Three things the Redskins can learn from 2020 Super Bowl participants
By Ian Cummings
No. 3 – Running is important, but it isn’t the key
Proponents of building around the run game will point to Sunday’s latter outcome as supporting evidence for that notion. The San Francisco 49ers dominated the Green Bay Packers to the tune of a 37-20 defeat. Despite the high score, Jimmy Garoppolo only threw the ball eight times, and Raheem Mostert was the star of the night, rushing for 220 yards and four touchdowns on 29 carries.
By contrast, Aaron Rodgers threw the ball almost 40 times, and his team lost by 17 points. This discrepancy paints the running game as superior to the passing game. But while the running game was integral in giving the 49ers the victory in this case, it is not the undisputed key to success. The real answer is, as always, complicated, and somewhat ambiguous.
In the modern NFL, teams need to be multifaceted and readily adaptable. The 49ers could have passed the ball if they needed to, but they were able to exploit a tenth-worst Packers rushing defense with their elite zone blocking offensive line. Their defense also successfully kept the Packers from keeping up with the passing game, which allowed San Francisco’s offense to slowly build an insurmountable lead, while dominating the time of possession battle.
Because San Francisco had control, and because Green Bay couldn’t stop them, they were right to run. They were running the football situationally; not to build an identity, but to play to matchups. The Titans, meanwhile, still ran the football on first and second down when the Chiefs took the lead from them in the second half of their game. This put their offense in unsavory third and long situations, and allowed Kansas City to double up the Titans’ score as quickly as they took the lead.
Had the run-first Titans spent more time and energy getting Ryan Tannehill into a rhythm, those wasted drives could have been more extensive and rewarding. But they weren’t able to adapt when the game turned against them, and they lost. The success of the 49ers, and the failure of the Titans, at the hands of the Chiefs, perfectly defines both the opportunities and the bounds of the running game. It can be the nail in the coffin if utilized correctly. But running just to run is one way to dig your own grave.