Bernie: Mason sparks Rams' running game
• Bernie Miklasz
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_5c229ae6-b30a-598d-8a89-b1a74a3c6dfe.html
Rams coach Jeff Fisher had the right idea when he remade the team's backfield by turning to rookie Tre Mason.
Mason's playing time has gradually increased. He didn't play at all early in the season, and made his debut with nine offensive snaps in the Week Six home game against the 49ers.
Over the past three games Mason has logged 123 offensive snaps including 45 snaps in Sunday's win vs. Denver.
The game against the Broncos was Mason's best NFL performance to date. He carried 29 times for 113 yards against the league's top-ranked rushing defense.
Mason has 92 rushes for 383 yards this season.
There's an obvious reason why Fisher phased in Mason to move ahead of top backup RB Benny Cunningham and former starter Zac Stacy.
In a word: speed.
The Rams haven't had consistent breakaway capability in their backfield since Daryl Richardson got off several 15+ runs early on as a rookie in 2012. But that was Richardson's peak. He faded and was released after the 2013 season.
Pro Football Focus has a stat called "Breakaway Percentage" and it's easy to understand.
What percentage of a back's runs produce 15+ yards?
Here's the Breakaway Percentage among Rams running backs this year:
* Stacy, one 15+ run in 66 rushing attempts for 6.1 percent.
* Cunningham, one 15+ run in 50 rushing attempts for 9.4 percent.
* Mason, six 15+ runs in 92 attempts for 34.2 percent.
Or to put it another way: Stacy and Cunningham have only two 15+ runs in the combined 116 carries. Mason has six in 92 carries.
Significant difference, eh?
Among NFL running backs that have played in at least 25 percent of their team's snaps this season, Mason's 34.2% breakaway rate ranks ninth in the NFL.
Of course, this is pretty small sample. Mason has to show that he can maintain his pace. Richardson couldn't. He had a breakaway rate of 34 percent as a rookie. But in 2013 Richardson had no 15+ runs among his 69 carries.
Plus Mason -- a smaller back at 5 feet 8 and 207 pounds -- has to prove that he's durable.
But Mason's talent jumps out. No surprise, given his status as a big-time back for SEC Champion Auburn last season. I voted him first on my 2013 Heisman ballot.
And Mason's quickness attracted the Rams, who drafted him in the third round.
Mason seems to have a great instinct for reading his blocking, quickly processing what he's seeing from the defense, making the right cut, and accelerating through the opening.
I don't know if Mase can keep up that 34 percent breakaway rate. But Mason is giving the Rams' offense a new and necessary element.
Danger.
In 2012, his last season with St. Louis, Steven Jackson had a breakaway rate of 20 percent. Stacy had a 25 percent breakaway percentage last year. (Stacy, who tends to get banged up, seems to have slowed this year.)
The Rams needed a RB who could rev up the engine and zoom through the hole. So far, Mason has the zip that Fisher was looking for.
Thanks for reading ...
— Bernie
