Ryan Kalil is a Difference Maker

[Proudiddy]

Larsen has performed admirably in Ryan's absence, but you don't really know what and how much you're missing at center until Ryan is back in there...  the line just plays better as a whole and the run game is night and day.  I'm not sure our guys break off those huge runs if Larsen is playing.

[trucpfan]

Hugggggeeee

[luke nukem]

hope he feels good tomorrow.

[LinvilleGorge]

Certainly seems that way. 

[JawnyBlaze]

Yea huge difference in blocking today against a great front 7

[jbland]

[ecu88]

[Proudiddy]

2 minutes ago, JawnyBlaze said:

Yea huge difference in blocking today against a great front 7

Yeah, that's the most significant part of it...  this wasn't some trash defense.  I have the utmost respect for Zimmer and his smashmouth defenses, especially what he's built in Minny, so having the game we did against them and with RK back in there, really means something...  it's definitely not coincidence.

I know the famous old cliche is, "you dont know what you've got until it's gone," but this is a case of, "you don't really realize what you've got until you have it back," LOL.

[TheRumGone]

@thebigcat

:-)

[SCO96]

I can't disagree with you on the fact that the Oline did look better today.  CMac didn't carry the ball much, but he averaged 4.4 ypc today, Stewart went over 100 yds, and the run game netted 216 yards on 36 carries.

However, the final numbers are a bit skewed. 122 of those yards came on Stewart's and Newton's long runs. Subtract those runs and are stats would be 34 carries for 94 yards. Even without the kneel downs to end the game that's less than 4.0 yds per carry.

We've got to do better if we want to establish a strong run game...and we've got to find a replacement Kalil. He's getting older, having more injuries, and next year's cap figure is 10,000,000. The FO has a big decision to make on the Center position this offseason.

[Fox007]

23 minutes ago, Proudiddy said:

Larsen has performed admirably in Ryan's absence, but you don't really know what and how much you're missing at center until Ryan is back in there...  the line just plays better as a whole and the run game is night and day.  I'm not sure our guys break off those huge runs if Larsen is playing.

He's a fringe HoF like Fiz was saying....so I'd hope so. Also hope we get him a ring to go with Pep/Olsen/Cam/Luke.

[Proudiddy]

9 minutes ago, SCO96 said:

I can't disagree with you on the fact that the Oline did look better today.  CMac didn't carry the ball much, but he averaged 4.4 ypc today, Stewart went over 100 yds, and the run game netted 216 yards on 36 carries.

However, the final numbers are a bit skewed. 122 of those yards came on Stewart's and Newton's long runs. Subtract those runs and are stats would be 34 carries for 94 yards. Even with the kneel downs to end the game that's less than 4.0 yds per carry.

We've got to do better if we want to establish a strong run game...and we've got to find a replacement Kalil. He's getting older, having more injuries, and next year's cap figure is 10,000,000. The FO has a big decision to make on the Center position this offseason.

I get what youre saying, but ive never understood when people say, "take away this one big play and..."  well, you can't lol.  Those plays happened.  And it matters because i ask, "would those big runs have happened if Kalil wasn't in there?"  We don't know, but I don't recall any other game that Larsen started where we broke off two different runs of 40+ yards.  Yes, they are an anomaly, but they happened, and they happened for a reason.

Also, many coaches dont care so much about YPC as they do the attempts, as a sign of balance and production.  And many would take a 3-4 YPC as a bonus to the number of attempts.

All that being said, I don't think there's any doubt, we definitely need to groom an eventual replacement, but Ryan is vital to what we do.  So as long as he's healthy, i suspect he'd restructure (if needed) and remain here, as we would want him to.

[t96]

@thebigcat suck it and Geoff Schwartz suck it too

[PantherNation123]

I just want to know where the peeps are that said Ryan Kalil was "done" and "we are better off with Larsen".  That stance was absurd, but also plentiful on this board.