Although Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s offense is known for being prolific in the passing game, the Cardinals were very successful running the ball last year, especially in the second half of the season.
The offensive line often does not get credit for the work they did. One stat the Cardinals were very good at is a credit to that unit, the offensive scheme and the elusiveness of the running backs.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Cardinals had the second-most yards per rushing attempt before contact on running back rushing attempts.
When David Johnson, Kenyan Drake or Chase Edmonds ran the ball, they gained 2.1 yards on average before being touched.
That is mostly an offensive line stat, but it also is an offensive scheme stat. It means the linemen did their job of opening holes but it also means that Kingsbury’s offense creates space for running backs to run. What would be interesting to see is how that stat compares between the first half of the season and the second half, when the Cardinals moved from Johnson being the focus of the running game to Drake.
Since the offensive line is largely unchanged and Drake will be the No. 1 back for the entire season, there is no reason to think this number will be much different in 2020.
That means continued success in the running game, and with the addition of DeAndre Hopkins and the development of Kyler Murray, the passing game should see increases in production as well.
The Cardinals offense should be very effective in 2020.
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Ep. 267
Ep. 266
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