vmax Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Ravens fans have been talking about the 17 rushes last week vs the 47 pass attempts. Here's an interesting quote from Cam Cameron.... Philosophically, Cameron is of the belief that it’s not necessary to have a dominant running game to win in the NFL. “Football has changed for the better,” he said. “Just look at last year’s Super Bowl. People have got to move beyond the notion that running the football leads to the championships. It doesn’t. If you just look over the last 10 years, it doesn’t. “We all want to run the football, but you don’t have to run the football to win as much as people think. The rules have changed, the game has changed.”http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2009/10/09/sports/3_ravens_notebook.txt Many of us believe that you better be able to run the ball and play good/great defense to win in the playoffs. Cam probably agrees, but he's tipping his hand as to his philosophy and preference that passing is more important than running. Definately the NFL has made a ton of favorable rule changes for QB's and WR's to have more scoring and explosiveness to the game...and that has worked. Cam speaks of the last 10 years of Super Bowls...when I think about it, the quarterbacks come to mind. Not the running game. Definately the successfull throwing teams have better odds at making the playoffs. I've researched that and you can get to the playoffs with a good passing game and an average to marginal D depending on the conference you're in. But.....Maybe he's wrong because when it's playoff time. What worries me is that the pass happy Chargers never advanced when he was OC there. Is there a slippery slope ahead if the Ravens offense gets 'pass happy'? Shall we debate this? http://baltimoresun.image2.trb.com/balnews/media/photo/2008-10/43066017.jpg[/imgt] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thundercleetz Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 I think this was pretty much debated last week. I was in the minority that agreed with Cam's play calling last week. There were plays to be made through the air, we just did not take advantage of all the opportunities (Joe under-throwing Mason on the long potential TD, the INT to Clayton which would have been a TD had Joe thrown the ball to the corner of the endzone, and the pass to Clayton in the endzone in which Clayton could not reel in the pass). If they are plays to be made, I do not mind taking shots. Cam is the one who watches the film, not us. He knows where he can attack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeenAround Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 You need balance and last week there was none. This is Baltimore, not Southern California. We'll be playing here, in Pittsburgh and Green Bay in December and who knows where in January. History is full of guys who despite what the evidence (tape) showed couldn't put a lid on their compulsions. If you don't run now, don't expect to be able to flip a switch when the weather turns and have the necessary ground game. Harbaugh may need to reel this guy in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vmax Posted October 10, 2009 Author Share Posted October 10, 2009 That's what I was thinking Been. There has to be a better balance throughout the season so come playoff time they are prepared to bring it on from anywhere. There's weather like you said...the defenses are better, pass rushers better, better corner play...if teams stop the run you better be able to throw and if the QB and WR's have an off day you better be able to run. Even the Colts with the great Peyton Manning, Harrison, ect did not win a Super Bowl until they found a successfull running game that post season. But Cam is on to something and he's winning the stat battle this year to support his argument... Last year, because Joe was a rookie, the Ravens ran 592 times and threw 433 for 20 rushing TD's and 16 passing TD's. This year the trend is reversed with 154 passes and 118 rushes...8 passing TD's and 7 running....wow!...that's one hell of an increase in scoring through 4 games! I guess it's a good thing not being able to figure out what Cam is going to do...run or pass?...if we knew the basic offensive idenity so would everybody else... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vmax Posted October 10, 2009 Author Share Posted October 10, 2009 I found the rest of Cam's statement on this issue and I think he makes some valid points...especially about touches being more important than runs/passes... There are times – we all want to run the football – but you don’t have to run the football to win as much as people think. The rules have changed, the game has changed and statistics… The way statistics are measured doesn’t reflect the running game. If I take the ball, for example, and you run a little swing pattern and I throw you the ball, and you run for 60 yards, that’s a 60-yard pass. If we throw Ray Rice a screen and he runs for 50, that’s a 50-yard pass. But really, it’s not. All it is, is a run where we’ve taken the ball and flipped it from here to [there]. So it’s statistics. You’ve got to be careful when you look at statistics and how it relates to running and passing and winning. The bottom line is, you’re trying to take care of the football, move the football, score points, win, and you’ve got to be careful [with] what stats relate to winning. I think touches are important. I will tell you that. Getting guys touches – whether it’s run or pass – is critical.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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