We were told with ZBS its not vital to have great RB. Any decent back can pick up yards.
Well it ain't happening.
Obviously you have to have good execution for ZBS to work.
Our backs are ordinary. Wynn seems the best - which is sad b/c of his health and past character issues. Jackson has looked like crap. Morency? He's OK when the holes are there but he is not capable of creating alone.
The OLine seems the bigggest culprit for RUN failure. We face a conudrum hard to solve. Irony is we pass block well. And our two best pass blockers may be our two worse ZBS run blockers - our two tackles. For sure Clifton.
Now its not that Clifton is a bad RUN blocker. Though never great - he was well above average in previous system. That system used strength and power. ZBS uses athleticism, quickness and agility.
So did TT & M3 miscalculate personnel and system match?
They cleaned out the OLine interior to accomodate new system but not the corners.
Shoud they have?
Personally I have always said I dislike the ZBS. To me since so few teams use it - it must be more difficult to coach AND more difficult to find the right personnel.
You find a good ZBS blocker and you may still have crappy pass blocker.
I have always liked Clif & Tausch and want them to stay.
Meanwhile our young interior has potential but they are NOT blowing me or more importantly any opposing DLs away.
IF ZBS does not work sometime this season - I say dump it for next year.
RUN
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ReasonablySober
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I don't think the backs are the problem so much as they don't have the holes to run through. If we had an Adrian Peterson, nobody is complaining; he makes his own holes. But even he can run over a left side of pro-bowl talent in Birk, Hutchinson and McKinnie.
I wasn't expecting the Denver Broncos running game this year, though I was hoping we'd see improvement. But these guys are young and didn't have the luxury of living in the weight room and taking their lumps in practice their first few years like the previous regimen did.
Mike Wahle started 19 out of his first 50 NFL games.
Marco Rivera didn't start a game until his 3rd season.
Mike Flanagan didn't start a game until his 5th season, when he started 2.
That was the interior of the best line we have probably ever had here.
It's tough to say who's going to stick around and who needs to be replaced. It's tough to say that Brandon Jackson or Wynn don't have what it takes when the holes aren't there. But it's also tough to place this on a line as young as they are, especially when the bookend tackles aren't holding up their end.
The Packers won't be able to nab an Adrian Peterson type prospect. They may be able to grab one of the three second tier juniors like Felix Jones, Steve Slaton or Jonathan Stewart. I really like them all, and there's a good chance one will be there late in the first.
However, again, Brandon Jackson might be an answer. He just turned 22 and he's quick enough to make things happen if there's space.
Free agency and the draft will be very interesting this offseason. This team is obviously good enough to win a good amount of ball games right now. If Thompson wants to throw dollars around he could get into bidding wars with OL Alan Faneca, Nat Dorsey and Max Starks. We all know about Michael Turner but Julius Jones would be a nice addition.
I think, unless a great one falls into his lap, I'd let the guards and rb situation alone for one more season. I think CB, FS, TE and OT are the needs. I'd address those positions first.
I wasn't expecting the Denver Broncos running game this year, though I was hoping we'd see improvement. But these guys are young and didn't have the luxury of living in the weight room and taking their lumps in practice their first few years like the previous regimen did.
Mike Wahle started 19 out of his first 50 NFL games.
Marco Rivera didn't start a game until his 3rd season.
Mike Flanagan didn't start a game until his 5th season, when he started 2.
That was the interior of the best line we have probably ever had here.
It's tough to say who's going to stick around and who needs to be replaced. It's tough to say that Brandon Jackson or Wynn don't have what it takes when the holes aren't there. But it's also tough to place this on a line as young as they are, especially when the bookend tackles aren't holding up their end.
The Packers won't be able to nab an Adrian Peterson type prospect. They may be able to grab one of the three second tier juniors like Felix Jones, Steve Slaton or Jonathan Stewart. I really like them all, and there's a good chance one will be there late in the first.
However, again, Brandon Jackson might be an answer. He just turned 22 and he's quick enough to make things happen if there's space.
Free agency and the draft will be very interesting this offseason. This team is obviously good enough to win a good amount of ball games right now. If Thompson wants to throw dollars around he could get into bidding wars with OL Alan Faneca, Nat Dorsey and Max Starks. We all know about Michael Turner but Julius Jones would be a nice addition.
I think, unless a great one falls into his lap, I'd let the guards and rb situation alone for one more season. I think CB, FS, TE and OT are the needs. I'd address those positions first.
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xTitan
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IMO it is all the offensive line, take Larry Johnson for instance, took him about 6 games before he turned in a normal "Larry Johnson" performance, is that because all of a sudden he sucks? The answer is that the Cheifs offensive line has suffered a significant talent loss. What about the great Marshawn Lynch? Lynch is averging 3.7 yards a carry (less then Wynn), 3 TD's (less then Wynn), and 9 catches (same as Wynn)...everyone wanted this guy and if he was on the team now you would hear some people label him a bust, while his biggest supporters say the offensive line is terrible. Although it is way to early to judge Lynch the one thing these RB's have in common is very poor blocking offensive lines.