17

[Free Radical]

That's a relatively unnoticed number since our victory over the Cowboys yesterday. 17. 17 is the longest run Devonta Freeman had yesterday. 17 is even bigger when you combine that with 4.7 That's the average number of yards Freeman gained for every rush attempt. Let me propose two scenarios.

1. 30 carries, 141 yards, with a 75 yard long. Remove the 1 rush for 75 yards, and you have 29 carries for 66 yards, or 2.3 YPC.

2. 30 carries, 141 yards, with a 17 yard long. Remove the 1 rush for 17 yards, and you have 29 carries for 124 yards, and a 4.3 YPC.

Why is this a big deal? This means that we are consistently moving the ball on the ground. This means that we can run the ball four times in a row and get the first down. This means that our line is winning in the trenches more times than not. That's a beautiful thing. In years past, if we had a game where are running game came away with a high YPC, it was usually do to one or two big runs inflating the numbers, with every other run being an example of binary (0010111010). With a passing game as strong as ours, that means that when we attempted to run, we were consistently losing against the other teams front. That's a losing formula in the NFL, period.

Yesterday we won in the trenches, outright, and that's not something this Falcons team has done against much of anyone for a while. That's something to be excited about if you're a Falcons fan.

[Dukeduke211]

Good observation and makes sense.

go falcons

[Falconsfan567]

Just looking at the PBP and Freeman had runs of 16, 10, 16, 17 yesterday. When's the last time the Falcons had 1 guy with 4 different runs of at least 10 yards?

[xiv_T_E_C_O_]

Great numbers.

[Ghosts of Glanville]

We can see that the new coaches are teaching the running backs to hit the first hole they see and to make a habit of falling forward after contact. Those 3-4 yard gains add up. The turner two-step is a thing of the past

[Hashbrown3]

Brutafew

[Eight Track]

I was expecting a Quincy Carter thread.

[Knight of God]

You never remove the biggest run. When did people start doing that to make a point with RB's?

[Falconsfan567]

You never remove the biggest run. When did people start doing that to make a point with RB's?

When they started pushing an agenda. Remember how them clowns used to do it with Turner all the time?

[Knight of God]

When they started pushing an agenda. Remember how them clowns used to do it with Turner all the time?

Okay!?

[Pacific_Falcon]

I think I heard the cowboys only ran the ball 5 times in the 2nd half..or maybe just the one dude only got 5 more carries in the 2nd half. That didnt sound right but I swear someone said that during the halftime show on the broncos game.

Back to the original point, id rather have devontas numbers than the other way around, because its going to help sustain drives better. Everone loves the big play of course, but i think our offense spelling our D better in the 2nd half was a big part of that win. Just my .02

[Dirtybird56]

This upcoming game will say a lot. Oline did a great job going on the road and winning up front in both phases of offense. Looks like they are starting to gain chemistry. That said, that was a mediocre Dline missing some guys. We go up against Watt and a solid Texans D this week, can't wait to see how we do

[UnrealfalcoN]

You never remove the biggest run. When did people start doing that to make a point with RB's?

I think it's pointless when using that to discount an RB's accomplishment. But I think OP made a very good point in how effective our runs were.

That's Freeman's best quality I admire. Look at his college runs and they're consistently in the teens. Sure the guys isn't fast enough to outrun many on defense, but he gets north to south real quick.

[B3TD]

You never remove the biggest run. When did people start doing that to make a point with RB's?

I think he was just trying to make a point that the running game was more consistent, it wasn't just a big one or two to cover up a lackluster effort otherwise.

But yes, I'm not a big fan in general of people acting like a big play should be discarded as an outlier, when in reality big plays change games.

[TheFatboi]

You can't take a play that happened away tho. There's been plenty of games if you take away Turners chunk runs his stats would look terrible. Same with Barry Sander, AP, Jim Brown or ANY back that's ever broken if a big run. Most of them are in the HOF because they had the ability to break chunk runs. It just doesn't make sense to do this really. It's like saying if you take away that 3 Jordan hit then we win the game 89-87. If the play happened it happened.

[TheFatboi]

We can see that the new coaches are teaching the running backs to hit the first hole they see and to make a habit of falling forward after contact. Those 3-4 yard gains add up. The turner two-step is a thing of the past

Lol you don't teach that. It's just a ZBS thing. ALL successful zbs teams look like that running the ball. It's why I like it. It's a zone meaning the back can pick his hole whereas in a power system you have to go in the hole the play was designed to go in. The object is to get big dlineman moving laterally instead of powering forward. But as far as teaching a rb how to run?? No they don't do that.

[egoprime II]

William Andrews had several 1400 yard rushing seasons. One year he had over 1400 yards, I believe it was. His longest run from scrimmage that year? 23 yards. Andrews' longest gains came from receptions, just like Freeman yesterday. Now, its way too soon to think Freeman is on the same level with William Andrews, that's something time will determine. But Freeman's potential to be that good, its there. Definitely.

[Knight of God]

I can tell either some of you never played or at least didn't play as an adult. Those long run plays are WORSE than any long pass plays. In fact they are demoralizing, back breaking, physically and mentally exhausting. I hated those more than the 4-7 yd runs. Yeah the shorter runs hurt, but the 17 and 75 yd runs were near debilitating. It doesn't make any point outside of whatever the heck to take out the longest run. I have lost more games because someone took off for a 20yd run at just the right moment.

[Oldskooler]

You never remove the biggest run. When did people start doing that to make a point with RB's?

Back in the day, Duckett supporters did that all the time to Dunn.

[Knight of God]

Back in the day, Duckett supporters did that all the time to Dunn.

As much as I didn't like Dunn I defended him whenever that went down. Its not one way for me when it benefits my claim only. No, not like the rest of the board. A+B=C all the time man.

[TheFatboi]

I can tell either some of you never played or at least didn't play as an adult. Those long run plays are WORSE than any long pass plays. In fact they are demoralizing, back breaking, physically and mentally exhausting. I hated those more than the 4-7 yd runs. Yeah the shorter runs hurt, but the 17 and 75 yd runs were near debilitating. It doesn't make any point outside of whatever the heck to take out the longest run. I have lost more games because someone took off for a 20yd run at just the right moment.

Yep. Those chunk runs tire a defense out. And FAST too.

[Knight of God]

Yep. Those chunk runs tire a defense out. And FAST too.

man, one game there was this dude with a similar style and size as Freeman. I hit him so hard bro...I think I saw him in an old 19th century photo. I mean that dude's chin strap and mouth piece flew out. Helmet was on all wrong. I hit him in the chest, but they were checking for concussion. It was the one time I put on a hit that foul and got the ball for our team...I got a FF and my teammate got the six....but it was the one time it cost us the game.

This 5'7" 170lb dude comes in and runs 15 or so for 150 something. Two of those runs were for 50+ and one of those runs was about 30 or something. He only got 1 TD, but we lost. Our nasty defense kept getting him in the backfield. I never could get a clean shot, or stand him up. He fell forward and avoided hits. He would even slide when he saw me coming. After that second run tho. The whole front seven and SS had had it. By the late 3rd on that last gash for about 30...I couldn't even. They beat us in the air after running dude a lot for negs, 1's, and 2's. It was something like that.

Grated the next time we played those jokers I was ready. Dude didn't get those gashes...but still. That's about strategy there.

[Falcon Ben]

You never remove the biggest run. When did people start doing that to make a point with RB's?

Did you even read the post?

Removing outliers is a common course of action when analyzing statistics in any number of fields. It is perfectly applicable in football. It provides a better understanding for what the bulk of the carries went for.

[TheFatboi]

man, one game there was this dude with a similar style and size as Freeman. I hit him so hard bro...I think I saw him in an old 19th century photo. I mean that dude's chin strap and mouth piece flew out. Helmet was on all wrong. I hit him in the chest, but they were checking for concussion. It was the one time I put on a hit that foul and got the ball for our team...I got a FF and my teammate got the six....but it was the one time it cost us the game.

This 5'7" 170lb dude comes in and runs 15 or so for 150 something. Two of those runs were for 50+ and one of those runs was about 30 or something. He only got 1 TD, but we lost. Our nasty defense kept getting him in the backfield. I never could get a clean shot, or stand him up. He fell forward and avoided hits. He would even slide when he saw me coming. After that second run tho. The whole front seven and SS had had it. By the late 3rd on that last gash for about 30...I couldn't even. They beat us in the air after running dude a lot for negs, 1's, and 2's. It was something like that.

Grated the next time we played those jokers I was ready. Dude didn't get those gashes...but still. That's about strategy there.

I've had those kind of games lol. The defense playing hard at the beginning but once you break of a 20, 15, 40, it starts going down hill from there. I used to look at them with their hands on their hips with their heads looking upwards gasping for air. After that I knew we had em. I wanted the ball everytine because I knew it was gonna be a big run. That's when the shoving would start. Lol. It would still be that one guy like you that was up to the task and each time he hit me it hurt even tho he was tired. Lol

[Knight of God]

Did you even read the post?

Removing outliers is a common course of action when analyzing statistics in any number of fields. It is perfectly applicable in football. It provides a better understanding for what the bulk of the carries went for.

lol ok

No I agree, I hate when that is done. But I think FreeRad was just trying to say that the running game was a consistent running game on each carry, which I understand the point he is making.

I know what he was trying at...its unnecessary still...