Game Tape: Ryan Torain

[30gut]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

I think Torain makes a lot of good things happen simply by moving his feet in the hole. He doesn't really ever run to daylight, so there's limited upside to his strong balance and lower body strength. The upside is that he'll keep running until two or three guys bring him down. But Keiland Williams, for example, runs with much better vision and often does find space to break a long run that Torain wouldn't have.

Ryan Torain is a hard runner who rarely gives up on a play. He's just not a particularly effective runner. But he's the kind of guy who will tear to shreds a terrible run defense (such as Tampa Bay) because there are gaping holes in the defense created by the blocking, and he usually powers through the first tackle and drags other players for extra yards.

Those yards after first contact aren't meaningless, but they don't outweigh the frequency at which a Torain carry can put the Redskins in long yardage.

I think we agree for about Torrain for the most part but I don't understand why you would call him ineffecitve or think he puts the team in long yardage any more then any other RB.

I think Torrain's vision and his ability as a runner are better then you give him credit for.
I'm not saying he's a special back because he's not; but he's decent.

He likes to keep the play frontside he's not looking to cutback, which limits the explosive runs he can make (on his own) in this scheme.
I also think Torrain is right not to look for the cutback because he doesn't cutback very well, which might be because of his upright running style and stiff hips.
He also lacks the top end speed to exploit the huge holes when then happen.

Torrain's best ability is that for some reason he's hard to bring down, he doesn't have wiggle nor does it look like he's running hard, but he's tough to bring down.

Torrain success as a runner comes from trusting/being dependent on the OL and his ability to stay up.

And at a 4.5 ypc carry clip he's not a bad back.


I like Keiland more then Torrain also, but Keiland is a young back who needs playing time (that he didn't get) to build confidence.

Where Torrain lacks the ability and is right not to make aggressive cutback moves I think Keiland does have the ability but lacks the confidence that comes with experience to make those risky cutbacks.
Therefore Kei often runs with the aim of picking up whatever yards are there at the POA much like Torrain.
But, I think Keiland has the potential to be more then a frontside runner.