Tennessee Titans' Smashmouth Approach Could Pay Off

Say what you want, but those teams that are in the playoffs consistently have a passing attack that is as dominant or very balanced. ARZ, Seattle, NE, PITT, CIN they all have high passing yards.

You cannot take NE out of the equation when you are talking about winning teams & playoff appearances. They have won more playoff games & Super Bowls than any team in the modern era.

I am not saying that a good running game is not important. I have said repeatedly that an improved rushing attack WILL make our team better. However, in this day & age you have to be able to pass the ball & start fast more than ever.

It seems that because I do not agree 100% that we should run the ball 40+ snaps a game I am out of my mind. Mularkey himself said, "Teams are going to know what is coming, and they are going to have to stop it."

Teams that win are all about being unpredictable. You never knew what Hue Jackson was pulling out last year in Cincy. You never know what NE has up it's sleeve (Legal or not). Pittsburg is just as likely to pass as it is to run.

I am just saying that yes running the ball is important. However, you have to complete passes to win. Why on Earth would team spend crazy amounts & invest years of time looking for QBs if it was not THE MOST important position on the field??!

 

No one said rush 40 times a game. No one.

Throwing is paramount. But being the lions doesn't work. There's a fine line but being first in passing percentage does not equate wins.

And yes you can remove the patriots as an outlier - not disregarding but they are a special special situation and the entire league knows it.

However being balanced and causing the defense to defend the entire field is a strong point of all those play off teams. One hand washes the other.

But it's not the media farce passing league. The league as well as football as a whole is cyclical

Also it's something to be said that 11 personnel is the league leader for basically every team. It's obviously the most balanced and spreads the attacks points/gaps as well as threatens the run.

13 personnel? What you think is gonna happen on that play? Much less how many people gonna be CHILLIN in the box. Or 00 with Mettenberger taking the snap?

 

If hear smashmouth one more ****ing time...

 

11




Vs

13



Vs

00

 

Mularkey is talking about an ideal snap count being 25 for Murray and 8-10 for henry. That is damn close to 40 snaps a game. He also said he wants Marcus to throw 25 or less times a game. The 25 or less passes a game is per James Duke of NFL.com, but the snap count for the RBs came from Mularkey in an NFL Network interview. That is not a balanced attack. It is run heavy. Can it work?? Maybe. Do I see Mularkey as a HC that can make it work. NO. He has tried it in every HC spot he has had. The results have all been the same. My whole argument from the start has been that it could work. I just do not see Mularkey as innovative enough, with the offensive talent we have; to make it work. If it were another HC with newer, fresher, more innovative ideas; I would be much more inclined to believe in the hype.

What I said all along was not that a passing attack was more important than a rushing attack. I agree rushing the ball improves the team. I've said it repeatedly. However, we have to be able to convert 3rd and long. We saw & will see plenty of them. My point all along has been we STILL need much improvement on the offensive side of the ball; specifically at WR. NOT that passing is more important.

 

I wouldn't read into the 25/10 count too much. A lot of that has to do with making a vet feel empowered. Ego stroking. If I did a search on how many times teams rushed 35 times last year- I'm positive it would be less than 10.

Ideal world would be that we don't have to throw- low variance offense is a key feature to winning teams. (Don't believe me go read into manning 15 plays) - but rushing 35 times is nonsense and won't be reality.

 

Mariota is too good to be limited to 25 passes a game. 30-35 is more realistic no matter how good of a run game we have. instead of 2nd and 11 like last year lets hope for 2nd and 5 after a nice short run.

 

I agree 100% it is nonsense. It has to be. Right?? I sure hope so. Mularkey is an old school HC. I just hope he can get out of the stone age and realize that.

 

THIS is exactly how I feel. Why spend the 2nd overall pick on a QB when you plan to use him on less than half the offensive snaps.

I want a great rushing attack. Lord knows we have not had one for several years. It will take pressure off Marcus and open up the field.

I just hope our HC can take advantage of it.