OL blocking

I've been rewatching the steelers recent games and notice that our OL are not engaging with the opposing DL long enough for our RBs to run through. Other teams with good running game have OL that engages with the DL long enough so that the RBs can run through. Is this coaching or players that are bad? It seems like the entire Steelers OL do not engage with the DL. Is this the so called zone blocking?

 

My understanding is that zone blocking is a situation in which O-Linemen block the opposing DL then move to the 2nd level to block LBs, CBs, etc. I have not seen the Steelers OL successfully execute this scheme since the concept was introduced. Pouncey appears to be the only O-Lineman that can do it. With Pouncey being only one of 5 O-Linemen that is highly ineffective. And now, Pouncey is hurt.

I may be wrong. If so, then I welcome correction.

 

Haley like the Gap scheme....It is a mixture of man and zone ....It depends on the Defensive Allignment as to whether it is Zone blocked or Man blocked....If the DL is shade towards the Gap or Head up then it is blocked man....This is by the rules I know and what I have seen on tape....If the DL is in the Gap that the hole is designed to then it is reach blocked or meaning zone blocked where all OL simply slide out and try and Zone it....

We can''t Zone block our OL our not fleet of foot....1 thing we did do against the Eagles was we went with the 3rd. option...This option is where the OL blocks anyone on their inside I and waits for double Team from the OL inside of him and he passes him off before looking 2nd. level....This works for us as we have guys who can block if they can get there....We went away from that scheme this week and we looked just like we did the first 3 games...

One trick I have used and seen is to widen the splits on run plays in the deigned Gap....This forces the DL to committ to a Gap and makes the double Team a lot easier.because now if the DL shoots that Gap the OL with the inside I call simply takes him upfield and there is still a hole this allows the other OL to lead block and in Steelers terms that should mean the first guy he sees closest to him with a different color Jersey...Thats called a Hat on Hat .....

 

dallas lined up and ran right at balt. out of the I formation with two TE's and an in line FB and ate them up. we can't widen the gaps because our linemen get beat off the snap. big weak and slow is not the type of linemen we need playing in any scheme, it just nullifies any thing we try to do. they are beat before they engage the d-linemen.

 

i doubt our lineman beside pouncey and starks have the brain to master more than one scheme :-(

 

and max's brain power doesn't make up for his footwork. sad really.

 

I'm looking forward to getting Decastro back. Putting someone like that in the line can help the other guys. That is assuming of course he pans out like expected. Although the next time Gilbert hurts another one of our players, he needs to be benched until he gets his act together. If it's poor technique, then sit him until he learns the proper technique so he doesn't keep hurting our guys. If it's just the fact that he sucks, then just bench him as we don't need a terrible lineman that hurts all our other guys.

 

we have to develop adams and gilbert as much is possible (heavy train specific for them ) , colon is too slow maybe putting him at right and decastro at left when is healthy or bring lee from the ps ( i like him)

 

No comment on the blocking, but I can tell you that the biggest threat to our OL this year is Marcus Gilbert. That guy gets knocked on his butt and into the knees of the other OL more than any lineman I've ever seen. He's already put our prized rookie, David Decastro, out for half a season and now it looks like he's put our best OL, Maurkice Pouncey, out for significant time. Ridiculous! Get him out of there before he kills somebody!

 

i'd like nothing more then a top LT, lee,pouncey, decastro, adams. gilbert become the new swing tackle. a good guard/center backup in free agency,and beachum as the utility guy next year. i wanted dave baas two or three years ago. the g-men have made a nice home for him.

 

Man Dallas had that one, but they found a way to lose. I keep telling people... the Ravens are ripe for the picking... But you have to do it right. Dallas made them one-dimensional, at one point. They were dependent on Ray Rice for about a quarter or so.

 

This must be what is causing the phenomenon I have noticed over the past season, or two. I have been wondering why it seems the O-Line is ALWAYS on the ground. One man getting owned and it is killing the whole line... You know what they say about the chain and its weakest link...

 

How much longer until pouncey's brother is a free agent?

I don't think our o line will be bad at all. They just need more playing time together as a unit. Can't keep plugging people in and expecting them to gel. Chemistry and gelling takes a little bit of time.

 

I agree, but when the Olineman suck so bad they are getting thrown into each other and injured, they will never be able to stay healthy long enough to gel. At some point we need to bring in more talent so that they can get the job done. Gilbert has regressed from last year.

 

http://www.steelers.com/video-and-audio ... f8f340ee81

adams says he's starting and it's his job to lose? will gilbert be tried at guard at some point i wonder. maybe a move to LT for gilbert? to the bench? how hurt is gilbert? will beachum be active? interesting video, if it's true. if we have to give adams TE help, that leaves max alone or we have to use our FB out there and take him away from in line blocking as they did last week.

 

I'd rather go old-school: put a hat on hat and lead the RB with a FB. It seems these exotic blocking schemes are too much for the talent of the line. Just have them each block one rusher, and see if they can consistently give the RB the line of scrimmage, and give Ben 3-4 seconds. They need to find some way to control the line of scrimmage. It seems like they are always being pushed back.

Then again... if what we've said, earlier, in this thread, is true, then they can't pull off a hat on a hat... And that's why Gilbert is being thrown into DeCastro, Pouncey, Foster... And that's why Starks is struggling with the rushing angle he's trying to guard at LT... I don't know... I hoping Haley and the OL coach will figure it out.

 

Wait we have a Oline?? I didn't know this.

 

Tunch and Wolf broke down zone blocking recently, and basically said it works well if you have guys who practice together and work in unison. We haven't had healthy guys all year.

One key point they made is Zone blocking is really passive and you will often see teams that use it really struggle on goal line running situations because the linemen are not used to exploding off the line and driving their one man backwards. This has summed up the last 5 or 6 years for this team.

 

well yes we have. until last week, these were the same 5 that started the season. 4 of the five played together all last year and the year before that. it's not the scheme, it's the same players we keep throwing money at and putting on the field. it won't change until the players playing change.

 

A good OL needs good balance....There are many schools of thought as to wich way is best....

In a lot of 1 RB stuff I prefer wide splits with Big Strong Tackles who use their hands to stop speed rushers and very seldom can ever be pushed back ....The Guards need to be Fast and Athletic with some Power,the Center needs to be short and strong so he can take on his guy 1 on 1 if he is covered up....This type of OL allows you to run muliple Power plays,delays,Counters,Traps almost anything because you can create creases with speed and power by using the different OL types to do what they do best...

So when I look at the Haley playbook and then I look at this OL ,we don't have anything near that....

In High School we get to see the type of guy that plays best at certain positions when they out grow their other position.....Most of the Great OG'S I have seen have been FB'S who grew,,,so they still have good speed,a good first step,they know how to roll step towards the hole and most Importantly they have been taught how to make a good block in space....The vreason I mention that is when you look at our Guards do any look like a player who could have ever played FB in their life???

IMO nope until we get Decastro back and is why I say to move Pouncey as he looks the part as well....Adams may be that strong guy with strong hands with some more experience so that would put us as close as we could get this year until we can find another Tackle.....

 

i like the kid from texas A&M as a LT possibility. i still like the guy we have on the PS in ryan lee. the kids an animal. he's also mobile and strong. i did read he may even get a helmet this week if pouncey can't go. what's best though is he's a G., and a LG, but also has played LT,RTand RG in college, so we know he's versitile and able to pick things up. i'm not saying he's the pro bowl guy we want but, he's got alot of qualities we could work with.

another thing is pulling pouncey. we did it very well with dermontti dawson. the only thing we have to be careful about is putting our eggs in that basket only to have him get hurt and expect legs to do the same thing. won't work as well. there are a ton moves they could make to change things up, but so far have failed to do so. adams thrown to the lions is a good start on the right side. wait and watch is all we can do though.

as for your FB to G , TE's to tackle is a move alot of guys make too at different levels as they grow.
larry brown as a steeler did it and it worked out very well. that's a stretch though in todays NFL. lower levels it's quite prevelant.