Offensive Lines in the NFL

[MJAlltheWay24]

I didn't get to watch the Bengals game since I was working it but it sounds like the offensive line was as bad as we feared it was. I got to watch the Seahawks vs. Packers and Seattle's O-Line looked pretty bad throughout the game, with Green Bay's not being a whole lot better. I then watched Giants vs. Cowboys and Eli's O-Line looked really bad as well.

 

Is bad O-Line play becoming an epidemic in the NFL? Are players just not adequately equipped with the skill sets anymore? What's going on?

[Pioneer.Pride]

I had this observation as well. It seems that there are a lot of inexperienced offensive linemen starting in the NFL. Is this a position that owners just don't want to pay for?

[Jumper_Dad]

Jeff Saturday talked about this a few minutes ago. He said most teams think they can out scheme the defense and don't work enough on winning on the line of scrimmage enough.

[Pioneer.Pride]

Jeff Saturday talked about this a few minutes ago. He said most teams think they can out scheme the defense and don't work enough on winning on the line of scrimmage enough.

 

That's a pretty arrogant position to take. You are basically conceding the LOS. OL is just an undervalued position.

 

Another thing I've noticed is that as offensive tackles have gotten more athletic to combat speed rushers, defenses are starting to adjust by putting bull rushers on the edge.

[SLINK]

I just hope my Vikings don't have to use 12 different offensive lineman like they had to last year. That derailed a 5-0 start.

[GrantNKY]

Honestly I just think the NFL is full of really good pass rushers. Run blocking is still pretty decent all across the league. It's the pass blocking that's troubling. When defenses bring in these freaks of nature to rush the passer that are 6'6 290 pounds and run 4.6 40's there isn't much you can do as an O lineman. You are always reacting instead of acting. The D line has a huge advantage. Both the D lineman and O lineman are getting more leaner and more athletic. Gone are the days of dudes built like Vince Wilfork or Sam Adams. You have to be able to move and move quickly with strong acceleration or you won't see the field.

[UK#1fanisback]

Browns where sacked 7 times they paid big money for their OLine.

[futurecoach]

I think the spread offenses in college is a reason why lineman have a harder time transitioning to nfl. In college they could spread teams out more and create even more advantages on offense and truly space things out. In the nfl defenses have the speed to take away a lot of those things, and allows defenses to really focus on rushing the passer.

[oldgrappler]

Browns where sacked 7 times they paid big money for their OLine.

 

That is a good point. Their line was actually rated pretty high going into the season (before they even played a down). I think a few of those sacks can be attributed to a rookie qb in his first game holding the ball too long.

 

However, the Browns didn't run very well either.

[Pioneer.Pride]

This article is on target with many of the OL issues discussed in this thread. It points out how elite athletes are choosing to be on DL because of pay incentives and the "glamour" of sacking a QB rather than protecting one.

 

From the article :

 

"Teams are more able than ever to field effective pass rushers at every spot on the defensive line. And, as these defensive pass-rush units have lined up more frequently against inferior offensive lineman, they’ve become more and more effective at getting pressure with just four rushers. Last year, teams blitzed (defined as sending five pass rushers or more) just 27.4 percent of the time—a 5.8 percent drop from the 2010 season, per the Football Outsiders Almanac. And despite the fact that offensive lines faced a decade-low 4.24 pass rushers per dropback, quarterbacks faced pressure on a decade-high 20.3 percent of their dropbacks. We could see those numbers diverge even further in 2017."

 

 

The NFL’s Crisis on Offense - The Ringer

[oldgrappler]

It's kind of counter-intuitive when you consider that rules changes allow the OLine to hold. You would think they would win more of those battles not less.

[John Anthony]

The up-tempo college games now doesn't require the lineman to finish blocks. The defense is worn out by the 4th Q.

 

NFL is a passing league now and the practice time has been reduced. The perfect storm for poor line play.