Mathews

[KNSD]

What I really like is the fact that he's holding on to the ball. +1. Not getting injured. +1. Well done Ryan!

[Marshall/Boogie]

We had no chance of running it in against Washington. The only thing Washington's D does well is getting low on short yardage situations. They can't seal the edge, but without a blocking TE, we can't run off-tackle or wide either. Our OL just doesn't get low and blow people out. The only bad thing about the Washington series is we should have thrown 3 times, that was the only reasonable chance we had to score. But Washington was going to clog the inside running lanes to force us to throw. Their DL are good at firing off, and our OL is not very good at getting low and getting under people.

Long term, we need a blocking TE who can help seal the off tackle and give us that element. The DL can't just choose to deny the inside without giving up the easy offtackle or outside pitch to the flag. Then we start converting TD instead of FG or no points (which happened a lot). IMHO, that has to be a pretty high priority in the offseason.

Holy Shniekys! Good to read a Steve post again!

I know I don't have the post count of a lot of posters here (but I'm here and read this forum everyday) and it's good to see you back... appreciate your opinions, mang! So, do you see RM continuing this level of production for years to come if we keep these same blocking schemes, continie to draft a develop agood OL and add at least a good blocking TE? Do you think the hydra will want to retain RM now?

(Oh, an OT: Kaiser isn't just Fleet's boy, I liked him early on, as well, as a developing LB [Fleet will vouch for me]. I only point this out because I'm about 50/50 in pointing out talent, so I gotta say I was always rooting for him & I'm really digging his contributions now!

[UtahBolt]

We had no chance of running it in against Washington. The only thing Washington's D does well is getting low on short yardage situations. They can't seal the edge, but without a blocking TE, we can't run off-tackle or wide either. Our OL just doesn't get low and blow people out. The only bad thing about the Washington series is we should have thrown 3 times, that was the only reasonable chance we had to score. But Washington was going to clog the inside running lanes to force us to throw. Their DL are good at firing off, and our OL is not very good at getting low and getting under people.

Long term, we need a blocking TE who can help seal the off tackle and give us that element. The DL can't just choose to deny the inside without giving up the easy offtackle or outside pitch to the flag. Then we start converting TD instead of FG or no points (which happened a lot). IMHO, that has to be a pretty high priority in the offseason.

Welcome back Steve! Many here have missed your insight, including me. Normally I agree with you (or bow to your knowledge) but have to disagree with your point about the goal line calls against Washington. I think Matthews would have pounded that in at least 50% of the time and we had three shots so I like those chances. I do agree about the need for a TE that can seal...question though, wasn't that supposed to be what Phillips brings?

[Steve]

I am not sure if it was the blocking TE, or a guy who was also a backup to Gates as well.

To me, he is really more of a McMichael type of backup TE. He can do a little bit of everything, but he really doesn't do any of it that well. An OK guy if the starter goes down for a game or two. I thought he would have been an OK 2nd TE till Green developed, and we are pretty much at that point. Green is not completely there, but he is at the point he is only going to get better by playing more. If we dump McClain and just want to go with more TE, then he can stay, but I would still bring in some vet TE to see if we couldn't free up a roster spot, even if he is in camp next year.

We need a true blocker. If that guy can do more, great, but at the very least the guy has to be able to help the perimeter run game, and not just the goalline. We could be a much better outside zone run team if we could improve the consistency on the block there. If the new blocking TE can't run pass routes, it really doesn't matter. Gates and Green need to improve their run blocking some, but they are never going to be great run blockers, and there is a limit to how much we should try.

As far as Washington goes, there was never a real chance to run it on them. The one thing they do well on D is fire off hard and low. THey really can't do anything else well at all. But if their DL fire off and penetrate, Mathews can't even jump over the top. And our OL is not a get down and get lower then the other guy type of guys. They are big, get guys to move and then push them around. We are never going beat guys who play with leverage at their own game. We have gotten a little bit better lately, but that is mostly against guys who aren't really great at getting low. It was just a matchup thing. Whiz and McCoy knew the matchups were against us in that situation.

[Fleet]

What the hell Steve. Good to have you back. Cheers.

[Panama]

We had no chance of running it in against Washington. The only thing Washington's D does well is getting low on short yardage situations. They can't seal the edge, but without a blocking TE, we can't run off-tackle or wide either. Our OL just doesn't get low and blow people out. The only bad thing about the Washington series is we should have thrown 3 times, that was the only reasonable chance we had to score. But Washington was going to clog the inside running lanes to force us to throw. Their DL are good at firing off, and our OL is not very good at getting low and getting under people.

Long term, we need a blocking TE who can help seal the off tackle and give us that element. The DL can't just choose to deny the inside without giving up the easy offtackle or outside pitch to the flag. Then we start converting TD instead of FG or no points (which happened a lot). IMHO, that has to be a pretty high priority in the offseason.

I hope this is a poor attempt at sarcasm. If not, I think most of us will agree to disagree. There is more than one way to run it in. With three shots from inside the 1 and 2 timeouts, they should have run at least twice if not all 3 times. I don't care how stout Washington's defense is on 3rd and 1, it's really insanely difficult to stop a team gaining less than one yard in three attempts.

[blahblahblah]

Any modern RB will benefit from a Norvectomy.

[blahblahblah]

I am not sure if it was the blocking TE, or a guy who was also a backup to Gates as well.

To me, he is really more of a McMichael type of backup TE. He can do a little bit of everything, but he really doesn't do any of it that well. An OK guy if the starter goes down for a game or two. I thought he would have been an OK 2nd TE till Green developed, and we are pretty much at that point. Green is not completely there, but he is at the point he is only going to get better by playing more. If we dump McClain and just want to go with more TE, then he can stay, but I would still bring in some vet TE to see if we couldn't free up a roster spot, even if he is in camp next year.

We need a true blocker. If that guy can do more, great, but at the very least the guy has to be able to help the perimeter run game, and not just the goalline. We could be a much better outside zone run team if we could improve the consistency on the block there. If the new blocking TE can't run pass routes, it really doesn't matter. Gates and Green need to improve their run blocking some, but they are never going to be great run blockers, and there is a limit to how much we should try.

As far as Washington goes, there was never a real chance to run it on them. The one thing they do well on D is fire off hard and low. THey really can't do anything else well at all. But if their DL fire off and penetrate, Mathews can't even jump over the top. And our OL is not a get down and get lower then the other guy type of guys. They are big, get guys to move and then push them around. We are never going beat guys who play with leverage at their own game. We have gotten a little bit better lately, but that is mostly against guys who aren't really great at getting low. It was just a matchup thing. Whiz and McCoy knew the matchups were against us in that situation.

Let Mathews go high. Run the fake dive back door toss. ANYTHING is better than a Rivers bootleg.

[oneinchpunch]

Let Mathews go high. Run the fake dive back door toss. ANYTHING is better than a Rivers bootleg.

No matter the matchup with 2 timeouts and that distance running is so far in your favor. That Rivers still mentions it shows what a mistake was made on that goal line stand

[homeless simpson]

The new* rb coach is a great addition to the staff

[Boltjolt]

I ve always backed Mathews and have kept pointing out that is isnt really a fumbler. He has gotton better each year on that and has done great with it this year. Glad to see he is running hard and getting it done and i even saw him make a nice block on a pass that Rivers completed.

[Steve]

I think, once this OL really gets to work together and gets their timing down, we will be a pretty good goalline team. But I have gone back and looked at every goalline play, and we just can't run block down there to save our lives. We don't have a single play that was well blocked. None, even against teams who were struggling.

In time, I think we will be good on the goalline. Bring back the old Cam Cameron option dive play where Rivers reads the DE, then either give to the FB diving through the line, or quick pitches to Mathews who can outrun the inside pursuit and the DE to the corner if they respect the dive. But right now, the DE/OLB who gets optioned can hang out and align wide and not have to respect the dive. The inside penetration by the DL takes out the FB dive and then the pursuit has a clean angle to cutoff Mathews before he reaches the goalline.

We have to get an OL that can work together as a unit and get their timing really down on those plays. We need a blocking TE, who can hold his own and stalemate a quality OLB consistently. We don't need someone who destroys everyone he faces, just enough to take away that angle on the outside zones and the goalline runs. Look at what Phillips did vs Miller on Mathews TD. Got just a chunk of Miller, Mathews goes in easily. On the 3rd and short before the int, Phillips doesn't get any of his guy (forget who), McClain has to adjust to get Phillips guy, and McClain's old guy stops Mathews and we give the ball back. If we had gotten our yard, game over. If we had been able to run goalline this season, we are challenging Denver for the division title.