Offensive Line review
 

is the OLine the core of our offensive problems?

who's doing their job, who's struggling? what is each guy best at and what does each need to work on?

i'm sure before Gibbs, many of these guys hardly ever pulled or had to be so athletic and play so far down the field.

doesnt seem like our guys lose one on one much, but they seem to have trouble against the blitz. maybe the TEs are the weak pass protection link? thoughts? crisp?

Ray Brown is the weak pass protection link.....though he plays commendably for a 41 yr old. Kenyatta is playing through injury....I would love to see Bugel experiment with Wilson at RT...hell, he can't be any worse.

In the Giants and Dallas games, most of the pressure came from Samuel's and Dockery's side of the line. We can't block with 8 and expect to have a big downfield passing attack.

The bigger problem is run-blocking. Our offense has to be centered around Portis, and no holes are being created for him on the inside. Kudos to Ramseyfan for pointing this out in the Bucs game, but most of us (including myself) disagreed with him at that point.

the pass blocking is overall very good (minus the giants game)... the run blockign however, is horrible... the OL has no push most of the time, haven't been pulling well, no one diving in to play lead blocker (jansen's job :( ), and ray brown at 41 is kinda slow for run blocking too...

if the draft were now (excluding jansen's spot), i'd look for DEs, SS, and possible upgrades to the OL... warner and pierce have stepped up; lemar, jones/brown have been passable, but not great...

i think more time to gell will help them, but we don't look anything like KC's line right now...

was Portis used to using a fullback in Denver? without a consistent lead blocker from the Oline or HBack, its one hell of a first contact. would certainly explain the sudden fumbles now wouldnt it? all Portis needs is that one first block!

I wonder if we could line up Rasby in the backfield as a potential blocker. Of course, then it would be obvious it's a running play wouldn't it?

I'd really like to see Betts in there some more, soften up that interior defense some

[QUOTE=smootsmack]I wonder if we could line up Rasby in the backfield as a potential blocker. Of course, then it would be obvious it's a running play wouldn't it?

I'd really like to see Betts in there some more, soften up that interior defense some[/QUOTE]

I would like to see Betts or Sellers on goaline situations. Or maybe use Sellers as a lead blocker for Portis.

Rasby doesn't sound bad either....but I doubt Gibbs will do that.

Why did we sign Rock Cartwright if we knew he wasn't going to play in the regular season openers? We need to activate Sultan McCollough and give him some carries since Chad Morton is injured. Morton is not being used in the offense anyway.

need to give mcollough some carries??? what???

if you meant betts or rock i could see that, but mcollough couldn't get 3ypc against 3rd stringers...

[QUOTE=smootsmack]I wonder if we could line up Rasby in the backfield as a potential blocker. Of course, then it would be obvious it's a running play wouldn't it?

I'd really like to see Betts in there some more, soften up that interior defense some[/QUOTE]

No play is ever an obvious run or pass. How many times did you see the 49ers (Rathman) or recently the Buccs (Alstott) come out of the backfield on PA.

I agree putting a lead blocker in occasionally will help the run game. However, with this quality of line we won't open up many big holes until they get in sync. Remember Jansen was in for every camp snap until that injury. I suspect if he was still fit, it would be a different team out there. I'm not sure Brown is a solution right now, as much as a stop gap until the rookie(s) are ready to step in. Once (if?) the OL gel we will start moving the ball better.

And the people who get on Portis' case remember the OL he had in Denver. Given time I believe this unit will get it's act together. Hell Portis is on course for a 1500yd seaason and we are 1-3!

here we go with the McCullough talk again, I thought preseason was over?

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???

[QUOTE=SkinsRock]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???[/QUOTE]

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.