Is the O-Line Improving?

[DaveThePanther2008]

Last week Carolina protected Cam quite well.   He wasn't sacked at all last week.

 

Was it a bad Tampa front line and scheme or are our O-linemen starting to Jell.

 

I am hoping it is the latter.  It has been a couple of weeks with the same offensive line.  Maybe we are starting to get it together.  Will our pass protection be better for 2 weeks in a row and will our running game starts to take off?

 

I would love to see the 2008 Tampa Bay game all over again.

 

This would definitely be the game to break it out.

[LinvilleGorge]

Pass protection seems to be getting better, run blocking seems to be getting markedly worse.

[Pantherman]

We will see after tonight game. If our Oline can protect Cam against the Saints pass rush like they did against the Bucs. Then if not then back to the old drawing board. We will see soon enough.

[intangiblejohnny]

Cam's numbers against the blitz during the winning streak are some of the best in the league.

I would give half the credit to the line and half to Cam. Either way the line is improving and I'm proud of those guys doing alot with very little.

[magnus]

Gross is playing very well, specifically, but yeah, all of it's working out well.  Cam did have some pressure to deal with and got away from it, so it wasn't perfect but it's also nice to have realistic expectations.  

 

Maybe part of it's Chandler coming into his own, hard to say. 

[CRA]

I think pass protection is getting better but some of that is really just Cam playing smarter....

Run blocking is virtually nonexistent.

[CardiacCats]

It's still our biggest weakness. Cam is getting good time but our RBs cant run at all. Our only successful running plays are when we do that sweep to the outside or a Cam scramble

[carolinarolls]

I cannot say they are getting better.  I think they are definitely worse than the start of the season.  Run blocking is the worst it has been.  Sacks alone is a bad way to judge I think.  Cam is mobile.  The pass protection (esp. right side) is becoming more effective on pass plays due to the combination of Cam knowing what he can (and cannot) expect from the blocking, and Cam's understanding of where the pressure may be coming from pre-snap.

 

It is also likely that with experience the o-line is learning a consistent trick or two that helps keep Cam clean even though it looks like they are getting trucked.  

 

It's not always necessary to have the very best pass blocking.  What is infinitely more important is that what level of pass blocking that can be executed is executed consistently and that the QB understands it as well as how to play around it based on coverage, perceived pressure, and the route's in play.

 

Football is a team sport.  

 

Run-blocking is about blowing people off the ball and getting hands on the linebackers.  You cannot cheat that.  We are epic fail at run blocking.  Fortunately Shula seems to understand pass/screen/option plays are bread and butter and uses them to open up the run game.

 

Shula's ability to call a game and Cam's growth in understanding what is in front of him is the source of the success we are seeing much more than any "improvement" of the o-line.  Not trying to knock them.  They are giving all they can and are more consistent, but we are winning in spite of them not because of them.

[johnnydefence]

I cannot say they are getting better. I think they are definitely worse than the start of the season. Run blocking is the worst it has been. Sacks alone is a bad way to judge I think. Cam is mobile. The pass protection (esp. right side) is becoming more effective on pass plays due to the combination of Cam knowing what he can (and cannot) expect from the blocking, and Cam's understanding of where the pressure may be coming from pre-snap.

It is also likely that with experience the o-line is learning a consistent trick or two that helps keep Cam clean even though it looks like they are getting trucked.

It's not always necessary to have the very best pass blocking. What is infinitely more important is that what level of pass blocking that can be executed is executed consistently and that the QB understands it as well as how to play around it based on coverage, perceived pressure, and the route's in play.

Football is a team sport.

Run-blocking is about blowing people off the ball and getting hands on the linebackers. You cannot cheat that. We are epic fail at run blocking. Fortunately Shula seems to understand pass/screen/option plays are bread and butter and uses them to open up the run game.

Shula's ability to call a game and Cam's growth in understanding what is in front of him is the source of the success we are seeing much more than any "improvement" of the o-line. Not trying to knock them. They are giving all they can and are more consistent, but we are winning in spite of them not because of them.

I agree the run blocking is not as good as we may want it to be but we are leading the league in time of possession. Also, most importantly we are leading the league in our defense not being on the field. We are doing a great job hiding all weaknesses.

[fieryprophet]

Anyone complaining about our run blocking isn't looking at basic math: we have five offensive linemen going up against eight or nine in the box. The only way to match that is with two tight ends and a fullback lead. Rivera has said it repeatedly, teams are stacking the box and Cam is countering with his escapes.

[carolinarolls]

Yes.  They are stacking the box.  Most teams do.  The advantage of head count alone however does not render the defense more capable.  The offense has the advantage of knowing where the play is going.   I am not saying we run block poorly because there are free guys on the defense filling running lanes.  We are bad at run blocking because we come out on the losing end of our assignments.  We don't get push.  No, 6 cannot block 9 but the success of run blocking is measured in the one on one assignments outside of the occasional chip and move on play.

 

Also, Time of possession and keeping or D off the field are the same thing.  And it has not been from running the ball exclusively.  We run lots of screens, hit hot routes, run option plays, and designed runs for our QB's to get us into 3rd and short.  It's what smart teams do when they don't have a dominant run-blocking line.  

 

For the record I would want what we have over the ground and pound dominance.  Ground and pound falls flat when a player goes down.. any player.  Knowing how to win how we win is what makes us flexible enough to overcome injury after injury and adapt with next guy up.  

[CRA]

Anyone complaining about our run blocking isn't looking at basic math: we have five offensive linemen going up against eight or nine in the box. The only way to match that is with two tight ends and a fullback lead. Rivera has said it repeatedly, teams are stacking the box and Cam is countering with his escapes.

Issue is when the math isn't out if whack......no holes is still a constant

[mav1234]

Stick a non-mobile QB back there and watch the sacks pile up.

 

Cam is fuging amazing.

 

Specific players on the o-line are playing better I think (honestly I think Bell has improved slightly but maybe I'm crazy), but the line can't run block for poo...

[CPF4LIFE]

Sigh, if only the media understood this. But yet Cam has to go 1 on 11 to get any credibility.