Who is Satisfied with our O-line after the Bills game?

I am not. I watched the game last night on the NFL Network and was not impressed. Even though we won this game big, I saw some very disturbing things with the O-line. For most of the first half, the Bills D-Line dominated our O-line. Their two tackles just beat our two guards, Colon and Foster. They put serious pressure from the inside on Ben. The guy Williams push Colon up in the air and pushed him straight back to Ben on one play. Not only did Marcel Darius take DeCastro back and cause an injury to him with the help of Gilbert who he tripped over, he destroyed Foster for the most part.

Gilbert looked lost out their and didn't block many people. This is the second lineman that he cause to get hurt this pre-season. Starks on one play didn't block the outside guy who put pressure on Ben. The commentator said that Straks didn't even look at the guy and that Ben gave Starks a hard look after the play. Starks may get a pass because it was his first game since he was injured in the Denver game last year. On another play, Foster let Williams run right pass him and hit our RB in the back field down at the goal line. Pouncey is about the only stable player on the line right now even though he got a holding pentaly because he fell down and held one of the Bills D-Linemen by the leg.

Somebody please tell me whats up with all of this bad play with these veteran players this late in the pre-season! If they can't get themselves together, It will be more of the same for Ben.

Comments!

 

Being a solid line you need gel. But, with all the injuries the past 3 seasons to the O-line it makes it hard to gel. Give it time, I think you will see a little improvement, but still this isn't a great group. Even if Decastro doesn't get hurt it was going to take some time for the o-line to get it together. Figure this way we won the Superbowl in 2008 with a bad line, we went to the 2010 Superbowl with a bad line, went to the playoffs last year with a bad line. We can still be a good football team, because we have the best QB in football to have, with a bad line, somebody like Brady,Brees, or Manning would get killed worst than Ben does behind our line.
Now you have to give the Bills credit, their defensive line just looked awesome, Mario Williams is a beast.

 

I saw the game last night too. I think for the most part, they did not play well at all. There were a few times where they were able to to keep Ben upright. But geez, it seems as is almost every play the Bills' D Line was getting very good penetration.

Colon and Foster were getting schooled. Man why do we go through this almost every year?

 

maybe we try gilbert,foster,pouncey,colon,adams.

 

In 2008 our defence was damn near setting records. Lets be realistic about that season, if not for our great defence, we wouldn't have even made the playoffs. Last year we faced very, very weak QB's all year long. Other than NE, we didn't look good against any other good teams. Baltimore and SF all but had their way with us.

We can't keep thinking we'll win despite having a weak Oline, because unless our defence plays oustanding (which I'm not convinced of this year), we won't sniff the Superbowl. Our Oline needs to be fixed once and for all if we want to be a consistent contender, especially now that our defence is falling off compared to the past years.

 

No way Gilbert should be the LT. He has looked beyond awful so far.

 

I don't disagree. But, my point is that if you play better in other area's of the game, you can still win in spite of an awful o-line. Such as the 2008 Steelers.

 

We will be fine. We just need to stay healthy

 

True, but we're not healthy and our Oline doesn't look fine. It's still early and I do have faith that Todd Haley will call plays and scheme to give our Oline the help they need, but that can only do so much. I'm hoping as the season goes on our line starts looking better.

 

I am not feeling optimistic after watching the Bills game......hopefully I am wrong.

 

have you watched the others? LOL

 

I think/hope one difference we will notice this season is that Haley will be able to help a depleted o-line by calling plays and creating schemes that will help our offense overcome. Something i've felt Bens best buddy BA never did.

 

I'm not comfortable with our oline after watching any of the preseason games. Especially this last one. We will manage this year but I don't see any improvement over last year. Maybe after DeCastro and Adams gets a year under their belt it might be better next year.

Do we target offensive lineman next year?

 

I was thinking the same thing. I know it's early, but man we could sure use another Tackle in the third round next year

 

I watched the game on NFL Network last night and agree with all the concerns/complaints expressed about the O-Line in this thread.

The Steelers tried to address the O-Line through the draft but with DeCastro's injury and Adams appearing to be more of a developmental project then people (and perhaps the Steelers) hoped, we are where we are for the 2012 season -- which is to say where we have been for the past four years. Hopefully, the guys we have stay healthy and the timing of Haley's offense starts to click, where the ball is coming out quicker to receivers who actually catch it.

As an aside, I liked what I saw out of Ben against the Bills. Not only was he sharp (very sharp in the no-huddle) but I liked his visible irritation at some of the mistakes that were made. If he is less of an apologist for the O-Line and kicks their butts a little, maybe they will play better.

 

Can't help but wonder why our linemen, Gilbert 6-6 330, Starks 6-8 345, Colon 6-3 315, and Foster 6-6 325 appear so weak against their defensive line opponents who are usually smaller & lighter players. If a 250 lb end can bull rush a 330 lb tackle regularly or beat him on the outside with a speed rush, to me it seems as though the tackle's technique is way off. Is it coaching? Or perhaps it's a conditioning issue, but there's something not right there. Granted Haley will help beat the rush with better play calling but it sucks watching our line get beat early and often, and I worry about how much punishment Ben's body can take. This was supposed to be the year our OL was a strength and the offense in general was to carry more of the load in winning games.

 

In a word, no. Gilbert is the worst player on that line by far. He has caused 2 season ending injuries and Pouncey will be next I fear. Nobody to replace him but if he casues yet anohter injury, might as well just put the biggest dude on the team in there to get in the way at least and not get pushed back 10 feet right off the snap.

The only thing that makes it a bit better is that there are actually quite a few teams out there that have significantly WORSE lines than ours! Unbelieveable I know, but true.

 

I agree 100%. Watching the game and seeing them get pushed around like that was disheartening. We really couldn't do anything on offense until the end of the 2nd. I think we are going to have to wait at least another year before the OL becomes a strength. It could be another year of heavy passing resulting in 40+ sacks. The only good thing I saw was he got rid of the ball much quicker then I've ever seen which could help keep the sacks down.

Blitz

 

No. Not happy with the line, and crazy low about DD. Such a bummer....

 

We drafted 4 linemen in the first or second round the last 3 years. What more would you like them to do to fix the line?

 

"Fixing it once and for all" is what we all wanted, and it's what we got. Especially this year. We can't blame anyone for DeCastro's injury, and Adams was a steal and a great pick, even if he is going to take some time. The FO did not take the OL seriously for a number of years, but those days have ended. They're doing their best. We've had some bad luck. It will take some time.

I do understand the hate for Gilbert right now because he is playing terribly right now, but I don't understand blaming him for the two injuries. On the DeCastro one, it wasn't a great block and he wasn't in good position, and he did bump into DeCastro, but come on, that was just bad luck. People are talking about it like he was driven straight back into him while getting mauled. He was going against Mario Williams, and it was a satisfactory block, too. He was keeping him at bay. He didn't go down himself until he hit DeCastro. I know he's looked bad and I know it wasn't perfect, but some of what I'm reading is a little crazy.

Did anyone see the entire play when Gilbert fell on DJ and tore his ACL? I only have NFL Network's broadcast, and it's the Eagles' feed, so they basically completely ignore it and don't show any replays at all. On the play though, Gilbert blocks his man just fine. DJ is like a mile away from him. Foster gets bowled over and the guy who did that is lying on the ground in the pocket. The ball is gone, Gilbert made his block and is completely upright. If I had to guess what happened, I'd say the dude he was blocking did not stop, kept pushing, and Gilbert tripped over the Eagles dude on the ground. For all I know he stopped resisting because the play was over and was simply walking backwards. Does anyone have a view of it on tape?

 

and where were you on the night DJ got hurt mr.snack? (<<<<< bigsnack conspiricy theory under bright light)

 

Hahaha... And do you know the REASON there were no replays??? Mac, you know too much.

We need a Tonya Harding smiley.