So what's the call on the atlanta falcons blocking? Are they as bad as their newspaper thinks?
Seems to me that michael vick is going to get himself sacked at record rates no matter what offensive line blocks for him, and warrick dunn would never perform at this same level with a more traditional blocking scheme. Besides, if they switched to a new scheme this year or next, they would face the problem that their offensive line may very well not be suitable at all for a traditional scheme.
Well they're the #1 rushing team in the league. They can't be too bad. They've given up alot of sacks, but Vick is part of the problem. He's not a pocket passer, but when he tries to be, he gets into trouble.
As for Dunn, he did alright for himself in Tampa Bay with their traditional blocking sceme. He probably had a little less than 5000 yds. during his 5 years in TB. After this year, he will probably have a little more than 5000 yds. over the past 5 years in Atlanta. He performs well in both scemes. He has the benefit this year of not sharing the load with Duckett as much...so he's getting more PT.
The linemen wouldn't work in the traditional sceme. Thats why Denver has done so well with linemen for the last 10+ years. In past years they cornered the market on the zone blocking olinemen. No one could use their linemen and they couldn't use other team's linemen. The smallish, quick, athletic linemen all went to Denver because no one else wanted them.
I'm happy to report though, the HORRID Packers line has only given up 7 sacks, which is 4th in the league. And Favre has only given up 5 INTs which is also tied for 4th in the league. #2 passing offense. Now if we could only get a RB who was consistant, our offense would be good. The Packers are a MUCH better team this year than last.
Well they're the #1 rushing team in the league. They can't be too bad. They've given up alot of sacks, but Vick is part of the problem. He's not a pocket passer, but when he tries to be, he gets into trouble.
As for Dunn, he did alright for himself in Tampa Bay with their traditional blocking sceme. He probably had a little less than 5000 yds. during his 5 years in TB. After this year, he will probably have a little more than 5000 yds. over the past 5 years in Atlanta. He performs well in both scemes. He has the benefit this year of not sharing the load with Duckett as much...so he's getting more PT.
The linemen wouldn't work in the traditional sceme. Thats why Denver has done so well with linemen for the last 10+ years. In past years they cornered the market on the zone blocking olinemen. No one could use their linemen and they couldn't use other team's linemen. The smallish, quick, athletic linemen all went to Denver because no one else wanted them.
I'm happy to report though, the HORRID Packers line has only given up 7 sacks, which is 4th in the league. And Favre has only given up 5 INTs which is also tied for 4th in the league. #2 passing offense. Now if we could only get a RB who was consistant, our offense would be good. The Packers are a MUCH better team this year than last.
-- Edited by Grave Digger at 16:10, 2006-10-19
How did a question about the Falcons O-line turn into a discussion about the sh*tty packers?
It's a topic on Atlanta's Oline, and I was using Green Bay's Oline, whose offensive coordinator was the Atlanta Oline coach last year (Jeff Jagodzinski), as a comparison. The Packers are a little down this year, so allow me to enjoy one of the many bright spots on the team.
I think the argument that warrick dunn is merely carrying over his success from tampa bay is mostly without merit. In tampa, Dunn averaged about 3.9 yards per carry over 5 years. In atlanta he is averaging 4.65 yards per carry. And his workload is almost identical between the two places. If anything, he had more touches in tampa where he was a much bigger part of the passing game. In both places he was not a short yardage back because of Mike Alstott and TJ Duckett. Dunn owes much of his success the past 5 years to the scheme and line in front of him. The bucs were notoriously mediocre offensively, but these falcons have been inept through the air for all of dunn's time there, so it's a wash in my book. With that said, in my opinion the only reason the falcons are the number 1 rushing team in the league is because michael vick is so bad at passing and so good at running that he runs all the time when he should be throwing. Plus, his bad passing also gives alot of carries to the atlanta running backs.
What I am very curious about is what part of the atlanta falcons line is good and what is bad? Is it that the tackles are very good but the rest are bad? Something else perhaps? It seems that atlanta really likes to run up the middle and behind the tackles, and they are very good up the middle and behind the right tackle, but are very bad behind the left tackle, as befits a speedy running back in a stretch running game. All in all, it seems as though atlanta has perfectly good run blocking, but they have the second highest sack rate in the league, ahead of only oakland. On a given passing play, michael vick is about 5 times as likely to be sacked than drew brees. That's insane.
I think the argument that warrick dunn is merely carrying over his success from tampa bay is mostly without merit. In tampa, Dunn averaged about 3.9 yards per carry over 5 years. In atlanta he is averaging 4.65 yards per carry. And his workload is almost identical between the two places. If anything, he had more touches in tampa where he was a much bigger part of the passing game. In both places he was not a short yardage back because of Mike Alstott and TJ Duckett. Dunn owes much of his success the past 5 years to the scheme and line in front of him. The bucs were notoriously mediocre offensively, but these falcons have been inept through the air for all of dunn's time there, so it's a wash in my book. With that said, in my opinion the only reason the falcons are the number 1 rushing team in the league is because michael vick is so bad at passing and so good at running that he runs all the time when he should be throwing. Plus, his bad passing also gives alot of carries to the atlanta running backs.
The only reason he is getting a boost from 3.9 yds/carry to 4.6 is the blocking sceme IMO. He is following a blocking sceme that is condusive to his style of running, where as in Tampa it was the traditional blocking sceme. It took him 5 years to do all little better than the previous 5 years. Most of it his Dunn IMO. Dunn is an underrated RB. He supplemented a decent passing attack with solid running. Dunn is a good RB. He had success in Tampa and he is having success in Atlanta. He's a nice guy to boot.
Congrats to the Packers only giving up 7 sacks so far. I really didn't have a high opinion of their line coming in to this year. But anyways....
I think the bigger problem more so than ATLs O-line is the defense disguising schemes/blitizing and Vick not recognizing it pre-snap. Vick ends up looking at one reciever too long in the pocket as he's trying to figure out the defense and then sees the rush in his face and pivots in to a rusher from the other side or up the middle.... it really seems like he just can't read the defense and then sees the pressure from all around and doesn't have a choice but to be sacked or attempt throwing it away(which he should probably learn sometime soon).
Maybe Vick needs more Max Protection packages called for on passing plays with delayed TE releases to get it to his favorite man. Or maybe they should involve Dunn in the passing game. Either way Vick is gonna feel like he's been ran over by a train after this weekend.
Grave Digger wrote: It's a topic on Atlanta's Oline, and I was using Green Bay's Oline, whose offensive coordinator was the Atlanta Oline coach last year (Jeff Jagodzinski), as a comparison. The Packers are a little down this year, so allow me to enjoy one of the many bright spots on the team.
Boy Digger If that isn't the sorriest fukn statement I have ever heard, then I don't know what is.
"I'm enjoying the great line play...can't seem to score or defend much...man but that line...awesome"
Keep your chin up digger, dont let the world getcha down. Maybe Aaron Rodgers is the man....
