YoloinOhio Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 @salsports The Bills will run an Outside Zone blocking scheme this year. I put together a video to explain. Hope you like it: CAPACCIO: Inside Zone vs. Outside Zone blocking (video) What's the difference and how will it impact the Bills run game? The Bills run-blocking scheme was made up a lot of inside zone last year on their way to leading the NFL in rushing for the second straight season. This year, under new offensive coordinator Rick Dennison, theyll be shifting to primarily an outside zone blocking scheme. So whats the difference? What does zone blocking even mean? http://www.wgr550.com/articles/news/capaccio-inside-zone-vs-outside-zone-blocking-video Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottebillsfan2 Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 It makes sense, I feel like McCoy likes to use his speed and prefers to go to the outside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunnerBill Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 It makes sense, I feel like McCoy likes to use his speed and prefers to go to the outside. We ran much more outside zone in 2015 and yet McCoy had a much better year in the more inside zone heavy offense that Lynn called last season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROONDOGG55 Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 Great post! Our rushing attack may get better because of this. Especially our play action! A naked bootleg with TT's speed and Watkins or Zay's speed has big plays written all over it. Should be fun to watch. We ran much more outside zone in 2015 and yet McCoy had a much better year in the more inside zone heavy offense that Lynn called last season. With injuries aside, I think he failed to see any cutback lanes based on the unsettled right side along with the mentality to continue to stretch until something opens up. I feel like he stretched way too many runs to the sideline on the right side in 2015. Last year, I think Lynn asked him to trust the line and cut up regardless of how small the hole was. Hopefully he can carry that with him and use that knowledge with the Dennison scheme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebandit27 Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 Good stuff...we would all do well to remember that the team ran almost exactly as much outside zone in 2016 as they did inside zone (in fact, it was ever so slightly more): https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2017/3/15/14933170/buffalo-bills-lesean-mccoy-mike-gillislee-rick-dennison-run-game-zone-blocking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloHokie13 Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 Here's a similar breakdown (text & gifs instead of video) from the Seattle offense I expect us to look like next year. I suspect we'll break down similarly to their 2014 & 2015 offense, with attempts being somewhere between the 2 and likely closer to '15. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunnerBill Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 With injuries aside, I think he failed to see any cutback lanes based on the unsettled right side along with the mentality to continue to stretch until something opens up. I feel like he stretched way too many runs to the sideline on the right side in 2015. Last year, I think Lynn asked him to trust the line and cut up regardless of how small the hole was. Hopefully he can carry that with him and use that knowledge with the Dennison scheme. I think Shady was guilty of stretching plays too far to both sides in 2015. I think it is why when Lynn got hold of playcalling he started to call a much more balanced inside / outside game whereas Roman featured the outside zone much more. It was an attempt from Lynn to force Shady to look to get north and south more quickly. It worked too. If Dennison is sensible he will continue to be balanced... because I think the inside stuff gets McCoy into the discipline of looking to hit the hole that then benefits them even when they run outside zone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebandit27 Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 Our rushing attack won't get better, IMO. It will get worse. It was too good last year. The scheme fit perfectly. A change in scheme will regress it at least a little. Hopefully not a big drop. It really isn't a change in scheme...the team ran out of zone 50% of the time in 2016, and half of those were outside zone. I don't see the percentages changing dramatically. That said, it would really be something for the team to keep up the pace of the run game from 2016, just because of the degree of dominance they managed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schoolhouserock Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 Nice work, Sal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H2o Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 We ran much more outside zone in 2015 and yet McCoy had a much better year in the more inside zone heavy offense that Lynn called last season. He had better numbers in 2016, but was hobbled more in 2015 as well. I think Shady is one of those rare RB's who can succeed in any system because of the lateral agility and stop-n-go ability he possesses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunnerBill Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 He had better numbers in 2016, but was hobbled more in 2015 as well. I think Shady is one of those rare RB's who can succeed in any system because of the lateral agility and stop-n-go ability he possesses. Yep, let me clarify I wasn't meaning to suggest Shady can't succeed in an outside zone scheme. I do think the balance that Lynn called (inside and outside) is what best suits him though and if Dennison is sensible he will stay balanced and multiple in the run game and not just try and impose a pure outside zone stretch scheme on the personnel we have. That wouldn't quite be Rex imposing 3-4 on 4-3 personnel but it would still, to my mind at least, be a mistake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Tuesday Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 Good stuff...we would all do well to remember that the team ran almost exactly as much outside zone in 2016 as they did inside zone (in fact, it was ever so slightly more): https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2017/3/15/14933170/buffalo-bills-lesean-mccoy-mike-gillislee-rick-dennison-run-game-zone-blocking They were also very good at play-action, another staple of Dennison's offense. The fit is there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsbackto81 Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 Don't mind seeing a drop in run production if it means an increase in pass production. Imagine how much more effective the run game would be if teams feared TT's passing abilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebandit27 Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 They were also very good at play-action, another staple of Dennison's offense. The fit is there. Don't mind seeing a drop in run production if it means an increase in pass production. Imagine how much more effective the run game would be if teams feared TT's passing abilities. I agree with both of you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaw66 Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 Thanks for the post. It's a great discussion of the technique differences. Nicely done. Others have said it, and I saw it somewhere - the Bills ran a lot of outside zone last season, so this isn't a big change. Plus, to expect the Bills rushing attack to be BETTER than last season is expecting a lot. Last season it was about as dominant as a we could expect a running attack to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 Good stuff...we would all do well to remember that the team ran almost exactly as much outside zone in 2016 as they did inside zone (in fact, it was ever so slightly more): https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2017/3/15/14933170/buffalo-bills-lesean-mccoy-mike-gillislee-rick-dennison-run-game-zone-blocking You read my mind. I don't see any great adjustment period for our OL relative to the "new" scheme. They've been running a ton of zone blocking schemes, inside and outside, for a few years now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BADOLBILZ Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 Yep, let me clarify I wasn't meaning to suggest Shady can't succeed in an outside zone scheme. I do think the balance that Lynn called (inside and outside) is what best suits him though and if Dennison is sensible he will stay balanced and multiple in the run game and not just try and impose a pure outside zone stretch scheme on the personnel we have. That wouldn't quite be Rex imposing 3-4 on 4-3 personnel but it would still, to my mind at least, be a mistake. Fans can be very ignorant about the impact of scheme and play design. McCoy underproduced greatly in 2015 because he was presented the option of taking most plays outside...........and he did. The amount of his runs that finished on the sideline was ridiculous and maddening to watch when considering that he didn't break ONE SINGLE outside run for a long TD all season.......while MG and Karlos were going bananas with long TD runs from inside the hashes. Those two far-less accomplished minimum wage backs took the inside options in 2015 and that's why they had far better production. Lynn FUNNELED the run inside in 2016.......he didn't simply trust Shady to follow his instinct as they had in 2015....and McCoy thrived. Shady grew up a lot since his awful 2015 season but you still have to wonder if he will revert back into a horizontal runner without play design forcing him to do what's good for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunnerBill Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 Fans can be very ignorant about the impact of scheme and play design. McCoy underproduced greatly in 2015 because he was presented the option of taking most plays outside...........and he did. The amount of his runs that finished on the sideline was ridiculous and maddening to watch when considering that he didn't break ONE SINGLE outside run for a long TD all season.......while MG and Karlos were going bananas with long TD runs from inside the hashes. Those two far-less accomplished minimum wage backs took the inside options in 2015 and that's why they had far better production. Lynn FUNNELED the run inside in 2016.......he didn't simply trust Shady to follow his instinct as they had in 2015....and McCoy thrived. Shady grew up a lot since his awful 2015 season but you still have to wonder if he will revert back into a horizontal runner without play design forcing him to do what's good for him. I agree Badol. I think the discipline of Lynn calling those inside zone runs more than Roman did (they were in the playbook he just used them less) helped Shady even on those outside zone plays that were called not to keep bouncing and bouncing and bouncing until he bounced out of play..... they got him used to the one cut and attack the line idea and his production improved. A couple of his big runs last year were on outside zone plays where the defense over pursued on the edge and Shady hit it back inside and took advantage. In 2015 he was trying to force those plays outside rather than taking what the scheme and the defense was giving him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoloinOhio Posted July 13, 2017 Author Share Posted July 13, 2017 (edited) I heard it mentioned on WGR (can't remember who they were interviewed, one of the NFL analysts) that the Bills play an easier schedule this year than in 2016 as it relates to rush defense. Edited July 13, 2017 by YoloinOhio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 Fans can be very ignorant about the impact of scheme and play design. McCoy underproduced greatly in 2015 because he was presented the option of taking most plays outside...........and he did. The amount of his runs that finished on the sideline was ridiculous and maddening to watch when considering that he didn't break ONE SINGLE outside run for a long TD all season.......while MG and Karlos were going bananas with long TD runs from inside the hashes. Those two far-less accomplished minimum wage backs took the inside options in 2015 and that's why they had far better production. Lynn FUNNELED the run inside in 2016.......he didn't simply trust Shady to follow his instinct as they had in 2015....and McCoy thrived. Shady grew up a lot since his awful 2015 season but you still have to wonder if he will revert back into a horizontal runner without play design forcing him to do what's good for him. Good points A lot of people dont agree with me but I think Jon Williams is gonna thrive in the backup role this year for just that reason that he is a one cut between the tackles pinball machine runner His first year fumbles do concern me....but he was not a fumbler in college so I am hoping he can get past that. There is a reason why we have not aggressively gone after free agent running backs after we lost Mike G. this offseason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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