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Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009

Running the football key to wins

It’s funny sometimes, how the sports we watch can come down to simple phrases. We complicate sports by talking them to death, analyzing every play and every game. But sports occasionally can be simplified by just a few words to describe exactly what is necessary for a team to win.

Count me in the camp that believes baseball comes down to pitching and defense. I guess I watched enough Atlanta Braves baseball in the 1990s to believe teams must have good starting pitching and also must have good defense to win consistently. Sure, they have to hit, but if they don’t have good pitching to start with, they won’t win.

And with football, it comes down to a very simple phrase. To win on the football field, whether teams are at Henderson Stadium with a bunch of 12-year-olds, or in Miami this February for the Super Bowl, they have to do one thing to win.

Run the football.

I know, defense wins championships in football. That’s true. But if teams can run the football effectively, defenses have trouble stopping them. The quarterback could be off, but as long as a team can run, they’ll have a shot. It also keeps the defense off the field, keeping it fresher later in the game.

We’ve been reminded this season with a few teams around here how important it is to run the football.

When Mike Smith took over the Atlanta Falcons before last year, the first words out of his mouth pretty much described his plan.

“My goal is to build a well-disciplined, hard-nosed football team that will be able to run the football on offense and stop the run on defense,” Smith said in his introductory news conference. “I’ve always believed that’s what makes championship teams.”

Run the football and stop the run. Pretty simple, huh?

Running the football was exactly why the Falcons went 11-5 last year. Yes, the quarterback, Matt Ryan, was very good. Roddy White, the wide receiver, was very good. But it was the running back, Michael Turner, who made the difference in the offense and made those others players effective.

Turner ran for 1,699 yards last season, and for the first time since Jamal Anderson, the Falcons had a bruising back. It was none of that slash and finesse stuff, like we saw with Warrick Dunn and that quarterback running for his life. It was a guy who was going to move the chains and run right at the defense.

Earlier this season, Turner struggled. He wasn’t the same player he was last season. Turner averaged 67 yards on the ground in his first six games. But after Turner watched tape and realized what he was doing wrong, he got back on track.

Turner rushed for 151 yards a few weeks ago against New Orleans. The Falcons lost to a better team, but the only reason they were competitive was Turner. Then he had 166 yards against Washington, and the Falcons won.

Sunday at Charlotte, Turner got off to a great start. He was running over the Carolina Panthers, for 111 yards in nine attempts. He then suffered a high ankle sprain and was taken out of the game.

When Turner got hurt I immediately texted a fellow Falcons’ fan.

“We’re toast.”

And the Falcons were. When Turner was gone, so were their chances to win. If teams can’t run the football, they can’t win. If Turner is going to be out awhile, the Falcons are going to struggle for that coveted second straight winning season.

The same is true in college football. As complicated as Paul Johnson’s option offense pretends to be, doesn’t it simply come down to the fact that the Georgia Tech coach runs the football?

The Yellow Jackets are second in the nation, with 314 rushing yards per game. They are 10-1 this season and 20-5 since Johnson arrived. Why? He runs the football.

How much different has the Georgia Bulldogs’ offense looked the past four games? They’ve averaged 191.8 rushing yards per game, compared to the 97.2 yards per game in the first six weeks of the season. Georgia was 3-3 in those first six games, but they have gone 3-1 since they rediscovered the running game.

Turns out it is that simple. It doesn’t guarantee a win, but it certainly does help.

Run the football.

Talk sports with Bill this afternoon on The Bill Shanks Show — online at www.foxsports1670.com and on Fox Sports 1670 AM in Macon.