More offensive line stuff...

[MichaelWinicki]

Just for grins I compared the offensive lines for following teams using the PFF rankings (yeah some hate'em but whatever ):

Baltimore
SF
NE
Seattle
Atlanta
Houston
Green Bay

And the Cowboys.

I compared the five starters for each team, by PFF ranking for the season.

So I you end up with 5 rankings for each team, the two tackles, the two guards and the center.

Here's how I list the team comparisons/player rankings:

Team/tackle ranking/tackle ranking/guard ranking/guard ranking/center ranking/Avg. ranking for the 5 starters

Bal 41 57 2 52 20 34.4
SF 1 10 3 5 10 5.8
NE 13 17 18 20 4 14.4
Sea 15 69 57 59 3 40.6
Atl 14 27 45 76 16 35.6
GB 53 54 6 32 28 34.6
Hou 2 65 28 58 7 32.0
Dal 40 66 16 50 19 38.2

I think we could all agree that San Fran's line was terrific if we buy into PFF's rankings or not.

What surprised me was how well the New England group graded overall.

Then we've got 4 teams with similar overall averages, Baltimore, Atlanta, Green Bay and Houston.

As you can see the Cowboys graded out 7th out of the 8 teams, just ahead of Seattle. Funny how the great center play by Max Unger in Seattle didn't do much for their guards.

I'm not saying that taking an average of all 5 positions is a good way of comparing lines but I thought it was interesting anyway. Feel free to draw your own conclusions.

 

[speedkilz88]

That NE grade is impressive, it's so low it's as if it isn't there.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

That NE grade is impressive, it's so low it's as if it isn't there.

Can you see it now?

I edited it and deleted it momentarily because I thought the formatting was screwed up... No... It was my Skype thinking that it was a phone number.

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

Actually, I'm not really surprised by NE grading well. The OL there has been a big reason for their success. Tom Brady gets all the credit, but its obvious that they give him time to do what he does. When pressured he is very average. Put him behind our OL and you see a whole different QB.

 

[Boom]

Funny how the great center play by Max Unger in Seattle didn't do much for their guards.

Let's hope that doesn't happen with Dallas and their new center and no other additions.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Let's hope that doesn't happen with Dallas and their new center and no other additions.

That thought ran through my mind! :laugh2:

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

That thought ran through my mind! :laugh2:

It has to, but continuity and health are what the team is hoping will make a difference.

 

[speedkilz88]

Let's hope that doesn't happen with Dallas and their new center and no other additions.

Seattle had a 3,000 yard rookie passer (33 sacks given up) and a 1,600 yard rb and made noise in the playoffs. They must have done something right.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Seattle had a 3,000 yard rookie passer (33 sacks given up) and a 1,600 yard rb and made noise in the playoffs. They must have done something right.

You bet. Opposing defenses not having a good feel for the Seattle offense helped.

In addition the Seattle defense helped out their offense– a lot. #1 defense in the NFL when it came to limiting scoring and they were 8th in Ints and 7th in fumbles recovered so their offense had tons of opportunities.

 

[ScipioCowboy]

You bet. Opposing defenses not having a good feel for the Seattle offense helped.

In addition the Seattle defense helped out their offense– a lot. #1 defense in the NFL when it came to limiting scoring and they were 8th in Ints and 7th in fumbles recovered so their offense had tons of opportunities.

Would you say that defense is the primary culprit in the Cowboys scoring woes?

 

[Boom]

Seattle had a 3,000 yard rookie passer (33 sacks given up) and a 1,600 yard rb and made noise in the playoffs. They must have done something right.

So, are those stats poor, or do we need a prolific rookie passer and dominant running back?

 

[blindzebra]

Would you say that defense is the primary culprit in the Cowboys scoring woes?

They played a big part.

We constantly had to go 80 yards to score.

 

[ScipioCowboy]

They played a big part.

We constantly had to go 80 yards to score.

That's true.

Lack of turnovers. Inability to change field position.

I'm not sure how much those facets can improve next year. The Cowboy didn't get an influx of new talent. They seem to be banking on improved health and their young safeties playing well.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

They played a big part.

We constantly had to go 80 yards to score.

You bet.

The Cowboys weren't afforded as many chances at "cheap" points as most teams.

As per Football Outsiders, the Cowboys were 19th average starting field position.

They were 8th in yards per drive and 10th in points per drive, so the offense was able to have some success in spite of its generally crummy field position.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

That's true.

Lack of turnovers. Inability to change field position.

I'm not sure how much those facets can improve next year. The Cowboy didn't get an influx of new talent. They seem to be banking on improved health and their young safeties playing well.

I don't think banking on better health is a reach.

They lost more starters on defense than they have in well over a decade. It was an inordinate amount of injuries. A their best player was a shadow of himself due to injuries, and he wasn't placed on IR. Then you throw in the odd defensive calls by the coordinator and I can't imagine the defense forcing as few turnovers in 2013 as they did in 2012.

 

[Blue Eyed Devil]

All of PFF's silly numbers don't change what Seattle's "inferior" o-line did to our d-line. Just put the tape on of that 4th quarter to see how they physically broke our d-line.

Our o-line didn't do that to anyone, anyone, all season.

PFF is silly.

 

[ScipioCowboy]

I don't think banking on better health is a reach.

They lost more starters on defense than they have in well over a decade. It was an inordinate amount of injuries. A their best player was a shadow of himself due to injuries, and he wasn't placed on IR. Then you throw in the odd defensive calls by the coordinator and I can't imagine the defense forcing as few turnovers in 2013 as they did in 2012.

I prefer Kiffin's philosophy. With the proliferation of running quarterbacks and pistol formations, we could be seeing the demise of blitz-heavy, man coverage 3-4 defenses.

 

[21Savage]

All of PFF's silly numbers don't change what Seattle's "inferior" o-line did to our d-line. Just put the tape on of that 4th quarter to see how they physically broke our d-line.

Our o-line didn't do that to anyone, anyone, all season.

PFF is silly.

It also doesn't change what our D line did to their Oline in the first half. The absence of Sean Lee and our Offense's ineptitude wore the defense down. That along with some missed tackles.

But that was an Oline we were dominating for most of the game. We can break down the game film anytime you like.

 

[Bluestang]

NE grading well is a result of how they attack defenses with their offensive scheme.

Brady isn't holding the ball for very long because they use short to intermediate passes to move the football down the field and they aren't shooting themsleves in the foot with penalties.

Brady led the league in snap counts per Football Outsiders for all QBs and Nate Solder had the highest snap count for any player.

I think PFF has a play per drive stat, I'm willing to bet that they probably are leading that stat or are in the top 3.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Lack of turnovers. Inability to change field position.

I'm not sure how much those facets can improve next year.

Revisit our starters and backups at the end of last season. We were pulling guys off the streets just to make a 53 man roster.