Does it though? Or does it just seem that way sometimes? At first I was nodding my head in agreement when I read this but a quick look at 2024 stats tells me we were seventh in the league in run rate, third in runs per game, fourth in rush yards per game. Yes, Jayden scrambles more than other QBs, and that skews the stats some. But still, seems like Kliff actually runs the ball plenty. It’s just very difficult to keep it up in a game where you are down two scores early and having trouble converting on third down.
I am sure you are playing devil's advocate here to some degree, and I know the game-to-game stats would show like that; that's why I specified quarter-to-quarter. For whatever reason, it has seemed to me that Kliff will go long spans of game time without running much and then all of a sudden (even in the third or fourth quarters, losing by a touchdown or whatever else) suddenly run more. I would be really surprised if quarter-by-quarter he called rushing plays as much as passing. As you said, also, I would really like to talk about plays where we are handing off. Not QB run plays. It opens up a lot more in terms of play-action and other aspects; but it is just not a part of Kliff's scheme. The issue with Kliff's scheme is that if you play a team like GB, I don't see a great answer. Apparently Kliff didn't either. For me, when you run the ball well and know how to threaten with rushes, it opens up a lot. You don't even have to be super successful all of the time.
It may surprise some to know that Jacobs had a lower ypc than JCM on Thursday. However, the quantity of rushes that Jacobs had represented a significant threat, and it opened up big lanes for the passing game regardless of how successful we were in getting to the backfield. This type of stuff ends up completely missing from Kliff's game not because he never rushes, but because of how he designs and times his playcalls.
As I recall, there *were* a couple of games in 2024 where Kliff ran the ball well. The Titans game comes to mind. However, even with Scott Turner, there were a couple of games where he committed to the run and the team won handily. The defenses didn't expect it at all because it was so against tendency. It really shouldn't be. Balance should be baked into the scheme/calls (and I don't mean game-to-game, I mean quarter-to-quarter). The problem is, we would return to our typical form soon enough, and defenses would key off. I think Kliff >>> Turner, and Jayden >>> other QBs we have had, for sure, and thus 2024 happens. However, I do see Kliff having a strong predilection to the pass. That's unfortunate.
In one of his pressers late last year, he admitted that DQ has to remind him to run sometimes and explain how it keeps defenses honest. That's a weird thing for an OC, to me. Really weird.
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