Success of Pro-Style O Likely Depends on the Trenches

[jsneb83]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tommy's legs and happy feet hurt the O line sometimes too.

I agree completely. Trying to block for Tommy was much more difficult than trying to block for a pocket passer who's movements will be much more predictable.

 

Except when the pocket breaks down...

Let's not forget that many times, Tommy was running for his life when the pocket broke down......because he totally forgot where his dump rout was and lacked the ability to deliver the ball there when he actually did.

 

Except I didn't forget. Tommy isn't our quarterback this year which is what my comment about the pocket breaking down was about. What happens 'this' year.

Most of the time criticism about the O line is based off of what we saw last year.....so.....people are concerned about it this year. My comment was pointing out that part of why the looked bad last year was because of who was at QB. THIS year, we have a very very different QB back there. One that can hit screen passes and quick crossing routes and knows how to step up into the pocket instead of instantly starting to run for his life.

 

Those factors alone will help the O line.

 

That's why my comment pertained to this year.

 

I don't think Tommy hurt the o line as much as people would like to believe and I also think he didn't bail out of the pocket as much as some have mentioned in this thread. He was no sitting duck back there. In fact if it weren't for his legs the Nebraska offense would have fared worse in terms of when things broke down.

 

Tommy and last year shouldn't derail this thread however. Again we will have less mobile quarterbacks back there this season for the first time in a long time. With an o line that had some ups and downs last year too. It will be very interesting to see how things pan out.

Don't get me wrong....I was a TA fan and loved some of the things he was able to do.

However, his inability to hit a short pass in the flats or even recognize its' the correct place to throw the ball totally gave the front 7 of any defense a green light to blitz. THAT is a recipe for an O line not looking good. Then....once things started breaking down, his legs helped us many times. But, at the same time, he gave up on plays way too early lots of times and started scrambling....which....makes it harder to hold blocks that might have pushed D linemen up field behind the QB.

A lot of times, he did his patented spin move when he could have just moved up in the pocket. I think his lack of height played into that.

[zoogs]

I've been told by board experts that the concussions AREN'T the same as Darlington concussions. No worries needed.

This seems like another good opportunity for you to expand on why you think Lee and Darlington's injury histories merit the same kind of concussion worries.

[JJ Husker]

 

I've been told by board experts that the concussions AREN'T the same as Darlington concussions. No worries needed.

This seems like another good opportunity for you to expand on why you think Lee and Darlington's injury histories merit the same kind of concussion worries.

[marko polo]

Sam has been writing negative pieces about the O-line forever. He doesn't like Nebraska's O-line. He wants a road grader line that is 6'4" 325 across the board. He wants Wisconsin's line.

 

What Sam wan'ts and what MR want are 2 different things in offensive lines. I think Riley and Cav want an athletic nimble line that is quick on their feet. Those ltypes of lines are going to be a little smaller. They want a line that can really get out on a screen play or pull on a sweep or a counter trey. Wisconsin doesn't do that kind of stuff as much. They run short counters and only a few screens a game.

 

Think of the vintage 49er lines or the lines blocking for Elway on their Super Bowl championship teams. Heck think of New Englands lines right now. Sam thinks the lines should look like what Dallas or Oakland has up front.

 

I just think they need to give them a chance and see what they can do. I think they will be fine.

They are sub par middle tier of the big 10 at best! Until that changes forget about any thought of a championship of anything

[GBRFAN]

There are two ways to look at that:

 

One is solely of past results the other is that all teams have zero losses at this point - the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

[NU5XChamps]

The fact that Lee will be a threat in the short and medium passing game will keep the offense honest. Last year, every defense we faced knew that TA could only throw the bomb so they would tee off. They wont be able to do that this year. As for the running game, you will see 6-7 man boxes not 7-8 man boxes. Lee is a threat in the passing game, TA was never a threat, they were begging him to throw.