[TheRealPattman] Using @PFF data, I wanted to see what was going on with the #Falcons running game. Issue has been the blocking, especially on the edge, QB Scramble production is down, YAC going right is down, and biggest is the lack of success between Dalman and Lindstrom through the A gap.
November 1, 2023
[TheRealPattman] Using @PFF data, I wanted to see what was going on with the #Falcons running game. Issue has been the blocking, especially on the edge, QB Scramble production is down, YAC going right is down, and biggest is the lack of success between Dalman and Lindstrom through the A gap.
7 comments
Very underrated follow when it comes to falcons stuff.
Don’t need PFF to come to that conclusion unfortunately
The issue with the A gap is most striking with Allgeier. They’ll hand it to him and he’ll run right into dalman because he’s expecting a hole to open and it just never is.
Dalman seems to snap low all the time too
Its being defended totally different than it was last year.
Sure you can say the oline isnt playing as well as they did last year but.. they werent facing 8 guys in the box every single down. Even in double tight end sets..theres always 1 or 2 defenders unblocked. And the online was still top 5 in the league prior to Sunday.
Ridder takes tons of sacks..which hurts qb rushing stats ..and lets let’s face it. He may have a decent 40 time but in game speed is different..and he looks more frightened than fast when he runs the ball. Turnovers aside..he has been decent running inside the redzone but with the backs that we have.. ridder leading the team in rushing touchdowns is NOT a good stat. Bijan just getting his first rushing td in week 8..
Redzone is no different than anywhere on the field as far how opposing defenses approach. More stacked box. Doing everything they can to keep the ball in ridders hands. He is the weakness..vulnerability whatver you want to call it. Teams won’t stop exploiting it. Last season and even first few games this year..thought the Falcons may have finally got over the redzone inefficiency that plague the team during Ryan’s years but nope. Ever since teams started loading the front its been back to field goal city.
Its not going to change as long as ridder is the QB because the offense has next to no big play ability with him at QB. This time last year Mariota had 3 passes over 70 yards..and a handful of runs over 20 yards. His ability in RPO and play action made it where teams couldn’t defend the offense like they are now and the difference is night and day.
Last year..both rbs are avg 5 yards a carry. Both have runs of over 40 yards. Mariota CP and allegier together have 14 runs over 20 yards. Mariota only 9 ints and 2 lost fumbles on the year. He took 28 sacks.
So this year we only have 6 runs over 20.. none over 40.
Currently ridder has already taken 25 sacks. He has turned the ball over 8 times. 3 in the redzone. He has rushed for 139 yards. He has lost 172 yards to being sacked.
So reality is RIDDER has -33 yards rushing.
Anyone who argued with me about ridder this offseason will remember me constantly bringing up his rushing yards in games vs bama and Georgia. Because its the only times in college he faced multiple NFL defenders at once and what do you know. I was right. The results have been exactly the same.
Ridders longest pass has been 45 yards.. Heinicke beat that in basically 2 quarters by connecting on a 52 yarder. Mariotas longest was 75.
Anyways defenses has absolutely no fear of our offense beating those stacked fronts with big plays. We don’t have big play capabilities with ridder at QB.
That’s the difference in the running game last year vs right now. Mariota could hurt defenses with big plays in RPO and play action with his arm and legs.
Compared to last year Smith is barely dialing up RPO and play action. And that is like the heart of his entire scheme. Without those .. his offense is not good. And ridder has had next to no success. Last year those plays are what made the offense impossible to stack the box on. Without those the offense is very predictable and easily stopped.
Tldr; Mariota was way better at running this offense than ridder was. He made big plays in rpo and play action that kept teams from stacking the box and playing the run. Ridder cannot make big throws or runs in rpo / play action and the rushing game and entire offense is suffering for it. This will not change as long as ridder is the QB.
Dare I say – Bring Back Mayfield?
Ha…no. I wonder if some of the issue we’re seeing is because Hennessy is out for the season.
But my question is, if you can figure this out, why can’t our team or coaches who literally do this for a living fix it?
7 comments
Very underrated follow when it comes to falcons stuff.
Don’t need PFF to come to that conclusion unfortunately
The issue with the A gap is most striking with Allgeier. They’ll hand it to him and he’ll run right into dalman because he’s expecting a hole to open and it just never is.
Dalman seems to snap low all the time too
Its being defended totally different than it was last year.
Sure you can say the oline isnt playing as well as they did last year but.. they werent facing 8 guys in the box every single down. Even in double tight end sets..theres always 1 or 2 defenders unblocked. And the online was still top 5 in the league prior to Sunday.
Ridder takes tons of sacks..which hurts qb rushing stats ..and lets let’s face it. He may have a decent 40 time but in game speed is different..and he looks more frightened than fast when he runs the ball.
Turnovers aside..he has been decent running inside the redzone but with the backs that we have.. ridder leading the team in rushing touchdowns is NOT a good stat. Bijan just getting his first rushing td in week 8..
Redzone is no different than anywhere on the field as far how opposing defenses approach. More stacked box. Doing everything they can to keep the ball in ridders hands. He is the weakness..vulnerability whatver you want to call it. Teams won’t stop exploiting it. Last season and even first few games this year..thought the Falcons may have finally got over the redzone inefficiency that plague the team during Ryan’s years but nope. Ever since teams started loading the front its been back to field goal city.
Its not going to change as long as ridder is the QB because the offense has next to no big play ability with him at QB. This time last year Mariota had 3 passes over 70 yards..and a handful of runs over 20 yards. His ability in RPO and play action made it where teams couldn’t defend the offense like they are now and the difference is night and day.
Last year..both rbs are avg 5 yards a carry. Both have runs of over 40 yards. Mariota CP and allegier together have 14 runs over 20 yards. Mariota only 9 ints and 2 lost fumbles on the year. He took 28 sacks.
So this year we only have 6 runs over 20.. none over 40.
Currently ridder has already taken 25 sacks. He has turned the ball over 8 times. 3 in the redzone.
He has rushed for 139 yards. He has lost 172 yards to being sacked.
So reality is RIDDER has -33 yards rushing.
Anyone who argued with me about ridder this offseason will remember me constantly bringing up his rushing yards in games vs bama and Georgia. Because its the only times in college he faced multiple NFL defenders at once and what do you know. I was right. The results have been exactly the same.
Ridders longest pass has been 45 yards.. Heinicke beat that in basically 2 quarters by connecting on a 52 yarder. Mariotas longest was 75.
Anyways defenses has absolutely no fear of our offense beating those stacked fronts with big plays. We don’t have big play capabilities with ridder at QB.
That’s the difference in the running game last year vs right now. Mariota could hurt defenses with big plays in RPO and play action with his arm and legs.
Compared to last year Smith is barely dialing up RPO and play action. And that is like the heart of his entire scheme. Without those .. his offense is not good. And ridder has had next to no success. Last year those plays are what made the offense impossible to stack the box on. Without those the offense is very predictable and easily stopped.
Tldr; Mariota was way better at running this offense than ridder was. He made big plays in rpo and play action that kept teams from stacking the box and playing the run. Ridder cannot make big throws or runs in rpo / play action and the rushing game and entire offense is suffering for it. This will not change as long as ridder is the QB.
Dare I say – Bring Back Mayfield?
Ha…no. I wonder if some of the issue we’re seeing is because Hennessy is out for the season.
But my question is, if you can figure this out, why can’t our team or coaches who literally do this for a living fix it?