kugler

i have a real good feeling about kugler and this o-line this year. how he will be finaly able to coach this line the way he wants to. haley must have given him alot of account for what he wants the o-line to not only look like but how they play. i think these two are on the same page and it will change what they do and how these types and builds of players are used. i think kugler will have differing opinions on the use of each guy now, then how he had to use them under BA.

this could possibly change how players like scott and essex and colons play. i think kugler and haley will play to more of the stregnths of these guys and they could become much better looking players then we thought under BA's system. jon scott wasen't a bad run blocker. better than max, i'd say. most likely better on screens and getting upfield too. i think they would adjust and play to their stregnths, instead of balls out like ben and BA would continue to do, no matter who was in the game.

this will be interesting to watch this year. it can only go up with this talent and i think they can also help the backups play better when needed.

welcoming all thoughts on the matter?

 

I think the combination of a new offense and a revamped O-line can get Ben down to say 21 sacks on the year...half of what he had last year. This would be just over 1 sack per game.

 

In one of Haley's early press he said the blocking scheme would not change.

 

Alot of Ben's sacks were down to the o-line last year, but many were him holding on to the ball too long. And BA or no BA, Ben isn't changing his entire style of play at this stage of his career.

But in turn, one of the reasons he was scrambling around so much was the poor o-line. So I think it might be optimistic to say 1 per game, but certainbly we should see some improvemen.

 

even if the scheme of the blocking doesn't change, will the OC change play calling ( or adjustments if you will) to better fit the stregnths of the players on the field. for instance: if your RT can't run block straight ahead, do you keep trying to run behind him straight ahead? no you adjust. maybe he's better at blocking upfield on screens. you run screens and move the ball until the defense adjusts to it. then you can pull a straight run behind said lineman when the defense isn't set up to make the RT fail. adjustments will be the biggest difference in this offense and the players on this line. even the backups.

i also wouldn't count on the blocking scheme looking the same,because the offense will be mixing it up more then we have seen in the past. it just sounds like kugler and haley are going to be tightly meshed during the year figuring out whats best for the players abilities. kugler knows them, haley doesn't yet. now we have a whole new line across the board in reality, not even the coaches know how it's going to work with these guys. one thing i have faith in this year is, this line bringing down the near 50 sacks a year crap. if they bring it down by 10 this year i'll be happy. if they can bring down another 10 from the qb this year, we will be in decent shape.

 

I think kugler is one of the best coaches on staff. I dont think any other team in the nfl has had to patch their oline like we have. i like his fire and I think the players like him or at least they all talk well about him. He seems to know his stuff, I mean if you can win 12 games with the players we had on the oline last year he is doing something right

 

I know hypotheticals can be boring and/or pointless sometimes (ala if we drafted Dan Marino), but what if our future O-line looked like this.

Adams - Pouncy - Pouncy - De Castro - Gilbert

Shiiiiiiiiiitttt....!

 

That is what was said,but later coach K stated that Haley likes the Gap scheme...

There are really 3 types...
One is the zone scheme ...
One is the man scheme..
One is the Gap scheme..

Under BA we ran Zone most of the time and very little Gap and no Man,under Haley we will run mostly Gap and some zone as well as Man....Coach K likes Man and Gap...

As a Coach myself I think the Gap is the best way to go esp. with our players...Just for your INFO each blocking scheme has it's on style and designed route trees in the passing game,and just so you know the Zone game is mainly focused on the Deep ball there is a small ball way of running zone ,but that starts with a running QB or a quick release QB.....

I can go more in depth if you like?
As to the thread Coach K and Haley are on the same page.....We will run 35 Trap and 35 Counter we will also run a lot of PA Waggle a half Boot and Miller and the other guys at TE will be a huge focal point.....We will also run a lot of screens off that waggle/trap look.....This is the best RB screen in the game to me as the LT blocks down on 35 trap and the RT blocks down and the Center and RG seals then looks up field.....

The 35 Trap pass game with the QB waggle looks exactly the same it is a PA playbook,of of which all players execute the play as a 35 trap pass so this gives the QB space and allows the Center and RG to fake the seal and get out front in our case Pouncey and Decastro 2 of the best OL in the NFL.....Anyway these plays work off of the Gap system....

Dang host can I get a chalk board? I know you have a suggestion thread,but I think it would really be sweet is we had a chalk board...I like to go inside the schemes.....What do you think?TY in advance....

 

Coach Kugler has to be one of the happiest guys in the Steeler offices,
the Steelers are finally getting him some talent to work with. I like kugler because
he is not afraid to get into a players face.I see a vast improvement in our
line coming in the very near future. If Mike Adams pans out? LOOK OUT!
We may finally see a return to Steeler football also with this OL and of course
our new OC. Thank you Art II for getting rid of that bum BA, maybe I can enjoy watching STEELER
offensive football again.

 

hopefully colon can pickup the switchoffs in pass protection. i think he can hold his own in a big on big scenario. it's when he and decastro have to move that will determine how well any of this rolls. DDC didn't have to pull all that much at stanford. willie is not adept at it either. those are things that kugler will have to work on hard with them. the switchoffs in pass protection with adams and pouncey will test colon. colon pulling and turning upfield, when the "trap" isn't there. actually both colon and DDC will need work on this.

one thing i want to see and it would make some sense to use it would be pouncey. maybe kug, will pull pouncey more " ala" dermontti. pouncey is mobile and can make multiple blocks on run plays. wouldn't it make sense to leave a learning and less familiar colon and DDC in their short area's and get pouncey out as a lead? it does two things. 1. gets your best, and most mobile blocker out in front. 2. gives the two new guards less to do and less area to cover while they learn the position.
this would help with screens. ben not being able to be mobile early may play into all this too. he said the foots not 100%. they may have to keep him inside more early. something he's not used to doing either.

 

I may be reading this wrong but are you saying DeCastro isn't very good at pulling and needs work? If so I have to disagree. I've seen him pull and it's definitely one of his strong points. I also think he does a great job of blocking up field as well.

 

great point...Ben will be much more efficient throwing the ball without running for his life,but with an occasional breakdown in blocking ,he still have that escape ability.All around we should be greatly improved on the offensive side of the ball.

 

i'm saying he didn't have to do it much at stanford. these players he will face this year will be much faster then he is used to, so yes there will be some learning going on. he's still a rookie and this is still the NFL. it's a big jump from what he was used to in the PAC12. i think they will all be learning, from the coaches to the players this year. new offense, new linemen,new coaches. any guy on this line has never played next to the the guy beside him. this won't start out as an all-pro line that we all think it will become down the road.

 

How dare you inject logic, reason and above all else realism into a fairy tale musings. How dare you sir! :-D

 

:hello:

 

DeCastro has an "Iron Mike" like demeanor and is the best guard of this class. He can pull, block his man up field, pass block, and pile drive or open lanes for the run. He's exactly what the Steelers needed and is a better fit for us than even Kalil. He sure did his job protecting this draft's #1 pick.

In a pinch, this man could even play C and back up Maurkice. He's smart, huge, and agile and on top of all that he has a great work ethic. He's all action, not words.

Pouncey and DeCastro on the same line. Am I dreaming or is he really a Steeler?

 

there are things all players have to work on. even pouncey and decastro. that's why we hired kugler, and i'm sure with the likes of what they have served him up on a silver platter, he will protect our qb and help the run game as the owners want.

the real loser in all this is foster. he has played well for us since he was a rookie. he looked much better last year, his 3rd year. playing next to a rookie too. will he get a chance? he earned that spot last year. i wouldn't count him out yet at one of the spots, but odds are highly against him.

 

Mark it down, Decastro barring injury will be on more pro bowls
than any Steeler lineman on the team right now. Pouncey included,
He has talent that can't be taught, plus his work ethic (passion) as another poster
indicated will get him through these early growing pains. We have drafted another (big red),
maybe better. He is that good.

 

i hope it rubs off. pouncey is a workout guy and so is decastro. colons been on rehab so he's workingout and has to learn a new spot. gilbert, ( i think pouncey makes him workout). essex has been working hard this offseason. legursky is doing what he can do without using the shoulder. they need a leader amongst them to step up and workout and train together as a line and bond. this alone would help the rest of them and really help adams with where he is right now. he's not far off. if they workout hard with him between now and the season opener, he'll be right there. he's got to then open up in denver in the thin air.

i think essex and scott are crucial for him. they want to play too and they will push him i hope. they are vets, and even those guys could grab a leadership role for the line. moreso essex. he's has been here for quite awhile now. he could be a big factor in cohesiveness of this bunch. one things for sure it's looking up in steeltown, cause we love dominating defense and offensive lines. the rest will take care of themselves, you know the pretty boys.