Concerns On The Run vs Lions?

[So Be]

Detroit is very good against the run. Don't know Miller if will play but, even he does, he will not be 100%. I'm not sold on Williams and not sure how DT will fare. Are we looking at maybe 50 yards from our RB's or, are you thinking we can do better?

Tannehill running vs this team is also a concern. Thoughts on how he will do?

 

[nick1]

Tannehill will get his normal 40 yards. I don't think Detroit can defend the QB run. Its about numbers. Tannehill will only keep it if the DE crashes the RB. Clay can block the LB. And there you go a big run. The RBs might have trouble hopefully the threat of Tannehill running will effect them

 

[cash]

Tannehill will need to make better decisions running the option this week. Last week and I believe in the Chicago game there were at least 3 or 4 plays he gave it to the RB when he should have kept it and took it outside for HUGE GAINS. Up until that point I always thought he was an excellent option decision maker. I would like to see him improve this week. Lions will be no problem so long as we score 27, which I think is VERY DOABLE. Fins up!

 

[datruth55]

Detroit is very good against the run. Don't know Miller if will play but, even he does, he will not be 100%. I'm not sold on Williams and not sure how DT will fare. Are we looking at maybe 50 yards from our RB's or, are you thinking we can do better?

Tannehill running vs this team is also a concern. Thoughts on how he will do?

Yeah I'm concerned. I'm not sure we break 100 yards as a team in this one and Tannehill running the zone read is a concern because of Suh taking a cheap shot on Tannehill, which he's been known to do. Detroit has really good speed at linebacker, DTs that can prevent our guards from getting to the second level on straight running plays or zone read plays. They can be over aggressive and undisciplined which Lazor needs to figure out a way to use that to our advantage. Maybe less zone read and more misdirection plays...maybe even throw some delayed handoffs in there. I still think screens and quick throws to the outside is our best bet in the short game in lieu of running the ball.

 

[South_Beach]

Stunt & pull left,
Shotgun, pitch right, (wideouts block like never before)
Play action fake, Tanny up the gut off center

Done easier than said.

 

[foozool13]

Running is going to be an issue this game no doubt. This is a game TH is probably going to have to carry us. It is time for him to put on his Big Boy pants and lead us to victory. Let see if he can do it. It is time.

 

[KTOWNFINFAN]

Tannehill will need to make better decisions running the option this week. Last week and I believe in the Chicago game there were at least 3 or 4 plays he gave it to the RB when he should have kept it and took it outside for HUGE GAINS. Up until that point I always thought he was an excellent option decision maker. I would like to see him improve this week. Lions will be no problem so long as we score 27, which I think is VERY DOABLE. Fins up!

Well obviously you understand he won't keep it every time the DE crashes down. It would be too easy to bait him if he did it EVERY time. Also you don't want him running as many times as he would be if he kept it every time. But I agree there have been a few times where I was like "holy cow there was a lot of space over there". I would rather him run it more to the short side of the field and try to get out of bounds like he did in the chargers game.

As to the OP, I really don't want to see Miller in there this week. His pass pro is worlds better than it was last year but he still got ran over by a LB and gave up a sack vs the Chargers (although it was called back after a hands to the face penalty). Now he has a very sore shoulder and if we put him out there vs that DL trying to help protect Ryan, that sounds like a recipe for disaster.

I might put Clay in the backfield more this game as he can run and block quite well. But most importantly we HAVE to move the pocket as often as possible. I don't expect us to have more than about 30 yards rushing to be honest. And most of those 30 will come in the 2nd half from Ryan. That is just my opinion. We will have to win the turnover battle by at least 2 to have a chance in this game. If people think the bills are nightmare matchup for us wait til they see us on the field with the Lions. The Lions are an upgraded version of the bills defense with an actual offense to go along with it.

I hate to say it this way but this game is less about us and more about the Lions. If they bring their "A" game, we are not walking out of there with a win.

 

[KTOWNFINFAN]

Yeah I'm concerned. I'm not sure we break 100 yards as a team in this one and Tannehill running the zone read is a concern because of Suh taking a cheap shot on Tannehill, which he's been known to do. Detroit has really good speed at linebacker, DTs that can prevent our guards from getting to the second level on straight running plays or zone read plays. They can be over aggressive and undisciplined which Lazor needs to figure out a way to use that to our advantage. Maybe less zone read and more misdirection plays...maybe even throw some delayed handoffs in there. I still think screens and quick throws to the outside is our best bet in the short game in lieu of running the ball.

Yeah this is the type of game that Hartline might get double digit catches. Those come backs on the outside will help us a lot in this type of game. Short quick passes like that and slants will allow our screen game to get in gear. We will also need Landry and Clay to work the middle on crossing routes to keep their LBs from getting to the sidelines. This is the game where hitting two deep fly patterns to Wallace would shake up the world. The Lions will try to take away our short routes. They have had 2 weeks to prepare so they know we can't go deep. If we could hit a few deep passes it would change their view as well as a lot of others view of us. We are going to have to hit some of those at some point to be a real contender.

 

[TheWalrus]

Detroit is a good run defense but not as good as their ranking. Look at who they've played:

Giants (16th in rushing yards per game, 23rd in ypc)
Panthers (26th in yards, 25th in ypc
Packers (24th in yards, 20th in ypc)
Jets (3rd in yards, 5th in ypc)
Bills (23rd in yards, 23rd in ypc)
Vikings (12th in yards, 6th in ypc)
Saints (7th in yards, 2nd in ypc)
Falcons (25th in yards, 13th in ypc)

That's an average of 17th in yards and 14/15th in yards per carry.

The Dolphins are fourth in yards per game and tied for second in yards per carry. That makes us the best rushing offense the Lions have yet faced. Or at least relatively tied with the Jets, who are third in yards and fifth in ypc.

How did the Jets rushing offense fare against the Lions?

27 carries for 132 yards, an average of 4.9 yards per carry.

 

[So Be]

Their WLB Levy is great vs the run, and can bring pressure as well. The SS Ihedigbo does blitz with 3 sacks, 2 hits, and 2 hurries. and MLB Tulluch has 3 sacks as well. I like your idea of keeping Clay in the backfield more.

 

[slk018]

Detroit is a good run defense but not as good as their ranking. Look at who they've played:

Giants (16th in rushing yards per game, 23rd in ypc)
Panthers (26th in yards, 25th in ypc
Packers (24th in yards, 20th in ypc)
Jets (3rd in yards, 5th in ypc)
Bills (23rd in yards, 23rd in ypc)
Vikings (12th in yards, 6th in ypc)
Saints (7th in yards, 2nd in ypc)
Falcons (25th in yards, 13th in ypc)

That's an average of 17th in yards and 14/15th in yards per carry.

The Dolphins are fourth in yards per game and tied for second in yards per carry. That makes us the best rushing offense the Lions have yet faced. Or at least relatively tied with the Jets, who are third in yards and fifth in ypc.


So, it averages out to them playing an average running team?
So, the stats tell you exactly what one would think.
How did the Jets rushing offense fare against the Lions?

27 carries for 132 yards, an average of 4.9 yards per carry.

So, it averages out to them playing an average running team?
So, the stats tell you exactly what one would think. It isn't like they have played teams who all cant run the ball, over the sample size they average playing an average running team...Catch my drift?

 

[datruth55]

Yeah this is the type of game that Hartline might get double digit catches. Those come backs on the outside will help us a lot in this type of game. Short quick passes like that and slants will allow our screen game to get in gear. We will also need Landry and Clay to work the middle on crossing routes to keep their LBs from getting to the sidelines. This is the game where hitting two deep fly patterns to Wallace would shake up the world. The Lions will try to take away our short routes. They have had 2 weeks to prepare so they know we can't go deep. If we could hit a few deep passes it would change their view as well as a lot of others view of us. We are going to have to hit some of those at some point to be a real contender.

First teams are 4-10 coming off the bye...the two weeks off is not as big of an advantage as some might think.

Second...I listened to Tannehill's interview with Joe Rose earlier this week and Rose asked him about the deep ball (he's got deep ball frustration like he always says) and Tannehill said something that made me wonder. He said he had been looking to go deep but it isn't always there and that sometimes the WR gets pushed out of bounds (at which point he basically becomes ineligible). I know some announcers have pointed out that Wallace runs too close to the sidelines and doesn't give Tannehill enough room to operate for those deep balls...and it seems like every time Wallace makes an attempt to grab a deep ball, or grabs one like the 50-yarder against Jacksonville...he's awfully close to the sideline. I think this may be playing a bigger factor in why Tannehill hasn't gone deep more to Wallace...I know there were several times where he wanted to pull the trigger against the Chargers...you can see he was looking downfield and one time he started to motion and then pulled it back and checked it down.

I do think you're right...I think we'll see the safeties playing much closer to the LOS in this game and this seems like a good week to hit that deep pass.

 

[So Be]

Detroit is a good run defense but not as good as their ranking. Look at who they've played:

Giants (16th in rushing yards per game, 23rd in ypc)
Panthers (26th in yards, 25th in ypc
Packers (24th in yards, 20th in ypc)
Jets (3rd in yards, 5th in ypc)
Bills (23rd in yards, 23rd in ypc)
Vikings (12th in yards, 6th in ypc)
Saints (7th in yards, 2nd in ypc)
Falcons (25th in yards, 13th in ypc)

That's an average of 17th in yards and 14/15th in yards per carry.

The Dolphins are fourth in yards per game and tied for second in yards per carry. That makes us the best rushing offense the Lions have yet faced. Or at least relatively tied with the Jets, who are third in yards and fifth in ypc.

How did the Jets rushing offense fare against the Lions?

27 carries for 132 yards, an average of 4.9 yards per carry.

In that game, Cris Johnson hit on a 35 yarder behind Fergison, and 60 yards came up the gut behind Mangold, who had a VG game. Before the injury, was thinking that Miller could get a couple of big runs to the outside. Now, doubting the same, and Satele is no Mangold.

 

[slk018]

I wouldn't mind some deep attempts to guys that can actually play above their head. Landry or Matthews

 

[So Be]

First teams are 4-10 coming off the bye...the two weeks off is not as big of an advantage as some might think.

Second...I listened to Tannehill's interview with Joe Rose earlier this week and Rose asked him about the deep ball (he's got deep ball frustration like he always says) and Tannehill said something that made me wonder. He said he had been looking to go deep but it isn't always there and that sometimes the WR gets pushed out of bounds (at which point he basically becomes ineligible). I know some announcers have pointed out that Wallace runs too close to the sidelines and doesn't give Tannehill enough room to operate for those deep balls...and it seems like every time Wallace makes an attempt to grab a deep ball, or grabs one like the 50-yarder against Jacksonville...he's awfully close to the sideline. I think this may be playing a bigger factor in why Tannehill hasn't gone deep more to Wallace...I know there were several times where he wanted to pull the trigger against the Chargers...you can see he was looking downfield and one time he started to motion and then pulled it back and checked it down.

I do think you're right...I think we'll see the safeties playing much closer to the LOS in this game and this seems like a good week to hit that deep pass.

Don't players just get a week off on bye week? Good for healing but, no additional practice, although coaches do have more time to game plan.