Why aren't more teams copying the Broncos? - Dallas Cowboys Forum

Cogan · 11-04-2005

Ask just about any NFL coach what the two main keys to winning football are, and they will say running the ball, and stopping the run. With that said, I am shocked that Bill Parcells, as well as many other coaches, aren't moving towards a more Denver Broncos' style of running the football.

I mean, Bill wants to run the ball in the worst way, and Denver runs it better than anyone-no matter who is toting the rock.
Yet, we still see BP & others drafting & hiring 330 lb. offensive linemen, and are using the same blocking schemes they've used since the AFL-NFL merger.

I'm not advocating change, or complaining about our blocking, I'm just curious that there seems to be that one team in the NFL, who, year after year, owns a 1,500 yd. runner, not matter the name on his back. While some teams, like the Browns, haven't had a runner hit the thousand yd. mark since the Bears won the Super Bowl.

If running the football is paramount in winning it all, why don't more teams have 280 pound linemen who can pull, draw, and move quicker than most other team's linemen?

Just food for thought.

NewEraCowboy · 11-04-2005

our line isnt best suited for that kind of play.....we play to our strenghts

AbeBeta · 11-04-2005

I don't think the Bronco blocking scheme -- with a focus on cut blocks that tend to cause injuries -- is something many coaches want to teach. Also, there are regular rumblings that the league is going to restrict the use of cut blocks -- the league does that and there goes your entire scheme.

burmafrd · 11-04-2005

The Broncos running game always seems to run out of gas come January- the theory is that the smaller O linemen are worn down by that time of the year.

speedkilz88 · 11-04-2005

Denver tried to get FLO as a free agent a couple of years ago, so they don't necessarily want a bunch of 280 pound Olinemen either.

Yakuza Rich · 11-04-2005

Zone blocking is unnatural compared to man-to-man. O-Linemen grow up and learn man-to-man in high school then onto college. When they get to the pros, there's quite a bit of a learning curve since zone blocking is completely foreign to them and they've already built themselves to be man-to-man blockers.

Plus, zone blocking seems a bit weaker against the pass rush because the O-Linemen are a bit undersized.

Good blocking can come through either scheme. The same could be said for bad blocking. The Eagles, Bucs, and Texans all utilize zone blocking schemes right now. Doesn't mean that it's going to automatically work for them.

Rich....

TheHustler · 11-04-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cogan

Ask just about any NFL coach what the two main keys to winning football are, and they will say running the ball, and stopping the run.

Don't ask Andy Reid or Dennis Green. Heh.

Doomsday101 · 11-04-2005

I think the key to stopping the Denver rushing attack is to not over pursue. The defensive front has to maintain discipline and protect against the cut back where most of the big runs come from. What I see a lot of times is the backside pursuit over runs the play and allows the cut back lanes to developed.

HDC · 11-04-2005

As a former OL with two bad knees, I'm glad our team doesn't use cut blocks like Shannahan's teams.

**ABQCOWBOY** · 11-04-2005

Denver's OLs are not the end all, be all to offensive lines or running the football. Because they use the techniques they do, there lines are often small/under sized. They can be exploited by a physical front four. Even dictated to. There are down sides to everything.

CoCo · 11-04-2005

Atlanta must be using the same techniques now since thay have Alex Gibbs down there who was the architect of the scheme in Denver for years.

Matt Lehr is starting in Atlanta at LG I believe and I don't know their stats but I believe they have a pretty dynamite running game no doubt helped by Mr Vick but then perhaps hindered too by the weak passing game.

dbair1967 · 11-04-2005

what has Denver won lately to make anyone want to copy them?

answer--nothing...they havent won a playoff game since Elway retired after the 1998 season

David

NorthTexan95 · 11-04-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yakuza Rich

Zone blocking is unnatural compared to man-to-man. O-Linemen grow up and learn man-to-man in high school then onto college. When they get to the pros, there's quite a bit of a learning curve since zone blocking is completely foreign to them and they've already built themselves to be man-to-man blockers.

Plus, zone blocking seems a bit weaker against the pass rush because the O-Linemen are a bit undersized.

Good blocking can come through either scheme. The same could be said for bad blocking. The Eagles, Bucs, and Texans all utilize zone blocking schemes right now. Doesn't mean that it's going to automatically work for them.

Rich....

I was taught zone blocking starting in 7th grade. Lot's of colleges use zone blocking (including Texas). Zone blocking isn't as easy to learn as man on man as it requires a "feel" to it. It does take time to run it properly and it helps to have the same teammates year after year.

I'd imagine in the NFL some coaches, if their olinemen don't have experience in zone blocking, might not want to implement it and wait for guys to gain the needed experience. Their coaching jobs may not survive the learning curve.

ravidubey · 11-04-2005

That scheme has to be constantly taught and re-taught. Only a few OL coaches understand the scheme and how to coach it. It's also a "finesse" approach which relies upon spreading the defense wide. I equate big runs in that kind of a system to short passes, because they don't punish the defense as much as a standard run would.

Bottom line is unless you have horses like Terrell Davis and John Elway, that style won't get you deep into the playoffs.

LaTunaNostra · 11-04-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by ravidubey

That scheme has to be constantly taught and re-taught. Only a few OL coaches understand the scheme and how to coach it. It's also a "finesse" approach which relies upon spreading the defense wide. I equate big runs in that kind of a system to short passes, because they don't punish the defense as much as a standard run would.

Bottom line is unless you have horses like Terrell Davis and John Elway, that style won't get you deep into the playoffs.

I came across this a while ago, it'll be interesting to see if this guy continues his research.

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/print/2484/