Quote:
Originally Posted by The Goat
Right there w/ you man. I was actually going to start a thread, not so much about the trench situation because it's been talked up one side and down the other, but discussing my observation of Zorn in his pressers and whenever he talks w/ the media. Basically, I believe Zorn has the ability to be an offensive genius. I really do. Put the leadership question aside for a minute (as i said in another thread it remains to be seen whether he can take a group of guys and lead them to victory). But I believe I see genius on offense because of the way he talks about seeing plays like they happen in slow-motion, and that he sees very clearly what the execution has to be to make a play work. He is not getting the execution, and that's where the line comes into play bigtime. The line is so f'ing bad it has every person on offense frustrated to hell. JC gets no time and pounded against good d units, the receivers don't get the ball as often because even if they do get open Campbell is already on the ground or running for his life. This is a royal mess.
Over the next three games I'm looking at one thing: how many of our lineman on offense are/should be keepers to either start or be very competitive back-ups next year. My fear is there are only 4: Kendell and Thomas (old-farts in NFL land) and Heyer (still covered in baby fat). Obviously Chris will be back as a starter w/ a new triceps and knee, but fellas that's only 4 total lineman and we need 5 starters and at least 3 solid reservists.
Beyond the season I'll be looking for any and all indicators of how the FO is going to address this mess. In my estimation we'll need to recruit 1 or 2 starters and 3 or 4 very competitive reservists. A very tall order but we just have to make this happen. Honestly, I'm thinking more about the FA market and the draft than about the remainder of this season. I don't want to limp into the playoffs again w/ an anemic, sloppy offense and then miss the better/best talent come draft day.
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Zorn either needs to spend more time drawing up protection schemes, or be more clear in delegating that responsibility to our assistants. Because he seems to favor one on one blocking situations to help our receivers, but we then seem totally unprepared for overload blitzes.
Now a lot of times, that's Rabach's fault for not communicating the blitz to the rest of the line and shifting the protection. But other times, we do shift the protection, and then you have Todd Yoder on Darryl Tapp or something stupid that leads to an easy sack.
Campbell, Randle El, and Cooley are really good at seeing the rush, and knowing if we have to get an adjustment on, but a lot of times, the defense will send only 5 guys and drop 6 into coverage, so the receivers do the CORRECT thing and run the route that was called in the huddle. But then, our five or six blockers will screw up the protection, and I'll look over on the left side, and Samuels/Sellers will have THREE guys coming off Campbell's blind side, while Kendall and Rabach double the nose, Thomas blocks no one, and Jansen has a one on one matchup.
In said scenario, Campbell assumes that he's got it covered with six blockers on five rushers. WE SHOULD HAVE IT COVERED. But we don't and someone gets a clean shot on Campbell, and it's a toss up whether or not someone can come open just before Campbell gets killed. Either way, the quarterback is going to take a shot, and that's a mistake.