The mystery of our fascination with Outside Zone
 

So I'll gladly listen to anyone that wants to correct me on this one, but it sure looks to me like the Chiefs STILL prefer an outside zone running system and for the life of me I cannot figure out why.

There's an article in the Athletic that really sums up my confusing in a lot of ways. It's about the Lions dedication to a power gap scheme. Here's a little blurb that kinda makes my point for me:

https://theathletic.com/3613162/2022...e-ben-johnson/


WHY IS THIS NOT OUR RUNNING GAME!?!?! Teams have been doing that Fangio shit to us for 2+ years now. They're living in light boxes and when we run the ball we're leading with our chins and running this damn outside zone crap that A) Doesn't take advantage of our power blockers as well and B) Lets the defense do what it wants to do, which is use speed and move laterally to race us to the sidelines and seal off big gains. It can essentially run Nickel formations and still manage that.

Maybe they're doing more gap running than I realize or maybe I'm just too damn stupid to see the bigger picture of what they're trying to accomplish.

But man - I will never understand why we haven't made teams 'pick your poison' more. When we run, it should absolutely be a gap scheme designed to just maul guys rather than this outside zone crap that just does them a massive favor while not taking advantage of our OL's greatest strengths.

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Reid has been doing the same running scheme since the old Philly days. I can still picture Brian Westbrook bouncing it to the outside

I don't know. Maybe it compliments the passing game to help set up his screen game? Perhaps it forces the defense to read the play longer...I'm just spitballing here to keep the discussion rolling cause it's an interesting question.

Sorry, I'm deferring to Fat Andy on this one

I admit I didn't know we ran that type of run scheme. From my novice eyes I never thought our run game looked anything like what Shanahan ran.

I just want us to go power and make teams with light boxs pay sometimes. But we never really do.

[QUOTE=Dunerdr;16481283]I just want us to go power and make teams with light boxs pay sometimes. But we never really do.[/QUOTE yeah I’d like to see the interior line go to work on DL

My idiot reasoning is that with limited training camp contact and such practices, it's easier to run a zone scheme than a man gap scheme as it requires more timing and such? Maybe?

It seemed to work for Jamal Charles..

Right but not all has his speed

Is this to help support the passing attack? If the D-linemen are slower to push into the backfield, I'd imagine this buys more time for the QB to scan, and more time for the WR's to get deeper downfield.

There's a counter-reaction to everything, sure, but I'm wondering if this is the logic.

Dan Campbell managed to teach it in an off-season and he's dumb as a shoe.

It seems we generally have good runs when we run at the defense. We saw that against the Chargers, especially at the start of the game. And they do exactly what the OP was saying, play a light box and try to bring up the secondary to support.

We started out our first drive running the ball really good up the middle...then we ran sideways on 3rd and 2 and lost 4 yards.

Likely the case.

I'm not sure what the proclivity towards it is. IIRC, Andy was more of a man blocking gap scheme earlier in his career, not sure why the change?