I'm with the Dude here on the part about our QBs/WRs being at least as much of an issue as the line, and with knapplc in that I expect us to continue to be a run-oriented team.
It all starts up front, as the adage is, but the game is far too complex to pin it all simply on line issues. Take the QB, for instance, who is a huge part of the game. Is he recognizing blitzes pre-snap to set up his pass pro? Is he getting into his stance & going through progressions in time? How's his pocket presence? Yes, while we did have instances of one DT getting through three interior linemen instantly (Washington bowl game), these other things have often been factors as well.
It's the same thing with the QB/WR connection. Our WRs have had their share of issues, but that's another 2-way street. Taylor, at least in the past, has had problems hitting receivers on short patterns in stride. The number of times we saw Paul or someone else falling over themselves backwards to get at a ball on a crossing route. If it didn't kill the completion, it killed the YAC those routes were made for. And as one receiver briefly highlighted last season, the QB has to deliver the ball consistently. If it's weird, it's weird, as long as it's consistent and it works. When it's hard to know what kind of ball to expect, it also hurts a receiver's chances of catching the ball - it adds unnecessarily to the amount of thinking they need to do while the ball's in mid-air.
Still, there's no way this isn't a run-dominated team, IMO. Our line is probably built for run blocking and not pass pro. Our biggest strength continues to be running the ball. Even with Taylor's improvements, I don't think it's fair to expect him to sit back in the pocket, picking apart soft spots in the zone. We aren't going to spread 'em out like New England and go to the slot over and over. I do not think that plays to our strengths.
Instead, I think we are going to pound it successfully enough to set up a moderately lethal long passing game. When the defense has to worry about the run as much as I expect they will vs our rushing attack this year, it is going to open things up for our athletic, talented receivers to end up in 1-on-1 coverage deep downfield. Taylor has the arm to loft it up there and let our receivers either win the battle, or catch it with nobody even close to them. Bell's a deep threat, Reed's a mismatch and both, and maybe others, are going to get way, way open many times this year if the offense is run right.
