If a team can move the ball on the ground effectively, the defense has to bring more players down in the box, substitute defensive backs for linebackers and lineman and/or change their approach/scheme entirely.
The opposite affect is true for teams that get ahead and or wish to slow the pace of the game down by running the ball. If a team can move the ball on the ground effectively, the defense has to bring more players down in the box, substitute defensive backs for linebackers and lineman and/or change their approach/scheme entirely.