Is it "they" or the playcalling?
Or both/and?
For offensive linemen, standing up and stepping back, expecting to get hit, is more tiring and less fun than popping up and hitting someone.
For defensive linemen, hitting offensive linemen when rushing the quarterback is more fun and less tiring than getting hit.
Over the course of a game these things add up.
Our O line will finish the game stronger and the opposing D line will take more punishment, get gassed, and be more ulnerable late in the game if the OC continues the run game into the second half.
The OC has to remain patient and determined because the effectiveness of a running game usually takes time to develop. The offensive line gains momentum while the defensive line tires from getting hit. The running back finds a rhythm and momentum. The DC and his players have to contain the running game rather than pinning their ears back and rushing the passer.
The QB, s MJD pointed out, gets a breather on plays where he hands off and doesn't get hit.
The QB, as MJD points out, gets his internal clock thrown off when he gets hit in the back. The ball starts coming out a little quicker than it should. Throws appear to observers as being off-target when the problem is the nanosecond early release b/c the QB wants to get rid of the ball before getting hit from behind again. He says it happens to every QB.
Williams was running well and the line looked strong until the running game disappeared.
Which game am I talking about? Or was it games? That's a problem that hasn't been fixed. And with a back that can get extra yards and a line that can move people out of the way, the Rams have the pieces to fix it.
And if the line and RB don't have a chance early-on to both build confidence and learn from their mistakes, will they still be stuck in this same rut at the end of the season?
