OL Snap Count %s Show The Story of the Offense's Collapse

[Tano]

Rob Havenstein at positional meetings this morning.

It could also be

 

[Haden]

Those are great stats and info AV. Tells us a ton about our current situation. Since we know that injuries happen, McSnead really needs to focus this offseason on adding at least two high quality starters on the OL. We need quality AND depth.

 

[Haden]

We also need to get rid of Noteboom (injuries) so job #1 is a stud LT. Then, at least one more high quality IL.

 

[AvengerRam]

I'm at the point where my number 1 target for our first pick (Round 2) will likely be a LT. You can get a guy on Day 2 who can fill the role for several years, if you scout well. Heck... Andrew Whitworth was the 55th pick in the draft!

I'd also consider a C or OG in Round 3.

 

[Debacled]

The line situation is what it is. Bottom line is its impossible to prepare well for the number of injuries they have dealt with. Every team would LOVE to have a competent option at 3rd string for T/G, but that just isn't realistic. Best case scenario is you are marching JAGs out there at that point....and that is best case.

Any team is going to struggle when you are starting the backup's backup and beyond. Teams have a hard enough time finding enough guys to fill out a solid 1st string unit let alone 3rd+.

 

[snackdaddy]

I was not in agreement with the draft OL early and often crowd after the 2019 season. I felt some of those guys just needed more experience. And they were ok in 2020. Very good in 2021.

This time I am with the draft OL early and often crowd. Maybe they find an immediate starter. Maybe they find future depth. But this year shows us how important that area is. They should be drafting an offensive linemen every year in the first few picks. Not the 200th or lower pick.

 

[Tano]

I was not in agreement with the draft OL early and often crowd after the 2019 season. I felt some of those guys just needed more experience. And they were ok in 2020. Very good in 2021.

This time I am with the draft OL early and often crowd. Maybe they find an immediate starter. Maybe they find future depth. But this year shows us how important that area is. They should be drafting an offensive linemen every year in the first few picks. Not the 200th or lower pick.

 

[PhillyRam]

Interesting question I have is, has any coach figured out how to play winning football with the line problems we have in the past. Anyone know of a team that was able to do that? If not, then how would you proceed to turn things around

McVay & Kromer.

I thought they salvaged 2019 after a lot of OL injuries and having to play a lot of rookie & 2nd yr guys. Were a win away from the playoffs and would have been the 7 seed had they changed the format in 19' instead of 20'.

The diff is this yr the back ups to our back ups are also going down. That's just a hill too high to climb for anybody.

 

[PhillyRam]

I was not in agreement with the draft OL early and often crowd after the 2019 season. I felt some of those guys just needed more experience. And they were ok in 2020. Very good in 2021.

This time I am with the draft OL early and often crowd. Maybe they find an immediate starter. Maybe they find future depth. But this year shows us how important that area is. They should be drafting an offensive linemen every year in the first few picks. Not the 200th or lower pick.

It still comes down to having 8 OL suffer significant multi week injuries this yr. We have guys off the street starting. Drafting early doesn't prevent that if those guys are still getting hurt in a yr like this.

Now, I agree you do need to add a top 100 OL each yr, but harder to do when you only have one or two top 100 picks. So the trading philosophy they have had worked, but this is a drawback. They were counting on developing late round picks for the OL and not needing blue chippers to step in year one.

And whose to say if this would not have worked this year if the top 7 OL stayed relatively healthy?

 

[PARAM]

I don't believe you have to draft an OL every year. Like any other position it depends on the current roster and contract situation. They just drafted Bruss at 104 and they might take another this year. Or they might not. They've got a number of young lineman after Havenstein.

 

[PhillyRam]

BTW, I still think the run game issues were coaching/ scheme problems. McVay essentially said yesterday, when asked about rushing offenses being so effective this yr and how he thinks that could change his thinking, that as long as he has a special QB like Stafford that the offense will feature the passing game.

That was my fear about Stafford/McVay. That he would do what so many coaches do when they have a special QB. That they ignore the balanced attack approach and try to become a flying circus.

It is just so tough to win that way as your offense becomes a soft finesse offense that the defense is attacking on every play as opposed to an OL attacking the defense in the run game and being physical with them.

Add in OL injuries and you suddenly have no answers to win games. That happened in yrs 3 & 4 of Martz's tenure. Happened at the end of the John Robinson era when things fell apart around Everett. All passing, no ground game and when the OL fell apart so did the team.

 

[madrid311]

BTW, I still think the run game issues were coaching/ scheme problems. McVay essentially said yesterday, when asked about rushing offenses being so effective this yr and how he thinks that could change his thinking, that as long as he has a special QB like Stafford that the offense will feature the passing game.

That was my fear about Stafford/McVay. That he would do what so many coaches do when they have a special QB. That they ignore the balanced attack approach and try to become a flying circus.

It is just so tough to win that way as your offense becomes a soft finesse offense that the defense is attacking on every play as opposed to an OL attacking the defense in the run game and being physical with them.

Add in OL injuries and you suddenly have no answers to win games. That happened in yrs 3 & 4 of Martz's tenure. Happened at the end of the John Robinson era when things fell apart around Everett. All passing, no ground game and when the OL fell apart so did the team.

History is awsome. Isn't it? Brings perspective.

 

[PhillyRam]

I never understood how a great coach like Shula could have a QB like Marino and not incorporate a great ground game around him. If they had they would be unstoppable.

However, he fell in love with the pass and never gave him a running game and they never won anything. And that was a coach who won SBs with a Czonka and Kiick pounding the ball along with Mercury Morris.

I guess when you pay big bucks to the QB you expect him to carry the team, but that skill set backed by a ground attack would be something to see.