In pass-happy NFL, it still helps to be able to run

Albfred Morris has been a pleasant surprise this year. Before the season started, the general concensus was that only the quarterback would be the big ground-gainer for Washington (thus making the team very one-dimensional). Alfred has developed a reputation for entering a knot of defenders and somehow making it through for more yardage.

The NFL seems to make the rules a little easier every year for passing teams, yet the article is spot-on in pointing out teams that rely on passing are still at a disadvantage. If the defenders know that you're a passing team, they can deploy the defense to stop your preference and make you play the game you're not as good at. A balanced team that runs just as much as it passes is much harder to defend against, and the stats quoted in this article point that out nicely.