From my short experience, I have found that inside runs have been working better that outside runs, but that just more closely reflects the reality of which outside runs are more boom/bust. This may be skewed however by the fact that all my teams with dominant tackles haven't moved into 4.5 so I may see outside runs work better in those teams when they get there.
Re: Running game in 4.5
by
jlyman
@
3/26/2019 11:07 pm
I’ve found speed in the backs is good. Really a requirement.
For linemen I usually look at their strength and blocking. Even those with lower strength, but higher blocking ability do pretty well.
I've found outside running to be a poor choice in 0.4.3, 0.4.4, 0.4.5. I keep trying, and keep abandoning, for the most part. There's a few plays that work. Very few, in my experience.
I've found outside running to be a poor choice in 0.4.3, 0.4.4, 0.4.5. I keep trying, and keep abandoning, for the most part. There's a few plays that work. Very few, in my experience.
I've entirely dumped outside runs from my gameplan in the last 2 seasons, they're simply no good at all. Inside running with a good line and a back with pace gets the job done well.
Running backs with speed and strength (and I think acceleration is a bigger factor now as well). O-lineman with strength, but run blocking is more important now too.
Overall, inside runs seem to be a little more consistently effective than outside runs. But the biggest key to a successful running game is finding mismatches and keeping opponents guessing. Make sure your playbooks are balanced as far as the different play types out of each personnel grouping that you use. I also use a few rules that are more specific to downs and distances that throw some runs in unexpected places. Just like in RL, if you force a team to load up the box (i.e. the defense is in Goal Line), outside runs to the weak side can work well. Or if you make the defense put less guys in the box, it opens running lanes for the inside ground game. This is where I scout opposing defenses to see what formations they run against the formations I run on offense, and find some mismatches there.
