What Blocking Scheme is Best?

What Blocking Scheme would you guys like to see the Steelers run? What is the most effective in the nFL today? Do the Steelers have the right players for the best scheme, this includes everyone, OL, TE, RB and WR heck even QB with RPO comes into play and effects how plays are blocked.

Is the Power Scheme outdated and limited and predictable?
Anybody familiar with the different concepts , I would love them broken down and explained with advantages and disadvantages and what would best fit the Steelers.

To me this is honestly the biggest issue with our offense right now. If we can’t get the blocking right it really sets back everything in offense. We can’t evaluate KP when he is constantly in third and long situations. Right now he is being asked to do more than most if these QB’s who are put in much more manageable situations. They are essentially asking KP to pass the ball to open up the run game and put us in manageable situations.

Jalen Hurtz rarely even faces this as much as KP does. They use the RPO to establish a rhythm and continuity and that often also forced team into zone situations so Jalen almost always knows what to expect before the play starts. It makes him more confident, it makes his reads crisper and quicker, etc. which leads to better accuracy.

our Offense doesn’t afford that kind of luxury to KP. I feel like Dionte Johnson was kind of KP’s security blanket because he was always open. He covered up a lot of coaching in efficiency’s on offense. KP list that when Johnson went down and while Pickens is talented he is still relatively in experienced to the nuances of route running. So is is Austin and Allen is on the back end of his career. So to me this is in the OC to be creative and get these guys open for KP.

Sorry got off on a tangent. If we can at least get the running game going and established I think we can get by with Canadas lack of innovation and vanilla route concepts in the passing game simply with the talent of our WR’s in contested situations. So I guess I’m trying to say as of right now the run game is key to all of this.

 

You’re if doing the fact kenny has had troubles hitting the broadside of the barn on numerous occasions this season. He starts hitting them and suddenly we aren’t in 3rd and long anymore.

 

Don't know much about X's and O's but I vote for the one that works at the time to produce a successful play and decent gain. The blocking for the Pickens and Austin bombs seemed to work pretty well with KP holding still in the pocket. A lot has to do with who has the ball on run plays - Warren seems to find narrow openings to slice through where Harris wouldn't make it due to style and size but Harris can beat off defenders pretty well once he gets going. But real answer is that blocking implies being able to hold/move the opponent even for a nanosecond rather than getting pushed back into the play which seems to happen a lot. Poor technique? Weak players? Too slow? Inexperience? Coaching? Probably a bit of everything. It is troubling though to see our running game collapse like a Hong Kong beach chair more often than not.

 

As for blocking power, outside zone, and inside zone too much to type on a phone. They simplified the blocking last week and basically just went with a power scheme with nothing fancy. Basically just back to the basics. It worked at times. Hopefully things continue to progress and the more complicated blocking assignments can be worked crack into the offense. One of the supposed strong points of Canada’s offense was that he wasn’t pigeonholed into one blocking scheme. If the situation arose that they needed to run an outside zone scheme it wasn’t a problem. Same with power blocking scheme. The linemen just have to be able to work together as a unit in whichever blocking scheme is needed at the time. So far the line has struggled with outside zone and showed signs of life with a power based scheme

 

Blocking schema is determined by the personnel you have.
Generally, Zone blocking is for a more agile line.
It creates lanes, so you need a cut back RB.
You have formations, Weak/Strong/Singleback yada, yada, yada... you determine how you will block for it.
Most teams use a combination of both, maybe 50-50 or thereabouts. (You get guys like Trent Williams, he can block any schema as he's quick, agile for a truck)


Probably the simplest explanation is that in zone, they block zones in that a combination of blockers will clear a zone as opposed to
straight on mano-e-mano - power blocking.

 

You cannot only do it one way. Become predictable, get beat doing it. They have to do it every which way but bad.

Some schemes work better against some teams. Some schemes work better with some teams. Some schemes work better with good play calling and great execution.

Personally, I don’t care which I see, so long as what I see is working.

 

You missed the whole point completely. Guy hasn’t played a whole season and let’s provide him with a terrible run game, bad pass protection, his best weapon gets hurt, and call terrible offensive games that are predictable and put him in 3rd and long and have wr’s run terrible route concepts and put them game in the QB’s shoulders and ask him to play with confidence and get in a rythym. So much if it is about coaching. Why is a potential HOF talent like Russell Wilson doing well in a different scheme or Watson either. Why is a mediocre QB like Geno Smith doing well in Seattle when he was bad up until that point. These guys all have talent. It’s up to the coaches to position them to be comfortable and allow them to get into rythym and grow and develop.

 

Scheme is only half of the issue with the Steelers. It is already well known that Matt Canada is in over his head. The major half is the personnel; Mason Cole and Dan Moore being Chief among them. What is even crazy is that Cole never had this problem a season ago. What the hell has happened?!?!?



For that matter, Luke Wypler is someone I wanted; doubly so after he fell to the 7th. Sadly, the Steelers could not get him. Not mad about Cory Trice though... even if he is injured. Wishing him well and hope he can contribute next season!



Back to the matter at hand though, personnel is what creates a scheme. Not so much the scheme itself. Very seldom does the player become the blueprint for that scheme; Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen being the two lone exceptions. Regarding Offensive Lines?! There isn't a Offensine Lineman currently that abdes by their own for it is counter productive.



In short?! The Steelers cannot run between the tackles as the Center is simply not good enough to do so. I do hope that Sedrick Van Pran from Georgia is on the Steelers wish list as he is the best Center in the Draft.. and I mean the best.. period.


Whomever is a close second to Van Pran?!?!... is not a close second.

 

See I think youre the one that doesn’t actually get it. You’re spreading the same misinformation as everyone else. Kenny doesn’t have time to throw. I think it was std that posted the numbers on that. Predictable playcalling? Spare me. Scheme? The fact we’ve had receivers running wide open and Kenny either ignores them or flat out misses them puts that trope to bed. How many times has Kenny bailed on a pocket only to land himself in trouble with the pass rush? On top of that you have Kenny’s accuracy issues. I’m not putting the blame solely on him. Lord knows there have been plenty of other issues as well

 

Your last sentence contradicts your whole argument and validated what I have been trying to say. With a young inexperienced QB how can you expect them to play with confidence or develop when you don’t provide them with a QB friendl system with which to grow in?

perfect example of this is a bad run game. I guess the bad fun game and bad run blocking is Kenny’s fault though?

 

No, it doesn’t. Acknowledging there have been other issues doesn’t negate anything. He’s been missing wide open throws! Im not just referring to accuracy with that statement. He’s been ignoring wide open receivers as well. The plays are there for to bemade and he’s not making them.

 

You have to be multiple as others have said above ,Beyond that your plays have to be designed into the strength of that ..This seems simple ,but in reality it's not .. As if A team has a power runner then a power man on man with double teams is best , but you also must design the back end that creates space and allows 1 v 1 matchups that attack what the other side of the ball doesn't do best...After that your
plays need to command that the Defense has to protect every blade of grass on every play ..

Examples are 2,4,6 Power the right side of the line where there has to be a PA part to it as well. The routes play side are a flat a slant and a go route from a 3 WR set from that side ..Of course there are multiple route combos but that is a bread and butter concept as it spaces that side of the field .. After that you start attacking with drags and backside slants and backside go routes either from the TE or the Slot or the WR depending on the set all of these force the chase the play down guys to protect there side of the field..

So of course you can flip that and you have another whole set of plays after you can do this then you start to work the counter and pull types of plays this can be to a RB or any of the other guys elgible in the set .. So you can go play side or you can go weak side ..Again forcing the Defense to defend every blade of grass..

So at this point we have created a playbook of 15 to 30 plays on 1 power run with PA attached ..Now if you start looking at different route trees from different sets then that's 2 or 3 playbooks from 1 run call.. This is the job of the OC and then add in Zone blocking and and man/zone concepts it is a pile , but really no reason that a OC with talent can't destroy a Defense with skilled players in skilled positions..

Prime example is Buffalo their Offense is designed around what their QB does best and as such with him being hurt they are struggling bad ,but if and when he is at full power Defenses really have no answer ..

 

This, and I would add ....one is not better than the other. It matters players, and who You are facing.

 

Well for one Geno Smith is not asked to do a whole lot, and another....thank God He has become an average Qb after being in the league for almost 10 years. Also different players age differently....R Wilson maybe past His best years, and let's not forget....He wasn't exactly great His last year in Seattle. On Watson He had one great year. Tons of Qbs have had one great year until the NFL Defenses adjusted to them. The Greats alway have to keep adjusting.

 

https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=52193fdda0a53da2JmltdHM9MTY5NTg1OTIwMCZpZ3VpZD0yNGU1YmExNy1iM2RjLTZjYTgtMDVjMS1hODcyYjI2YjZkNWEmaW5zaWQ9NTQzOA&ptn=3&hsh=3&fclid=24e5ba17-b3dc-6ca8-05c1-a872b26b6d5a&psq="pat+meyer"+youtube+zone+blocking&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vd2F0Y2g_dj1JeVEtbVlBWHdRcw&ntb=1






https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=88c7...sbC5jb20vcG93ZXItYmxvY2tpbmctc2NoZW1lLw&ntb=1

 

The whole Geno Smith example is about exactly what you said. The offensive system and coaching and less about Geno Smith. Wouldn’t it be nice if we asked are QB not to do a lot? I don’t fully know what we have in Pickett or what he can develop into. But I do know a bad OC and bad system can ruin a QB.

 

yes yes I agree. Because he has completely lost his confidence. His safety blanket in Johnson being gone has hurt him as well. To me it’s up to the coaches to provide him with some check downs and easy throws to enable him to get into a rythym and build some consistency and confidence. I think that’s where Canada is hurting him.

 

I agree with a lot what You say, but I have never believed in ruining a player....unless they are severely injured. Talent will win out. I believe people a lot of times think a player is better than what they are, and therefore they think He has been ruined...., but each step forward in competition eliminate the real good ....from the not so good. It happens from Youth football, through Jr High, from HS, into college, and finally into the NFL, and every sport....I know this part personally. LoL . Just like the awesome Jr high player is not so awesome at HS, and more fail, and the HS player is not so awesome in college, and some fail, and so on.

 

First off you have no idea about his confidence. Period. It’s pure bs on your part. You’re just throwing crap against the wall and hoping it sticks. Secondly he’s got check downs on every pass play. A large part of the problem has been kenny ignoring the open receiver and hitting the check down. That’s just playing into their hands. They’re betting he can’t dink and dunk down the field and this far they’ve been correct more often than not.

 

It’s quite obvious he is playing with a lack of confidence. Everybody knows this. No need to be an a…hole in your response. He is running from the pocket before he needs too , that’s obvious. His accuracy is off because he feels rushed now, wether real or imagined. The center hasn’t helped as he has been getting pushed back into the pocket quite a bit. Either way you’re acting just like a Cleveland FO person. That’s why they went through five thousand QB’s. You can not judge the QB in an unstable offensive system.

You have some points that some of this is on Pickett, but I would suggest it is on Pickett because he is in an environment that is not real conducive towards developing a young QB. Ben Roethlisberger said as much on his podcast. Until we get our offensive line fixed and the run game fixed it is fruitless to blame Pickett. The expectation never was for him to carry this offense this year, not sure why your expectation is so high of him.

 

I would agree with you in instances where athletic ability and instincts are measured. But with a position like QB there is so much above the shoulder that can be gained and lost and messed with if it isn’t coached right and cultivated correctly. Obviously at the professional level these guys are all great athletes. I really do believe there is a fine line between a Brick Purdy playing well and with confidence in a sound Offensive System and a Kenny Pickett who is playing without confidence in a bad Offensive Sustem whom is not being coached up properly. One is playing without the added pressure or weight of feeling like they have to overcompensate while the other is playing within himself and at ease to naturally let the game come to him. Big difference. I don’t think Canadas system allows for the second part and our offensive line and run game certainly do not.

Now you put Patrick Mahomes in our Offense I’m sure he still would succeed, but nobody expects that to be KP’s ceiling. The intent always was to start out with him being a game manager and rely on the run game and defense. The intent was to allow him to grow and develop but we can’t even do that. So I absolutely believe a players confidence can be ruined and a player can develop bad habits especially when they feel like their being asked to do it all perceived or real.

bottom line is the run game and offensive line needs fixed before we can evaluate KP. Even the best QB’s are a shell of themselves when under pressure all the time.

 

Ok.
Just one Question???
Since Shanahan has taken over the 49ers.....why has Purdy looked better than every Qb that they have used, and they have used 6 Qbs in that time. Could it be that Purdy is just pretty good, and in a todays NFL when most teams are looking at Qbs by how fast they run, and how far they throw He got overlooked ???

 

well he didn't get overlooked by me. i was the one if you go way back and look that wanted him. he wasn't going to wow anyone at the time but the kid was a winner. he made iowa state better when he played. he won a lot of games there.

 

I thought Purdy was far better than where he was drafted. I thought he would have been drafted much earlier, but I didn't see him being this good right out of the gate.

Of course going to the 49ers with that stacked roster and a great designer of offense and play caller helps a ton. He is playing very good football. I'm happy for him that he's doing well....except when he played the Steelers of course.