Ugly Options

[Mr. Scot]

So with word that Jeff Otah might be out for a while (and in the wake of the whipping the line took on Sunday) I've been giving some thought to what the team could do on the right side of the line to get a little more push for the backs and keep whomever gets the start at QB a little safer.

It breaks down to these options:

Elevate Garry Williams or Tim Duckworth: Possible, but highly unlikely. They're backups for a reason.

Bring in outside help at guard: A definite possibility now that week one is past. A veteran presence inside also helps Schwartz out since he wouldn't be paired with another youngster.

Bring in outside help at tackle: Two sub-options here. You could keep Bernadeau at guard or you could move Schwartz inside and return Bernadeau to the "utility backup" role.

Adjust the protection schemes: Keep a tight end, halffback or fullback on the right side for blocking purposes

Reconfigure the alignment: Move Wharton to right tackle, Schwartz to left guard, or move Gross to right tackle, Travelle Wharton out to left tackle and put Schwartz at left guard. Not a big fan of this as it strikes me as a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Plus I'm just not a big fan of line-shuffling.

Stand pat and hope for improvement: The most likely scenario, and you could argue a smart one since teams and units often look entirely different from week one to week two. These guys did okay last year, and early mistakes followed by a week of practice might just whip them back into shape.

For now, I'm still of the mindset that Otah will be back in a few weeks, and I'm looking at appropriate options with that as my framework. There is, of course, the possibility that Otah's downtime could be extended. Thus, it's worth keeping that in mind, but for now at least I'm still optimistic.

So what's your solution, and why?

[weyco2000]

Reconfigure the alignment: Move Wharton to right tackle, Schwartz to left guard, or move Gross to right tackle, Travelle Wharton out to left tackle and put Schwartz at left guard. Not a big fan of this as it strikes me as a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Plus I'm just not a big fan of line-shuffling.

Gross to RT for sure, he is not the Gross of old.

[Zod]

Stand pat and hope for improvement: The most likely scenario

Agreed. I don't think changing out personnel would help matters much. I don't see the issue as a physical one, it seems to be more chemistry as a unit. Mixing it up more would only hurt.

[Khyber53]

As sadly as they played, the best thing we can do is keep them where they are and give 'em another game. The Dude and Lil Mack need experience and this is the only way they can get it.

[Jackofalltrades]

Gross is still coming back from his injury and the line as a whole looked bad.

I'm with Zod on this one.

[Urrymonster]

It took a few games for these boys to get going the last two seasons and were dominant once they were up and running. I would not change much at the moment and then slide Schwartz inside when Otah returns.

Mack is a back up playing in a starting role. Great effort and a physical specimen, however he is just not a dominant lineman.

[Davidson Deac II]

It took a few games for these boys to get going the last two seasons and were dominant once they were up and running. I would not change much at the moment and then slide Schwartz inside when Otah returns.

Mack is a back up playing in a starting role. Great effort and a physical specimen, however he is just not a dominant lineman.

This. No reason to panic yet.

But I do wonder why it takes them a few games to get going. Maybe Fox needs to look into changing preseason activities.

[CatMan72]

Yeah, Kalil or someone commented that they had a communication breakdown - so it wasn't a physical thing it was a communication thing and that can be fixed pretty quickly.

[panthers55]

Seems to me that the left side of the line was as bad or worse than the right side. With a good 60% of all running plays going through the guards and center, I doubt that Otah will make a great difference when he returns, particularly in the passing game. We ran into problems when we went from running and passing to just passing and that is the key. As long as we mix things up we will be okay. When we become one dimensional we are in trouble no matter who is on the line.

[Mr. Scot]

Gantt had posited that OL help might be coming for depth reasons (sorry Duckworth) and with week one now past it seems more possible.

But will it be just for depth?

Hate to say it, but I wasn't especially happy with the right guard spot throughout preseason, and week one hasn't helped. Still, it is only week one.

If the team decides to see what Dave Magazu can do for Mackenzy for at least a few more weeks, I can accept that. But with that said, the team likes "utility backups" like Bernadeau and Schwartz (remember Hangartner?) My ultimate guess is a lot of the decision will be based on the outlook for Jeff Otah.

If Otah's fine, either nothing happens or the team brings in a guard (or uses the Schwartz) to challenge Bernadeau.

If Otah looks worse than they thought, the team brings in a tackle, Schwartz and Bernadeau compete for the right guard spot.

As far as major alignment shifts, I really don't think that'll happen (nor do I think they're a good idea) but if they do, it's more likely to be midseason than early.

[natty]

At this point the only option is to stay with what we got. Shuffling things around isn't going to change the fact that even the pro bowlers were getting beat.

[Brooklyn Bully]

We don't have a perfect line, and never did. O-lines get abused from time to time. O-lines don't always open holes for their backs. It happens. It happened. It will happen again this season. Stick with what you got and just play the damn game. Hoping for a perfect line is nothing more than a dream. We'll have better days, and we'll have worse. That's football.

[GRWatcher]

Adjust the protection schemes: Keep a tight end, halffback or fullback on the right side for blocking purposes

They did this in the 2nd half and it didn't help much. TE on the right, Goodson on the left. We can cross this off the list as a fix that will help.

Keeping the personnel the same, watching the film, and correcting mistakes is the best they can do. Besides they will be at home the next 2 games where, hopefully, it will be quieter while they're on the field.

Also, having a fullback that can open holes for our running game and block for the passing game sure would help. We are missing Hoover big time.

[CRA]

need some new running schemes.