Offensive Line review

Somebody has to be lead blocking.
I recently heard Riggo talking on his radio show about why he was such a good short yardage goal-line back, and he specifically said it was because of having a great lead blocking fullback in Otis Wonsley (sp?). Who is filling that role now? Sellers would probably make the most sense but are they using him (or anyone) like this at all???

Somebody has to be lead blocking.
I recently heard Riggo talking on his radio show about why he was such a good short yardage goal-line back, and he specifically said it was because of having a great lead blocking fullback in Otis Wonsley (sp?). Who is filling that role now? Sellers would probably make the most sense but are they using him (or anyone) like this at all???

i thought Gibbs didnt use fullbacks back then. was it an Hback lined up in the backfield? i thought that was part of the Hback's job, but i havent seen it yet this season. only person i noticed lined up once as a fullback was Thrash of all people.

i know Cooley isnt a blocking TE, and it would suck if we announced running plays by having Sellers in. either way, we NEED some lead blocking. Portis is struggling holding on like he never has in his career, and its at the point of initial impact. Gibbs mind and Portis's heart can't overcome physics, the guy is the same size as Trung!!

no one knows if the vaunted Denver system used a fullback or how often?

The Broncos must use a fullback they had FB Howard Griffith for all those years. I know he's retired but I can't imagine they stopped using a fullback

I don't know. Gibbs has a good running system. If you guys really think it's been fully executed by a jelled o-line and a back who knows the system and it still doesn't work, then let's alter its basic structure. But I just don't believe that the o-line and backs have it down yet. And until then, I'd rather spend all our energy trying to perfect it than monkeying around with something else. The running game does have lead blockers, usually the h-back. But it's a timing thing, not a zone block scheme. Plus, we haven't gotten comfortable enough to use all the formations that disguise the plays. STILL, we should have won games, and it's really the TOs and penalties that killed it, in my opinion. So I say stick with it.

PS Winning cures a lot of things. Lets get a W Sunday and I bet folks will feel better about all this stuff.

THESE ARE THE TIMES THAT TRY FANS' SOULS! HANG IN THERE!

well its the running game thats causing alot of these turnovers.

Time, gotta give it time.

This thread was supposed to be about the OL so let me try to put it bakc on track:

When Jansen got hurt, the OL was never going to be what it could have been. There are NO OFFENSIVE LINEMEN OUT THERE THAT THE SKINS COULD HAVE GOTTEN who are as good as Jansen. Ray Brown is adequate in that slot but nothing more. Put a rookie there and you are asking for real trouble.

Thomas and Friedman have been steady but not spectacular by any means.

Dockery has been disappointing. Last year, he was confused on pass blocking but was pretty good at drive blocks for inside runs. This year, he is mediocre - not as bad as last year - on pass blocking and less effective on the urn plays. And do not overlook the fact that he does not pull out for sweeps to the right nearly fast enough; Portis is to the point of attack well before Dockery has cleared the end.

Samuels has been better this year than last but is not nearly at the Pro-Bowl level that he attained - even though he really did not deserve it - several years ago.

Tight ends have been very average.

Overall grade for the OL = C minus.

thanks Curmudgeon for answering (soberingly) my original question...

curmudgeon is fairly accurate, dockery isn't that great and brown/jones aren't that great either... center is average at best, we have 2 O linemen worth having right now, and i think jansen was the best run blocker of the bunch...