If you were Clements, what would you do

[Tolstoy]

I've been thinking about this. All the signs out of Jacksonville point to stopping the run game, and all the signs out of Buffalo point to a determination to run the ball. It looks like the Jags may dare Buffalo to throw the ball.

 

If you were the Offensive Coordinator for Buffalo, would you take the bait? Would you pull a Gilbride and use the pass to set up the run? Or would you play smashmouth with the Jags, hoping to loosen them up eventually?

 

My answer: play smashmouth. We have a good defense. Try to win it in the 4th quarter, when the Jags D starts to get tired. Do some play action now and then, but mostly hit them in the teeth with Henry (and McGahee).

 

Why?

 

(1) We do not want to start the season depending on Bledsoe's arm! Maybe later, when he has gotten his confidence back, but not now! One or two INT's and his confidence (along with the team's) is shot...

 

(2) The O-line needs to get an attitude, develop cohesiveness, etc. The best way to do that is by running the ball early and often.

 

(3) The better the running game, the more rested and better the defense.

 

What do you think?

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

In my mind, a good run game (even a smashmouth rung game) uses the pass to set up the run. The Bills should not rely on the pass and go all Kevin Killdrive in the face of a stacked line. However, simply going for 2.5 yards and a cloud of astroturf 9 times in a row only gets you 3 punts. Success needs to be the main driver.

 

My sense is that you do commit to the run early and often, but it is probably more successful to judiciously sprinkle in the types of run which can exploit any overpurusit which might come from a multi-man front and to throw in some pass plays which provide opportunities for RAC.

 

Thus, I'm really interested in how much room they give Moulds in this stacked front. If they put 8 in the box and have the corner back off of Moulds because he knows he doesn't have any help deep. I do like the quick flare pass to Moulds which sets up a 2nd and 5 where we can run Henry twice and 2.5 yards a carry gets us a new set of downs. 2 of our first 3 plays have been smnashmouth runs and the third play needs the blockers to sell it as a run play in order for Moulds not to get cheated upon and tackled early.

 

If on the other hand, their are 8 in the box and the CB is up close covering Moulds, I have enough confidence in him that I am interested in a medium range timing pattern to him where his job is to use one move to beat the CB, plow past him and potentially go for 6 or force a penalty if the refs are in fact calling pass interference tighter.

 

I run this pass as a play action fake so again my blockers line up and sell the smashmouth game.

 

I don't see the smashmouth approach as throwing the potential for a pass out of the window completely.