Finding that equilibrium

• Article
• Comments ()
• Click-2-Listen
• Videos

By

Searching for their first win in Week 3, the Washington Redskins encountered a Houston Texans defense that ranked last in the NFL against the pass.

Naturally, associate head coach-offense Al Saunders called runs on nine of his team's first 10 snaps.

The Texans adjusted by putting more players near the line of scrimmage. And, like a fisherman who reels in his catch, Saunders cashed in.

Three hours later, the Redskins had a 31-15 victory, Mark Brunell had an NFL single-game record (22 consecutive completions) and the Redskins had 495 yards of offense.

It was a perfect example of offensive balance, something nearly every team strives to achieve, a near-equal amount of run and pass plays with the same result -- first downs and points.

"Anytime you're balanced, you have more versatility and are able to do more things," Saunders said. "If you're one dimensional as an offense, you're restricted."

Balance has long been a football buzzword. Some teams, like the Redskins, want their play-calling to reflect a nearly 50-50 split between rushes and passes. Other teams, like Atlanta or Indianapolis, rely on their running and passing games, respectively.

But is balance overrated? If a team has a superstar quarterback or a Hall of Fame-caliber running back, why not lean on them more?

Saunders is a staunch proponent of balance.

"Being able to pass it and run it effectively is important," he said. "There will be games in a season where you have to run the ball to take advantage of the personnel you're playing, but if you're an offense than can only run the ball, you're not balanced and when you do have an opportunity to be successful in the passing game, you won't be able to do it and your chances of winning aren't as high."