Is OL problems over analyzed?

[tunahelper]

Sure last year was rough after Flo went down. The pass rush was beating down Bledsoe after every snap, even run downs as I remember.
But the thing many are missing is what TO & company will do in helping our OL play.
We have not had the ability/personel to attack the entire field, since the 90's.
Thus teams often attacked through the middle of our line comprimising our run/pass game. Remember this was an issue when Emmitt was playing because he couldnt get to the corner anymore.
The lack of talented WR to pressure the defense from all points of the field.
We had parts, but never complete.
Defenses could attack our OL easier and expose their weaknesses.
TO provides instant relief valve if defenses use the same blitz attack methods to derail our offense.
I am also happy we have Kosier because he will add mobility to the line. Riviera, Johnson, Kosier can run screens effective as well as trap opposing defenses. This should effectively eliminate all out pressure we seen last year.
Next will be the fun part. We are now making defenses react to us and not attack us.
This is how I see TO helping our offense. He is the final piece to balancing an offense. Sure the OL must play better, but talent around the OL, will help nuetralize some of the burden they must take on.

 

[Mansta54]

Our OL will have a complete turn around this season. The Tuna is watching them closely. He will work their arses off this training camp. They have been on his mind ever since the season ended.

 

[Hostile]

Every aspect of the game is over analyzed. Everythign from players to schemes to play calls to opponents.

 

[jterrell]

The NFL is often about reaction.
Fan reaction, coach reaction and so on.

Last season Dallas expected to have a great OL just before TC started.

Then Marco Rivera injured his back. Then Rogers was injured and refused to play through it, then Flo got injured, then Petitti got banged up....

Sometimes you simply get hit too many times in one spot and Dallas was decimated along the OL last season.

That doesn't mean we can carry 15 OL this season.

We are simply going to have to hope for a little better luck.

We at least have a two deep right now on the OL. Fabini can play LT or RT. The Kosier signing gets next to kudos but the truth is the guy can play every position on the line in a pinch and not embarass himself. Going back to last seaosn for instance Kosier would have been a better LT than Tucker or a better RT than Petitti the last month of the year when he was hobbled and barely moving. It's possible he would have been a better RG than the injured Rivera. No he isn't pancaking guys but he will at least get to his assignment.

I believe our OL is a top 10 group. It is actually very much like Washington's. There is a very solid starting group and when everyone is healthy its a plus area. When some of the better players go down it creates problems and the offense gets smaller as adjustments are made. Not many teams can lose a starting LT and perform at a high level.

Having two franchise left tackles is alot like having two franchise QBs. It simply doesn't happen. You just hope for the best and try to have some semblance of a backup.

Put another way if Bledsoe had missed 10 games last year and Romo/Henson had split starts yet both been pretty awful do you think anyone would care about the OL this season?

 

[J-DOG]

Sure last year was rough after Flo went down. The pass rush was beating down Bledsoe after every snap, even run downs as I remember.
But the thing many are missing is what TO & company will do in helping our OL play.
We have not had the ability/personel to attack the entire field, since the 90's.
Thus teams often attacked through the middle of our line comprimising our run/pass game. Remember this was an issue when Emmitt was playing because he couldnt get to the corner anymore.
The lack of talented WR to pressure the defense from all points of the field.
We had parts, but never complete.
Defenses could attack our OL easier and expose their weaknesses.
TO provides instant relief valve if defenses use the same blitz attack methods to derail our offense.
I am also happy we have Kosier because he will add mobility to the line. Riviera, Johnson, Kosier can run screens effective as well as trap opposing defenses. This should effectively eliminate all out pressure we seen last year.
Next will be the fun part. We are now making defenses react to us and not attack us.
This is how I see TO helping our offense. He is the final piece to balancing an offense. Sure the OL must play better, but talent around the OL, will help nuetralize some of the burden they must take on.

This time of the year everything is overanalyzed.
One second it's the O-line then its the battle for the 3rd wr spot.
Oh and don't forget about the backup qb battle(that's always good to start a heated debate).
But it's not just the fans who are overanalyzing everything.
We got sportswriters conjuring up stuff to write about. I mean all of the sudden I hear Zimmer is being sent out the door because some writer has a theory that his contract is up after next season and since JJ has not done anything about it logic says so.
I agree with your thoughts on TO and our offense. I will be very interested to see how we attack Greg Williams defense this season with TO now on our team. The skins almost always had 8 in the box against us and got away with it because we only had 1 player(Glenn) who could go deep. Dem days are over!
Julius,Witten and Glenn will be happy.
Look what happens in the red-zone with coverage on Witten with TO in there as opposed to last year...night and day.

 

[MONT17]

what I dont understand is if the OL is fine why do once a weeka Thread pops up saying the OL is fine? why not a thread about how good the TE or the WR positions will be instead... defending something that doesnt need defending, why? I guess that is human nature!!!

as far as comparing the way the 05 Boys handle the blitz to the 95 Boys is almost pointless... the game is not the same!

the name of the game is GET TO THE QB!!! with every rule changed to promote ticket sales (scoring for u youngins) u cant expect anyone to cover for long periods of time...

Im not saying TO will not help... but he is not going to make coaches like JIM JOHNSON, G WILLIAMS and TIM LEWIS change what they do best!!! If anything I would expect them to use more blitzing!!!


the one thing I dont get... and I guess I never will.... is if KOSIER is so good why didnt they sign him last year? I would think Jay Ratliff was worth having a guy who would have saved our season (not my words)... let me see Ratliff or the Playoffs? Ratliff or Playoffs...

 

[Bob Sacamano]

great points tunahelper, but another thing that has been missing in all of this, was because our line was so porous after FLo went down, that we went to alot of max-protection schemes, taking Jason Witten, and sometimes Keyshawn Johnson, out as passing options, less options a D has to worry about defending in the passing game, means more opportunities to get after the QB, it's like on D, a poor pass-rush giving the opposing O more time for WRs to get open against CBs

another point is that the fastest path to the QB is up the gut, last year defenders were blowing by LA, and sometimes simply overpowering him, Al was getting pushed back on occasion, though not to the extent many on here say he was, and Rivera was struggling with a back injury which sapped any quickness he had, it's too early to tell, but IMO, we've improved the interior of the line with the addition of Kosier's quickness at LG, Al gaining 20+ lbs. and not pumping his fist to give up the snap count, and Rivera being completely healthy, we need to see how those additions play out on the field, but in my mind, we've improved in those problematic areas of last year, and Flo coming back is going to be huge, not to mention, if Fabini starts at RT, he wont' require much help as a rookie Pettiti (Witten staying back to help block) and won't be a turnstile

also we've added TO's ability to get off his man and into his routes quickly, and 2-TEs which will confuse opposing Ds, so that they won't know if it's going to be a run or a pass

 

[tunahelper]

what I dont understand is if the OL is fine why do once a weeka Thread pops up saying the OL is fine? why not a thread about how good the TE or the WR positions will be instead... defending something that doesnt need defending, why? I guess that is human nature!!!

as far as comparing the way the 05 Boys handle the blitz to the 95 Boys is almost pointless... the game is not the same!

the name of the game is GET TO THE QB!!! with every rule changed to promote ticket sales (scoring for u youngins) u cant expect anyone to cover for long periods of time...

Im not saying TO will not help... but he is not going to make coaches like JIM JOHNSON, G WILLIAMS and TIM LEWIS change what they do best!!! If anything I would expect them to use more blitzing!!!

the one thing I dont get... and I guess I never will.... is if KOSIER is so good why didnt they sign him last year? I would think Jay Ratliff was worth having a guy who would have saved our season (not my words)... let me see Ratliff or the Playoffs? Ratliff or Playoffs...

I stated we have not had the weapons to attack the entire field, since the 90's. Which in turn has allowed the defenses to blitz us through the middle (ie:Broncos punt team type blitzing on Thanksgiving) and blow up our run game and stifling our pass game. This has been a staple in defending us, since Emmitt started to slow down and no longer reach the corners.

Also, My point was we are ready to handle this defensive scheme because of our improved skill players as a unit. As far as Kosier goes I believe his mobility will allow us to use screens and move on traps and run more to the edges.
The days of us lining up and bulldozing DT are over. I believe our line will feature its speed to open holes in the running game, and that should be playing to their strengths.