Where is our zone blocking scheme?

I have seen next to no zone blocking so far this year. That was supposed to be the key to our running game and we haven't done it whatsoever. I haven't seen any outside zone running plays. We've been running nothing but a gap blocking scheme, which is apparently good for a guy like Redman, although you wouldn't know it.

This line was built to run a zone scheme, we heard in the off-season how we were going to see plenty of outside zone running plays and that has not happened whatsoever.

I don't know why we got away from that (or never started it), whether it was the Pouncey injury or not, but we need to switch things up. I'd say this Sunday is as good a time as ever.

 

Its already been said by a linemen or 2 (Gilbert?) that they will probably use more zone this weekend.

My thinking was...maybe the Pouncey injury had something to do with it...but also the style of the RB who was to be the starter (Redman)...he's more of a straight ahead power guy. Now that Felix is supposed to start...he would thrive more in a zone...and yeah.

 

Practically non-existent.

This needs to change.

 

Off balance? I hope it works, cause the Opposing D has seemed pretty sure footed so far.

 

I feel like zone blocking was only going to be successful with Maurkice. When he went down they decided zone blocking would not work. In the meantime while we wait for its return below is a good video on zone blocking lol

[video=youtube;j8QafXvR5ug]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8QafXvR5ug[/video]

Bman

p.s. I believe starting against Chicago since we picked up Fernando you will see the return of Zone Blocking

 

I always hate hearing the term keeping the defence off balance. That's simply trying to justify getting away from stuff that is working and doing stuff that isn't working. Not that anything we've done has worked, but if we find success with the zone blocking scheme, there's simply no reason to go back to that gap nonsense that hasn't worked whatsoever. Plays will be successful based on how it's drawn up and how it's executed, it's not going to be successful by trying to surprise the defence with a different blocking scheme than the one we used the last 4 plays.

Houston and Washington find success with their zone blocking schemes, they don't find success by switching the scheme every other play and hoping to surprise the defence. NFL defences aren't going to be surprised or shocked at something like that.

If we are successful in running the ball this Sunday, I hope we stick with what works instead of getting cute and trying something different. When a play works, run that play until the defence can stop it. Then run it again and see if they can stop it again. That's a bit simplified, but that's the reality of football. If they can't stop our outside zone running plays, keep running them over and over again.

 

I read a quote this week that absolutely astounded me. Ramon Foster actually made the comment that the ZB scheme was never intended to be the primary blocking scheme for the Steelers. They just wanted it so that they could insert a few ZBS plays here and there. WHAT! I thought we were making this major transition to a ZBS team!

 

Oh sure, if both blocking schemes are working, then great, but our downhill, gap scheme hasn't worked whatsoever and I see no reason why that's going to change.

 

Link? That's news to me, it was my understanding we were implementing such a system and that's what we were primarily going to use.

 

Sorry. It was a quote by Isaac Redman.

Redman said he never got the feeling that outside zone was going to be a big part of the playbook.
“It was just going to be a play, it wasn't going to be a main run for us,” Redman said. “It was going to be thrown in here and there.”


Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/4728878-74/scheme-steelers-running#ixzz2fXKLHf9R
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Says the guy who would be useless in such a system. I'll take that with a grain of salt

 

I was watching the highlights of the Monday night game the other day and something just jumped out at me. Look at the 7 yard scoring run by Bernard, now I know we don't want be remind of the loss but just look at the play objectively. They linemen and a rookie TE blocking upfield at least four yards off the LOS. They make a huge initial push and just shred the defensive front. Now these guys aren't probowlers and they get a huge push. Now the Steelers OL is young and inexperienced but they aren't some scrubs either they should be able to get this kind of push at least once or twice in a game.

http://www.nfl.com/big-play-highlights/2013/REG?team=CIN

 

I don't think our linemen are athletic enough.

 

our zone blocking is in the same place as all of the rest of our blocking schemes, in the crapper.

 

Well, it's pretty obvious he isn't on the same page with the rest of the offense every time he touches the ball.

 

Velasco was the center for an OL that used the ZBS. Not having Pouncey is not why the ZBS has been ditched. I believe its because Foster is TOO slow, Gilbert is too slow and our RBs have no vision.

We also don't have a TE who can block and this too is key to the ZBS.

If Miller returns and is close to what he once was we may give it another try using Felix.

We desperately need a Great TE and Great RB to fix our offensive woes. Hopefully Miller and Bell return and lift us up before its too late. I say Let Ben go no huddle till they return!

Cajun-