Outside Zone and Shotgun Runs
While discussing what Howard brings to the Eagles rushing attack, let’s dispel some fallacies. One of the biggest concerns with his insertion into Doug Pederson’s scheme is his inability to create yards when moving laterally — namely on outside zone and stretch runs. In reality, his vision and patience lend very well to both types of run. Below is a chart outlining what happens when the man is confined to inside rushes. It comes from a 2018 game after Nagy had made a stark decision to keep Howard in the middle and let Cohen cover the outside and passing game.
Compare that to the charts below, filled with outside runs. The first shows a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have not had a stout run defense over the last few years. So, included below that is a chart depicting a game against a very good Minnesota run defense. The guy can run outside people. It’s not just speed that wins to the outside. Howard is the embodiment of that premise.
Moreover, there is a worry that Howard won’t take to running out of
