Sack information that doesn't cast a great light on the O-line

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/under-pressure/2014/under-pressure-letting-ben-down

 

I've always wondered why some coaches can come into a new team and immediately make the Oline better. Mike Shanahan could probably come to Pittsburgh and make our Oline look like world beaters. Some QB's always seem to have good Olines too, no matter how many lineman they lose. Brady is a perfect example. That Oline was horrific to start the season. They couldn't block anyone. It didn't help that they traded away their best lineman, but the last few weeks they have looked 100 times better. Is it something Belichek is doing in practice? Is it scheme related? Is Brady seeing where the pressure is coming from and is changing the protection at the line? I mean, I watch Peyton Manning change the protection constantly, sometimes with 2-3 seconds remaining on the play clock.

So is Tomlin not doing the right things in practice? Is Ben not changing the protection like he should be? Is he not good at reading the defence pre-snap? Is it a combination of both? Something has to be wrong for our Oline to be bad for 6-7 years in a row now. It doesn't seem to matter who we bring in, our guys can't get it together. I have a feeling it's more than a lack of talent. I have a feeling that Gilbert and Adams would have been far better if they played for NE or Denver. Why is that?

 

belichick is one of their o-line coaches as well as head coach. tomlin isn't an o-line coach, so it's up to munch. then we take away players he's working with, that can't help.

I said way back munch isn't a magician, I do believe it's talent related and not only that but offensive related. we have a mismatch in talent up front and we don't key the offense to the talents of the players. foster and gilbert seem to quell us being a speed unit and the other 3 quell us from being a power unit. munches Johnson could have helped some of that being integrated into being a mobile speed unit down the road. that plays a lot more into bells skillset too.

to be honest, I wouldn't have minded seeing Johnson at LT, hubbard at LG, pounce,DD and beachum as a starting 5 being worked with. I know that may sound crazy but hear me out.

Johnson had some footwork. he needed to get stronger and bigger and so did hubbard. hubbard had some so,so games early but he also has a lot of things he does well. he was not a guard coming out of college but he was improving and mobile as is Johnson. pouncey and DD are mobile as is beachum.

with the running backs we have and their quickness and vision, our O-line on the move wouldn't have to hold blocks near as long in the run game. archer, bell and even blount can get through holes quickly and even small holes. it also allows our mobile linemen to get out on dump offs to these same backs getting them in space where they are highly effective.

all this helps slow down the pass rush and gives our play action a fighting chance to work. that's my 2 cents worth on the situation.

johnsons gone now however and we will never know. gilbert was signed to 5 years so we will never know. we need to give munch a fighting chance to build this group and help our offensive capability. right now it's a modge- podge.

 

This is why the offense has consistency problems and it speaks even louder in the red zone. We like to blame Ben as being dumber or not doing film study but no amount of study can prepare you for missed blocks and broken plays and if you watch the red zone offense that is exactly what happens. Why do we go shot-gun on the 5 yard line? All you need to do is watch how the defense lines up with 5 guys, they seem to target Beachum and Foster, Beachum is serviceable at the tackle position but when he has to work in sync with missed block Foster, well it leads to disaster almost every play. Foster looks like he is playing in slow motion, if a guy jukes left and goes right, well he blows right past him because the man can't move to save his life. Ben does hold the ball too long but how many times do we watch a guy come busting right through the middle? When we had Mendenhall a few years back it was even worse, how many times did he get hit as soon as he touched the ball? One play this year still sticks out at me thought, we ran a toss right from the shot-gun, it was wide open as it looked like a blitz was coming from the offenses left side, perfect call and we run the toss and Gilbert completely whiffs and it goes for a 3 yard loss. I honestly believe if you make Beachum the guard and get rid of Foster, and then find a LT and a RT that are mediocre, the offense will be a little more consistent, especially in the red zone but hard to do sine those positions are highly valued in the league, we have the interior line decent, now we need tackles.

 

Absolutely.. And this is the entire reason for our new dink and dunk offense.

 

Or for fit.

 

The Oline has been a problem for years. I always wondered why we can't run the ball when we get inside the five yard line. But these guys can't move anyone. they are not road graders. We have to finesse our way into the endzone. Is it a reason why we had over 200 yards rushing when Cody Wallace was in the game? I'm not saying he is better than Foster, but he has an attitude like Kemeauto(sp) and Colon. I know nothing will be fixed this season, but I hope we draft a guard that had a mean streak in college.

 

Ah yes, Willie "ten yard penalty" Colon and Chris "half the distance to the goal" Kemoeatu.

 

I definitely don't want that part of their game in our lineup as we have enough of that but just someone that is tenacious.