Panthers main focus/strength is running the ball. The current NFL is a passing league

[The NFL Shield At Midfield]

This thread gets made every offseason.

[OneBadassCat]

All we need is balance. Our running game is lethal but Jake couldn't give us a remote chance in the passing game.

[The NFL Shield At Midfield]

All we need is balance. Our running game is lethal but Jake couldn't give us a remote chance in the passing game.

The fact that the Saints languished around .500 for two seasons with one of the most lethal passing attacks in the game only to win a Super Bowl when they finally cracked the top 10 in rushing should make this so obvious it shouldn't even need to be said. But this thread is proof that it does.

Also their super aggressive approach re: rushing the passer didn't hurt either.

[Kevin Greene]

The Panthers have in the recent past had no choice but to be a running team if they want to win. If Jake threw more than 30 passes last year we lost every time. Davidson still tried to force it more than he should have while Delhomme continued to throw the season away.

If Moore plays well and we get some quality WR talent on this years team, the true Davidson will emerge me thinks in 2010.

[Fiz]

The fact that the Saints languished around .500 for two seasons with one of the most lethal passing attacks in the game only to win a Super Bowl when they finally cracked the top 10 in rushing should make this so obvious it shouldn't even need to be said. But this thread is proof that it does.

Also their super aggressive approach re: rushing the passer didn't hurt either.

they were top 10 in 2008 as well.

http://footballoutsiders.com/stats/teamoff2008

basically rankings are stupid, total yards are stupid, nothing in the nfl can be taken out of context.

[CatMan72]

Funny you meantion 1972, because that was around the beginning of the air coryell offense. People thought the dominating running game was dying by the end of the 70s, too.

It's a pendulum that swings back and forth, pretty quickly actually, between which type of team enjoys the most success.

Agree, and with teams building lighter and faster defenses to combat the passing game, the running game will become more and more effective to the point that the pendulum swings back towards it.

[Cyberjag]

again. I'm stating in 2010 the current NFL is passing. Its easy to win if nearly each year there are new rules that favor passing.

And we're all correcting you. It isn't, and it hasn't been, and as long as teams can run the ball for first downs it's not likely to be anytime soon.

it's only a passing league until the next running team wins the super bowl.

Which they've done for most of the Super Bowls in the game's existence.

This thread gets made every offseason.

And yet, no one ever learns.

they were top 10 in 2008 as well.

http://footballoutsiders.com/stats/teamoff2008

basically rankings are stupid, total yards are stupid, nothing in the nfl can be taken out of context.

No, they were 28th in rushing.

http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?archive=false&conference=null&role=TM&offensiveStatisticCategory=RUSHING&defensiveStatisticCategory=null&season=2008&seasonType=REG&tabSeq=2&qualified=true&Submit=Go

The Football Outsiders site tries to report on how efficient they were when they ran the ball, but that doesn't mean they ran it much. Considering they were 26th in attempts, they obviously didn't. And if they had run it more there's no telling if they would have been as efficient as they were, especially given that they only averaged 4.0 yards per carry, which was good for 21st in the league.

[DeAngelo Beason]

This whole argument is moot. Teams win games by utilizing the players and schemes they have available and implement them in situational football. If you've got big receivers against small corners you might try to throw it a bit. If you've got a small d line against your monster o line, you may try to run it. That being said, ask any coach on earth if he could run the ball for 7 yards a carry or pass it for 7 yards per completion, he'd pick run EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Twenty bad things can happen when the ball is in the air and only about two good things. The risk of passing compared to running is too big when you have a backfield like we do. That's why we run to set up the pass, and any team on earth with our backfield would do the exact same thing regardless of who the QB and receivers were.

[beastson]

Like somebody alluded it, Jets made it to the NFC game last year

Just need a balanced offense period. Be able to run and throw effectively. I wont say its a passing league anymore. Its more of a offensive type league now. If you cant score, then goodbye

[Davidson Deac II]

If this year proved anything, it proved that balance is still the most important element in offense. Teams that can run and pass efficiently have a significant advantage over teams that can only do one or the other. Only way a predominantly passing team can win is if they have one of the top 2 or 3 Quarterbacks in the game. Meanwhile a running team with an adequate QB can make it to the AFC championship game. And if you have a team that can do both well (such as New Orleans), they win Superbowls.

[Davidson Deac II]

Agree with the others, balance on defense and offense is what gets championships.

[Mr. Scot]

I'm sorry, but if every defense in the league is being built up to stop the pass because every team is switching to a more pass friendly offense, wouldn't it make more sense to stick with a power running game? There will be mismatches everywhere.

Yep.

[scpanther22]

Jets made it to the AFC championship with a heavy run/play action/strong defense style of play..

We could have done the same, but Jake completely negated any passing attack we had. Once Matt was in we didn't suddenly stop running the ball as much, we were just able to throw in some passing that didn't result in turning the ball over.

And who would be our shut down CB?

[Fiz]

No, they were 28th in rushing.

http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?archive=false&conference=null&role=TM&offensiveStatisticCategory=RUSHING&defensiveStatisticCategory=null&season=2008&seasonType=REG&tabSeq=2&qualified=true&Submit=Go

The Football Outsiders site tries to report on how efficient they were when they ran the ball, but that doesn't mean they ran it much. Considering they were 26th in attempts, they obviously didn't. And if they had run it more there's no telling if they would have been as efficient as they were, especially given that they only averaged 4.0 yards per carry, which was good for 21st in the league.

yeah it's almost as if ranking individual components of a team outside of the entire context is stupid