their defense peaked at the end of the season in 2010. The same thing with the Giants. The Patriots had one of the most stingy defenses in 2014 and had an effective running game.

Every rule has exceptions, but you need an effective running game. Effective, not great, not dominating, but effective and if that means 3 yards and a cloud of dust, so be it. Also, a lot of teams use very short passes which a lot of people consider "run" plays. If you don't have a running back is a threat to run 15 yards, teams have no reason to bite on play action passes.

1999 Marshall Faulk had 1,381 yards with 5.5 per and 87 receptions for 1,048. That is a helluva running game and dual threat there, lol.

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Green Bay averaged 3.7 ypc in the 2010 playoff run. The Giants dominated the Falcons on the ground but otherwise averaged about 3.6 ypc in their playoff run. New England averaged 3.4 ypc in their 2014 playoff run and even beat Baltimore with 14 yards on 13 carriers. Averages in the mid 3s typically rank a team in the bottom third of the league if not at the bottom. I'd not classify that as effective. Those teams found other ways to win.

Some teams lean on passing, others on running. Some teams have great offenses, others great defenses. The bottom line is that there is no one model to a successful team.

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Let's face it, the modern rules heavily favor the passing game. A 30 yard phantom dpi beats 3 yards and a cloud of dust any day.

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I have always believed the Axum that says , "Offense wins games, but Defense wins Championships ."

The 2016 Packers may just fit this well known saying . With a 1st rate O-Line opening holes for Lacy and Starks , while protecting A. Rodgers as his WR's and TE's get open this season (for a change) , this years Offense can be among the best in the NFL .

Once again , the Defense is the BIG question . Can this Defense stop Adrian Peterson, or defend against a Odell Beckham , or survive the Panthers in the Playoffs . I'm confident that the Packers will win their Division this year, the question is how good will this team's Defense be come playoff time ? I know we all hope they will excel and become the Champions we wish for, yet as we all know, good luck also plays a role .

[cheers]

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No bigger misconception or bought and sold lie than defense wins championships. Wholly disproven in an article that appeared in ESPN the Magazine, among others, by Allen Barra back in the mid 90's.

It really feels true to us because we have/had a great offense for many years with the QB, but have had a terrible D to complement it. We all recall winning with Reggie White and that incredible D we had that year. However, D doesn't win championships, nor does the running game. We didn't have a great running game the last two times we tasted glory but we did have a HOF QB.

Running the ball and making that a focus is foolhardy beyond belief when you have Aaron in his early 30's. This philosophy is better saved for when he's like Elway when he beat us in the bowl. Get Aaron a Terrell Davis and a great run blocking OL and let Aaron caretake to a championship when he's 39. I don't disagree that we should work on our running game to make it better but to make it our go to in games would be ridiculous. We're not good enough nor will we ever be as currently configured. Not even with the threat of Aaron passing is our run game that good and that pretty much says it all.

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