Offensive line shakeup

Yeah, Dock is our best linemen minus Trent and maybe Jamaal. To say he doesn't fit the scheme very well bodes ill for him next offseason. Other than that, not much new news to me. Our line is substandard in terms of depth. This overhauling of the team is going to take longer than what most folks want to admit.

The deficiencies that currently beset the o/line will be corrected once the right combination of players are inserted, assignments are correctly carried out and players win their individual battles.

Both the system and players are new, the scheme requires consistent repetition and quite frankly, this unit hasn't had that and needs more time to perfect what it is they're trying to accomplish.

We continue to witness oscillation between optimism and pessimism as it relates to production in the running game. My judgement will remain reserved until enough games have been played to determine whether or not the problems we've seen thus far become a consistent pattern, or if we see them gradually corrected. I'm optimistic, but optimism will only take me so far, eventually comes that collision course with reality.

The deficiencies that currently beset the o/line will be corrected once the right combination of players are inserted, assignments are correctly carried out and players win their individual battles.

Both the system and players are new, the scheme requires consistent repetition and quite frankly, this unit hasn't had that and needs more time to perfect what it is they're trying to accomplish.

We continue to witness oscillation between optimism and pessimism as it relates to production in the running game. My judgement will remain reserved until enough games have been played to determine whether or not the problems we've seen thus far become a consistent pattern, or if we see them gradually corrected. I'm optimistic, but optimism will only take me so far, eventually comes that collision course with reality.

I agree, 2 games is not enough to properly gauge where we're at. I'll wait until we're at least 4 games in before I start to draw any hard conclusions about where the running game is headed.

I feel like the running game is the new WR concern, which quickly vanished after last week.

We'll get the running game cranking soon enough.

I think the two are closely correlated; the lack of wr threats allows teams to play us in the box w/greater confidence that their secondary won't get burned.

Last night on comcast Rabach made an interesting point - that even though they didn't run the ball well, several play action plays were successful. That must mean dallas & houston were more concerned w/our running game & overplayed it to 'make McNabb & our recievers' beat them. Dallas was quite successful w/the strategy, Houston wasn't, even though we beat dallas & lost to houston!

I agree, 2 games is not enough to properly gauge where we're at. I'll wait until we're at least 4 games in before I start to draw any hard conclusions about where the running game is headed.

I agree...it sometimes takes up to half a season for a new offensive line to finally get it...especially with a new blocking scheme....too bad there was so much shuffling going on in the preseason, which could have sped up the process.

The thing about Dock suprises me...why do you "rotate" the oline during a game to begin with...I don't recall ever seeing that before....it is arguably a dangerous move because the oline needs to be in synch with each other and they need to know the nuances and the set up rushes of the defenders during the game, blitzing tendancies etc.

Yeah, they may be fresher, but changing pieces during the game on a supposed cohesive front 5 sounds a little strange to me.

The best thing to do is this...if you dont think you have the best player....bench him and play the same 5 all game....hell....all 16 games for about 5 years like most successful running teams do.

I do have issues with how the Skins see Dock...I agree that he is a power Guard..so use him that way....Is he one of the top 5 Olinemen? Yes...so find a way to play to his strengths...why not run some power plays to his side, or pull him and slam Sellers and him over the right side and give Portis the ball....remember, this guy did this before with a high degree of success and massive running yardage with Portis...to ignore that ability is stupid....Why is it zone or nothing?

A coach can do one of 2 things....
Run a scheme and select the players that match it
OR
Adjust a scheme to maximize the talents already on the team

I feel that this new coaching staff is doing the first.
Unfortunately, we are and will be missing the pieces for years to just "force the scheme" regardless of our personnel.

Take a look at the 3-4....take a look at the o-line.
Yes, they tried to acquire scheme players since they got here, such as drafting TW instead of that other guy. But think of talent on the team that is not scheme perfect that isn't being maxized....such as Dockery....considering benching him is stupid...he is not bad at all...he is just a masher, like most Guards...I am sure he would love to smash someone in the face...just call the damn play.

Other examples....Haynesworth not even playing, Philip Daniels....probably way better as a run stopping DE in a 4 man front than others. Devin Thomas isn't even playing WR...although he should be in the top 3 WR's. Trying to turn Sellers into a pass catcher...ok...that worked 1 week...but against Dallas, he sucked....he is a guard/FB for power rushing. Not to mention our stud backup TE who never seems to get on the field.

And if this team was so concerned about only picking up Scheme matchers, why did they pick up Larry "up the gut" Johnson? This team seems to be competely walking away from any ability to run a power game...which will kill you in short yardage, goal line situations.

What we need is this...
Use a hybrid power rushing game AND zone blocking.
Gibbs figured it out and used it well...why can't Shanny?
Lets maximize the talent on the team and stop trying to force a square peg through a round hole.

I think the two are closely correlated; the lack of wr threats allows teams to play us in the box w/greater confidence that their secondary won't get burned.

Last night on comcast Rabach made an interesting point - that even though they didn't run the ball well, several play action plays were successful. That must mean dallas & houston were more concerned w/our running game & overplayed it to 'make McNabb & our recievers' beat them. Dallas was quite successful w/the strategy, Houston wasn't, even though we beat dallas & lost to houston!

It was nice to see all the playaction, I feel like it's been a while since we've seen it used regularly.

Some of the play designs were pretty sweet too, the misdirection, throwing back across the field, nice to finally have an OC that knows what he's doing.

It was nice to see all the playaction, I feel like it's been a while since we've seen it used regularly.

Some of the play designs were pretty sweet too, the misdirection, throwing back across the field, nice to finally have an OC that knows what he's doing.

Imagine how much more effective those play action passes will be when we finally get the running game going. The plays we saw Sunday off play action were done with the minimal threat of a run. This offense will be down-right scary when the running game does come around.

Lichensteiger at one gaurd and Doc at the other than put Hicks at RT and Jamal Brown at Left... That is how I would do it...until Williams gets back!!!

Makes sense. Hicks can play RT, but Jamaal is our only other healthy LT-caliber lineman.

Heyer..go :benched:

Someone said here that he had never seen offensive linemen rotated during a game.

A coach named Paul Brown (RIP) - - you may have heard of him; if you go to Canton you can learn about him in the Hall of Fame - - used to rotate left guards on EVERY PLAY. They were "messenger guards" and that is how they brought the plays into the QBs.

Oh, the Browns won championships doing that.

Oh, one other thing, one of the "messenger guards" - - obviously getting in for only half of the offensive snaps - - was Gene Hickerson (RIP). If you visit Canton, you can learn all about him in the Hall of Fame too.

The Browns didn't use "messenger guards" because they were deficient on the offensive line. That is why it worked for them.

The Redskins rotate on the offensive lineman because neither of the guards in question stands out as a stud. That is why it only works sort of well for them.

Why does Will Montgomery #63 not get any love ? He's never dressed and I think at times he plays well.

It was nice to see all the playaction, I feel like it's been a while since we've seen it used regularly.

Some of the play designs were pretty sweet too, the misdirection, throwing back across the field, nice to finally have an OC that knows what he's doing.

It really was nice...and the ball got to where it's suppose to go, to the receiver! The sad part is we have no running game for the Texans to bite on. There's a reason why McNabb has the second best TD to INT ratio (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_int_perc_career.htm) of all time.