Please explain to me How the Dead Skins went from a terrible offensive line to good

[TwoDeep3]

1. Shanahan - the chop block is his staple. Effective.
2. RG III
3. Read Option.

 

[Idgit]

It's scheme. You can't blame the option or RG3 because Shanny did it in Denver with Jake Plummer and Kubiak does it in Houston with Schaub.

It kinda helps to have a coach who really, really knows what he's doing.

:bravo:

All that coaching knowledge didn't help them as much in 2011.

The QB and the running game makes a difference. And being in the second year of the same system doesn't hurt.

 

[TheSport78]

It's funny how everyone is complimenting Shanahan's scheme when I seem to remember his amazing scheme looking completely ineffective and embarrassing when he had John Beck and Rex Grossman at QB.

RG3 makes this train go.

 

[Zekeats]

I give it to coaching over RG3..........Shanahan has always had one of the best running games because of his scheme, not RG3. Don't get me wrong, the read option helped and they got more from it but the credit should go to Shanahan and his zone blocking scheme.

 

[landroverking]

Combo of RGIII, read option, running back. When Ds deal better with the read option this year some or all of that may change.

 

[SkinsFan28]

There was an excellent article (from a Skins fan's perspective) that highlighted how the merging of Shanahan's stretch play with the zone read really put defenses in a spot. I don't have the link, sorry, but here is what I can express of it.
Shanahan's stretch ZBS scheme encourages a defense that flows as the play develops. The zone read on the other hand forces defenders to play strict gap integrity, each man guards his spot, and don't chase the play. Further enhancing the difficulty, is the offense can use both techniques directly from the pistol. So when lining up, the offense knows what the plan is, and the qb can make adjustments easily. The defense though comes in and if some choose flow and some choose gap integrity, than that can create creases where the defenders split.

It is really an interesting offensive design, and I will be interested to see the defensive reaction to it.

 

[Ren]

There was an excellent article (from a Skins fan's perspective) that highlighted how the merging of Shanahan's stretch play with the zone read really put defenses in a spot. I don't have the link, sorry, but here is what I can express of it.
Shanahan's stretch ZBS scheme encourages a defense that flows as the play develops. The zone read on the other hand forces defenders to play strict gap integrity, each man guards his spot, and don't chase the play. Further enhancing the difficulty, is the offense can use both techniques directly from the pistol. So when lining up, the offense knows what the plan is, and the qb can make adjustments easily. The defense though comes in and if some choose flow and some choose gap integrity, than that can create creases where the defenders split.

It is really an interesting offensive design, and I will be interested to see the defensive reaction to it.

I suspect our change back to a 4-3 1 gap defense is a direct result of it

 

[SkinsHokieFan]

Multiple reasons

1) Health. The Commanders o-line was able to start the same guys every week all seaosn long, which is huge with the ZBS. The ZBS relies on so much chemistry and trusting what the guy next to you will do, that having health was a major factor.

2) Scheme. The ZBS is a terrific scheme where if everyone buys in and is in sync can really create some big holes

3) Morris/RG3: Morris has incredible vision, this cannot be underrated. He sees holes, knows how to set up blocks and quickly hits the hole. RG3 is multi talented and his running ability, mixed in with the read option, froze defenders.

I still think number 1 is the biggest key. Major factor in the 2nd half of the year when Morris was running through highway sized holes

 

[RastaRocket]

Throwing ability

He is not a bad passer, nothing to really laugh about. I think Romo is better in the air but RGIII is no joke. He also throws one hell of a deep ball.

 

[NIBGoldenchild]

Is it the Scheme? Coaching? Or RG3 and Alfred Morris?
Look at their starters:Tyler Polumbus, Chris Chester, Will Montgomery, Kory Lichtensteiger, Trent Williams..... Besides Williams all these guys are castoffs from other teams.. None of them broke the bank... I'm not saying that we don't need a talent infusion.. But how much of our problems are coaching and scheme?

They benefitted from two things last year: the read option and remaining relatively healthy. The hesitation by defenses due to the read option slowed pass rushes. By remaining healthy they were able to gel more than they had in the past.

But make no mistake, only Trent Williams and Montgomery has shown any improvement. They didn't even want Polumbus back, and he likely won't be the starter this season. Chester is average, and Lichtensteiger is a consistently good guard, but often injured. I'm hoping Josh LeRibus impresses in camp.

 

[SkinsHokieFan]

He is not a bad passer, nothing to really laugh about. I think Romo is better in the air but RGIII is no joke. He also throws one hell of a deep ball.

RG3 is a great passer, which is what makes his running ability such a threat. If he chooses never to run the ball again, he will do great in the pocket

That TD pass to Moss at the end of the first half on T-Giving, over the back shoulder, was a thing of beauty.

 

[Califan007]

RG3 is a great passer, which is what makes his running ability such a threat. If he chooses never to run the ball again, he will do great in the pocket

That TD pass to Moss at the end of the first half on T-Giving, over the back shoulder, was a thing of beauty.

It was a thing of beauty, but it wasn't over the back shoulder lol...it was timed to perfection and hit Moss square in the gut the nanosecond he turned around.

 

[khiladi]

It's funny how everyone is complimenting Shanahan's scheme when I seem to remember his amazing scheme looking completely ineffective and embarrassing when he had John Beck and Rex Grossman at QB.

RG3 makes this train go.

Actually, grossman wasn't playing bad two years ago when the Commanders started off hot. He should never have been benched and their record would have been a lot better if not for the pressure to yank Rex. And the reality is Shanahan adjusted the offense totally for RG3.

 

[SilverStarCowboy]

One Word - R Ghey Binks III

 

[NIBGoldenchild]

Actually, grossman wasn't playing bad two years ago when the Commanders started off hot. He should never have been benched and their record would have been a lot better if not for the pressure to yank Rex. And the reality is Shanahan adjusted the offense totally for RG3.

Anytime you throw 20 INTs you're playing pretty bad. And not just bad, he was Grossman bad. That tease of a decent game here and there, only to completely break your heart with a 4 INT performance. We had no chance for a vertical threat that year either, as Rex's arm is subpar at best. His pocket presence was decent, but he was too slow to avoid the pressure anyway.

I do agree that benching him for Beck, when they knew Beck was a complete stiff, was a bad idea.

 

[Califan007]

One Word - R Ghey Binks III

That looks like two words, one letter and a number.

 

[sbark]

Combo of all 3: RGIII , improv from OLine via scheme, and the young RB isnt just too bad of a 6th round find.

 

[InmanRoshi]

It's scheme. You can't blame the option or RG3 because Shanny did it in Denver with Jake Plummer and Kubiak does it in Houston with Schaub.

It kinda helps to have a coach who really, really knows what he's doing.

And it took 3 years to implement, and they acquired several value signing vets who are already familiar with it. Lichtensteiger and Polumbus had been with Shanny in Denver.

 

[Sonny#9]

Well, not to press my thumb upon that bruise, but it starts by not drafting players like Travis Frederick....

 

[TeddyKGB]

As a skins fan:

I think the continuity and health of the line is a huge factor - similar to the Giants when they actually had a running game with Tiki/Jacobs.

I know other than Silverback(TWilliams) most of the other linemen can be seen as "scrub castoffs", truthfully they're better then they get credit for.

Kory Lichensteiger would allow some push his first year with us but would never really give up full penetration. In the last year-in-a-half though he's really been "on", without question our second best OL.

Montgomery does his job well, better than you would think originally - actually reminds me of Doug Free's surprising rise out of nowhere but w/o the 2nd year decline.

Chester is the prototypical "solid" guard, he doesn't get beat often but hes not going to pancake or road-grade people much either.

Polumbus is by far our weakest link on the OL. What sucks is that hes actually beast at run blocking(which is why we can still run to both sides - not just our strong side with Williams). He's mediocre as a pass blocker though. He can hold up against the midlevel-to-good DE's in the league but he gets eaten up alive by elite pass rushers - especially speed guys.

Another factor is that Shanny stashes multiple solid OL backups that can fill in when injuries occur. Something the cowboys don't - after their first line depth it can get scary but luckily Romo's mobility and quick release helps a lot of the Cowboys OL shortcomings.

After the OL I think its much more Alfred Morris factoring in than RG3. It's a travesty that Shannys mantra of plucking RB's out-of-nowhere kind of stigmatizes Morris as just another back. Trust me there are periods in games where Griffin sputters on offense yet Morris just keeps on moving the chains whenever he's called upon. People will continue to think it's Griffin that opens everything up for Morris but even the games where Griffin was injured or out Morris just kept on pounding away. There's a reason he ended up FAU's all time leading rusher - hes just that prototypical late round small school diamond, just like Romo.

On a sidenote: I know that many of my Skins brethren love to wallow in the boys demise and laugh at most of their players' plights - i.e. Romo's contract etc. I thought it was a necessary signing by you guys, not just because Romo's got the tools of an elite QB but because Dez Bryant is on the verge of destroying the NFL. As AZ showed a few years ago, a team with an elite weapon at WR(Fitz) with a hot QB(Warner) can carry an otherwise mediocre team deep into the playoffs. Now look at Fitz without a QB to get him the ball.

Trust me I know that in national-view there was tons of attention on all the great rookie qb's last year, Peyton Mannings comeback, AP's record chase, Megatrons record, Ray Lewis's retirement and the Jets unraveling - lots of things going on last year. Whats the one thing, just one little thing that quietly got slipped under the rug last year? The fact that Dez Bryant played like a man possessed in the second half of last year. The fact that Dez had almost 900 yards and 10 TDs from week 10 on - with a broken finger no less. I'm a big fantasy guy and I only have Megatron rated about him this upcoming year. When Dez says he thinks he can be the first 2000/20 WR.. I ::shudders:: believe him, trust me the lightbulb has been turned on ladies and gentlemen. Many people probably weren't paying attention last year but I was. Dez is going to be DISGUSTING this year.