Tag: running game

Isiah Pacheco says Chiefs’ offense isn’t worried about Mahomes injury: ‘We’re ready to go out there and execute’

Pacheco told reporters that the #Chiefs’ offense stands ready to execute, regardless of any circumstances. | from @TheJohnDillon

Rookie running back Isiah Pacheco has been a godsend for the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense this season. Given the injury sustained by Patrick Mahomes last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, it seems that the first-year rusher will need to help carry the load for his team this weekend.

Pacheco was asked during the Chiefs’ Wednesday media availability session whether he thought Mahomes’ injury would play a factor in the use of the running game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. Confidently, Pacheco told reporters that he wasn’t so sure and that no matter the circumstances, Kansas City’s offense stands ready to make things happen when they possess the ball.

“It doesn’t matter what we call, who’s the quarterback, what we call, when we play, who we play — we’re ready to go out there and execute,” Pacheco said.

Usually, rookies are a bit more reserved in their comments to the media, but Pacheco seems ready to break the mold after his standout performance against Jacksonville in the AFC divisional round. He had the most rushing yards in a playoff debut in franchise history with 95 yards on the ground against the Jaguars.

Now set to face a team that has already bested the Chiefs once this season, Pacheco appears to be locked in ahead of Kansas City’s pivotal AFC Championship Game matchup against the Bengals this weekend.

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Chargers RB Austin Ekeler named AFC Offensive Player of the Week

Austin Ekeler earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his exceptional performance against the Rams in Week 17.

Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler has had an incredible 2022 season, and was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts against the Los Angeles Rams over the weekend.

Ekeler rushed for 122 yards and two touchdowns in the game, helping to lead the Chargers to a dominant 31-10 win over their intracity rivals.

While the impressive performance was certainly worthy of the honor, Ekeler has managed to fly under the radar of most fans outside of Los Angeles despite the outrageously productive season he has put together. His 18 touchdowns lead all non-quarterback players in the NFL by a wide margin, and the 1,500 total yards he has amassed over the course of the last 16 games has helped keep the Chargers competitive in the loaded AFC.

Now set to compete in the playoffs, Los Angeles will continue relying on Ekeler for a large portion of their offensive output in the coming weeks. With star quarterback Justin Herbert under center and Ekeler in the backfield, it seems that this 2022 Chargers squad has limitless potential, and they could make some noise in the postseason with more outstanding performances like the one the running back turned out in Week 17.

Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins discusses Steelers’ defensive strategy in Week 17

Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins said that the Ravens’ running game found success despite the Steelers’ best efforts to counter it

The Baltimore Ravens lost an ugly game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17. The team fought hard to secure their eleventh win of the season, but couldn’t put up enough points to surpass the Steelers’ offensive output.

Speaking to reporters after the game, running back J.K. Dobbins assessed Pittsburgh’s strategy and pointed out that the Ravens found success on the ground despite the Steelers’ emphasis on stopping the run.

“They were trying to stop the run,” Dobbins explained. “They did a good job. They came with some adjustments. They did a good job, but we still did a good job in the run game – don’t sit here and act like we got shut down in the run game. I don’t know the stats or anything, but we did not get shut down in the run game. So, let’s not sit here and act like they shut us down. So, we’ll make an adjustment, and we’re going to get better from it.”

This three-point loss will continue to sting for Baltimore, but with a playoff berth already secured, the Ravens are now focused on winning their last game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18. Their offense would get a boost in the coming weeks if quarterback Lamar Jackson is able to return from his injury, and with some luck, they could make waves once elimination games start.

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Brandon Staley on finding rhythm in ground game: ‘It is a process’

Staley told reporters that he and his coaching staff see success in the running game as crucial to their chances of success moving forward

With just one game left to play in the 2022 season, the Los Angeles Chargers seem to have found their offensive rhythm at the right time. Quarterback Justin Herbert has both of his top receivers, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, back in the starting lineup together, and is settling back into his rhythm with tight end Donald Parham Jr. after he returned from injury in Week 15.

But head coach Brandon Staley sees another aspect of his offensive attack as being crucial to the Chargers’ success: the running game. He was asked about how he and his coaching staff can find a “rhythm” on the ground heading into the playoffs in his media availability session on Monday and gave reporters an interesting answer.

“It is a process,” Staley explained. “When you have the moving parts on the line at tight end and at receiver. That lack of continuity does affect you. I think what we’ve been able to do is lock into — yeah, you have to scheme for the matchup and who you’re playing against, but we also know who our O-line is and we know who the tight end group is, and we know that we can really lean into this style of play.

“We had good mixture in our personnel groupings yesterday, which I thought really helped us. I think we had the right amount of inside runs at, what I would say, were more direct runs, power runs. Then, we had some good perimeter runs, as well, to balance what a defense would have to defend. We’re going to have to continue to do that down the stretch here.”

Given the production Staley has gotten from running back Austin Ekeler this season, especially relative to scoring output, it shouldn’t be surprising to fans when he turns to the ground game for an added dimension in his offensive game plan in the playoffs.

Sean McVay on Cam Akers’ growth in 2022

McVay told reporters about what enabled Akers to put up big numbers against the #Broncos

The Los Angeles Rams achieved a resounding victory over the Denver Broncos in Week 16 on the strength of their burgeoning running game led by Cam Akers, who rushed for 118 yards and three touchdowns in the best performance of his career.

Head coach Sean McVay was asked about Akers’ effort in the game, and what the young running back has done over the course of the year that led him to such an outstanding showing. McVay made it clear that Akers’ work ethic and coachability have played a major role in his development.

“I think he’s just gone about his business the right way,” Mcvay explained. [He] really attacked every single day, like I mentioned yesterday, he deserves a ton of credit. I thought guys played well around him yesterday and then I also think [Assistant Head Coach/ Tight Ends Coach] Thomas Brown’s leadership for that group has been really helpful. It was great to be able to see Cam play the way that we know he’s capable of.

“And I thought he played really well against the [Green Bay] Packers, we just had a lot more limited opportunities. But he’s doing a nice job. I think it says a lot about him to be able to kind of go through the things that he’s gone through individually this year and to be where he’s at and continuing to play the way that he’s played is a real credit to him.”

Akers’ standout performance was a long time coming, and it wasn’t without some early-season struggles that he emerged as a viable candidate for a featured role in the Rams’ offense. With more experience under his belt and a full head of steam after an impressive 2022 campaign, Akers should be a candidate for a breakout campaign next season in Los Angeles’ impressive offense.

Aaron Jones looks to duplicate stellar 2018 performance vs. Dolphins

Jones put up some crazy numbers in the #Packers’ last meeting against the #Dolphins in 2018

Star running back Aaron Jones has made a huge difference for the Green Bay Packers this season and will look to make his mark on their Christmas day game against the Miami Dolphins in Week 16. For Jones, big numbers against Miami would continue a trend that he started back in 2018 when he rushed for over 140 yards and two touchdowns on just 15 carries against the Dolphins that season.

Jones will have the benefit of fellow running back A.J. Dillon to help carry the load against Miami in Sunday’s matchup, which could help him sustain the unconscionable 9.7 yards per carry average that he achieved against the Dolphins in his only meeting against the team. Green Bay’s rushing attack is sure to have a major effect on the outcome of this game, even with reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers slinging the ball in the passing game.

Over the course of the 2022 season, Jones has split carries with Dillon in every game the Packers have played. He has a good chance to eclipse the 1000-yard mark on the season against Miami and will be motivated to find the same success found against the Dolphins in 2018 in his effort to will Green Bay to their seventh win of the year.

He won’t be able to do it alone, though, and Dillon will almost certainly cut into his workload as the game wears on. A capable runner himself, Dillon has 660 rushing yards under his belt through 14 games and could see more carries near the goal line in scoring situations. He has scored five touchdowns to Jones’ two on the year, though the latter is clearly the team’s lead back, having started all 14 games for the Packers this season.

One thing is certain; Green Bay’s offense won’t be one-dimensional in their effort to take down the Dolphins on Sunday.

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Pep Hamilton on the need to establish the run to throw the ball effectively

Hamilton made it clear that a multidimensional approach is the only way the #Texans’ offense will be able to get in gear

The Houston Texans’ offense has been nearly unwatchable for the better part of two weeks, and things will need to change if they have any intention of getting a win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 13. Offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton spoke to reporters on Thursday about his approach to the matchup and gave some interesting insight into how he is preparing his unit ahead of the highly anticipated tilt.

Asked if there was anything he could do to get the offense to click earlier in games, Hamilton answered in the affirmative and explained that it will start with having a multidimensional strategy in place.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Hamilton said. “It’s one of those things where it’s always our goal. Coach (Lovie Smith) talks about it quite often. We have to establish the line of scrimmage, and we have to establish the run game. We have to come out and attempt to score and move the ball downfield. That starts with me just making sure that regardless of what we feel like we need to do to get guys settled in, we’ve just got to come out and attack and try and score points as often as we can.”

Getting the ground game in gear would go a long way toward bringing the Texans’ offense back to even a modest level of production. Early this season, they leaned on rookie running back Dameon Pierce to help push the ball downfield, but after two weeks of using him sparingly, it seems that the team is turning their back on that strategy.

Instead, they’ll look to newly minted starting quarterback Kyle Allen to move the offense through the air while utilizing receivers Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins. If they can get both elements working in unison, they just might be able to bring home their second win of the season against Cleveland.

Lovie Smith explains Dameon Pierce’s diminished workload

Smith told reporters why Dameon Pierce’s workload has diminished over the last two weeks in the #Texans’ Wednesday press conference

At one point this season it seemed that the Houston Texans were fully committed to bringing back the old-school ground-and-pound offensive game that would seek to bruise defenses in the running game instead of relying on their inefficient quarterbacks to move the ball upfield. Now, after taking nine losses in 11 games, the team seems to have reversed course, giving rookie phenom Dameon Pierce just 15 carries in their last two matchups combined.

This is a clear move away from the running game, which had served them well over the early part of the season, and head coach Lovie Smith was asked about what spurred the change in the team’s Wednesday press conference. Though he didn’t blame Pierce, Smith made it clear that the production on the ground just hadn’t inspired his staff to force the issue on the ground offensively.

“In an ideal world, I think we’ve seen how we would like to mix it up, run-pass,” Smith said. “We want to have balance. When you get behind like that, it’s hard to have balance. No fault in how we did it. We had to complete more passes. That wasn’t a day to worry about how many carries a running back is going to get. We’re just trying to get some production some kind of way. You get into a game, you have a gameplan coming in, but that gameplan can change at any time. I had no problem with what we’re trying to do that last game.”

Though Smith may feel justified in his decisions relative to this issue, fans are sure to continue wondering why the Texans have totally changed their offensive identity over the course of two weeks. It would make more sense if the new strategies were working, but with losses piling up and nothing seeming to change, Houston may be wise to get back to their core offensive competency and put the ball in the hands of their most explosive playmaker as much as possible.

Lovie Smith on the staying power of his run-heavy offensive scheme

Smith told reporters on Wednesday that, from his perspective, running the ball never truly went out of style

Head coach Lovie Smith hasn’t found success in the win column for the Houston Texans in 2022, but he has managed to pave the way for the team to embrace an exciting throwback offense that emphasizes running the ball effectively. This trend is due, at least in part, to the inconsistent play of quarterback Davis Mills, but to hear Smith tell it, the ground game has always been an integral part of finding sustained success in the NFL.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Smith was asked by reporters about the league’s transition to a more balanced offense after more than a decade of pass-heavy schemes being the prevailing trend. His response was typical of an old-school coach, and Smith made it clear that from his perspective, effectively running the ball never went out of style.

“I think the running game has always been a part of winning football,” He said. “Maybe more emphasis is placed on it right now. We know more of the numbers, but there have been great running backs in our game throughout. There’s a group of coaches that have always placed an emphasis on that. I’ve lived in that world all my life, so as far as other trends that are out there, don’t know a lot about them. You need a good running game.

“You need a good passing game. You have to have a personality on what you want your football team to be. Running personality or a passing personality, you start with that. There’s a group of us that starts with the run first. That’s not to say we don’t believe in the pass too. As far as great running backs, there’s a lot of running backs in the hall of fame. The running back has been a part of winning football since the beginning of time and that is never going to change.”

While the Texans are still having issues developing into a multi-dimensional approach on offense, the work being put in for them by rookie running back Dameon Pierce is a compelling reason to stick to the ground game until opposing defenses can prove that they can stop it. The prolific numbers being put up by Pierce have laid the groundwork for Houston’s offense to be a highly competitive unit next season with the right adjustments to their roster and strategy in the coming offseason.

Davis Mills says his role remains the same despite Texans’ dominance on the ground

Mills told reporters that his job remains the same even if the majority of the #Texans’ offensive production is coming from their ground game

The Houston Texans have leaned heavily on their rookie running back Dameon Pierce in 2022 to great effect. Pierce is on the cusp of becoming one of the NFL’s premier ball carriers in his first season, and with continued success will necessitate a starring role in the Texans’ offense.

Quarterback Davis Mills, however, remains the player whose contributions ultimately make or break the unit’s chances at delivering Houston wins. Without exceptional play from Mills, the rest of the offensive output only goes so far on the scoreboard.

Mills told reporters on Wednesday that his role remains the same regardless of the success his team finds in the running game. Asked how Pierce’s contributions influence his approach week to week, he didn’t seem to think that it made much of a difference.

“It doesn’t change anything in particular,” Mills explained. “My job as a quarterback is to make sure the offense is getting in and out of the huddle efficiently, running the right plays, making sure we’re all on the same page, protect the football and then get the ball out to playmakers in space.

“Nothing more, nothing less. On third down and in the red zone, there will be situations where I’ll need to extend some plays, get out of the pocket and make a play if the defense catches us and ends up playing our concept well. But other than that, protect the football and score points.”

The quarterback position remains the most important piece to any team’s offensive puzzle in the modern NFL, and the Texans are no exception, try as they may to shake the trend. Mills has proven to be a capable signal-caller at times, and the success that Houston has found running the ball can certainly mask some of his shortcomings in a given matchup.

But for the team to improve their record drastically, or even moderately, over the final stretch of games in 2022, Mills will need to take a big step forward. The Texans will only be able to rely on Pierce’s excellence for so long before opponents start keying in on their concepts in the run game, so Mills’ contributions over the next few weeks will be a major storyline to watch.