With 3 Pro Bowl players - still not good

[Mansta54]

You gomers refuse to acknowledge what most people have admitted: our line was good at pass blocking but sucked at run blocking. How many times did MB fail, especially later in the season and I AM NOT TALKING about the last couple of games? Basically from week 8 on. Virtually all the columnists and even Mick was talking about it. BUT you guys just want to blame JJ. I guess thats easier, eh?

HH will handle our run blocking issues and as for JJ, well, he SUCKED...

 

[CrazyCowboy]

I for one do not believe our OL is as good as their Pro Bowl selection suggest.

 

[sillycon]

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/rb.php

Half the time they were blocking for the third most effective back in the NFL.

Half the time they were blocking for the 44th most effective back in the NFL - a guy whose success rate of 37% tied for the WORST of the 55 backs in the NFL with 75 rushes or more.

Not blocking for the unbearable load that was Julius Jones should really help their ranking.

I'm no JJ fan but you must've watched as many games as I did... The offensive line just didn't open holes when JJ was in there for the most part. Barber was adept at bouncing away from the non-hole and into the open. JJ just got too much into the Parcells way of thinking and went with the design of the play with not much improvisation in those (MANY)times when there wasn't a seam to run through.

 

[gimmesix]

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/rb.php

Half the time they were blocking for the third most effective back in the NFL.

Half the time they were blocking for the 44th most effective back in the NFL - a guy whose success rate of 37% tied for the WORST of the 55 backs in the NFL with 75 rushes or more.

Not blocking for the unbearable load that was Julius Jones should really help their ranking.

That's true, but I believe their differing running styles also showed the strengths and weaknesses of our run blocking.

Barber took advantage of our strength, which is strength to win 1-on-1 straight-ahead battles, to get movement, which allowed Barber cutback opportunities.

Jones suffered from our weakness, which is trying to move and make a hole. The only lineman we have who can effectively/consistently hit a target on the move is Kyle Kosier. The others were often beaten to the designated lane, so they couldn't clear it and Jones would run into traffic.

What that means is that we need to have our lineman do what Emmitt told the 90s line to do, "Block somebody, and I'll find the hole." Barber does that well, and whomever we get as the "change-up" back needs to have at least similar vision and cutting ability.

 

[Skinsmaniac]

I really wish people wouldn't look to football outsiders for data on how well a team or unit does. Their statistical analysis is a joke.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/rb.php

Half the time they were blocking for the third most effective back in the NFL.

Half the time they were blocking for the 44th most effective back in the NFL - a guy whose success rate of 37% tied for the WORST of the 55 backs in the NFL with 75 rushes or more.

Not blocking for the unbearable load that was Julius Jones should really help their ranking.

That's kind of what I was thinking.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

This is exactly why i am not that worried that Sparano is gone. The guy seems to be great at working with players in the pass. He did well with witten and our line was great in pass protection but both units just couldnt run block worht a flip. Im impressed with what john Garret did with our TEs adn everyone knows what Houck can do. just look at what he accomplished in SD and Dallas. Heck he even made the fins line which was devoid of talent serviceable.

Now don't get me wrong. i actually think that Sparano will make one heck of a HC. He knows how to run a practice, is organized and gets his players to resond. I just think he needs to hire someone who knows how to teach run blocking.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I really wish people wouldn't look to football outsiders for data on how well a team or unit does. Their statistical analysis is a joke.

Unfortunately football is not as cut and dry as baseball and as such the metrics call for a ton of assumptions in order to normalize statistics. Some of their down and distance assumptions i definitely dont agree with but as far as the best stats available right now there is none better.

 

[Hostile]

Hopefully we can steal an Offensive Guard in the draft. Can never have too many young O-lineman especially if they have potential. Free and Marten were good picks in last years draft.

This gets my vote.

Heath Benedict, OG, Newberry in the 2nd round. Reminds me of Kevin Gogan. Nasty too.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

I think HH is a great O-line coach although Miami had a horrible line last year...

 

[Yakuza Rich]

That's true, but I believe their differing running styles also showed the strengths and weaknesses of our run blocking.

Barber took advantage of our strength, which is strength to win 1-on-1 straight-ahead battles, to get movement, which allowed Barber cutback opportunities.

Jones suffered from our weakness, which is trying to move and make a hole. The only lineman we have who can effectively/consistently hit a target on the move is Kyle Kosier. The others were often beaten to the designated lane, so they couldn't clear it and Jones would run into traffic.

What that means is that we need to have our lineman do what Emmitt told the 90s line to do, "Block somebody, and I'll find the hole." Barber does that well, and whomever we get as the "change-up" back needs to have at least similar vision and cutting ability.

It's a case of Dallas not being a zone blocking O-Line and being a man-to-man blocking team. Julius is a zone blocking runner, so when he was in the game Dallas had to often switch to more zone blocking. Barber could do both.


And it's not like Barber couldn't run the ball. From week 7 on (we faced the best run defense in the game in week 7 vs. Minny) he averaged 4.34 ypc and had 8 touchdowns. That's including the week 17 game versus Washington, which I can't say really counted.

Without that week 17 game, Barber runs for 4.54 ypc from week 7 on.

I'm not sure why there's people trying to protect Julius. I don't know exactly what happened, but he started to lose his vision and cutting ability and wasn't nearly the same runner he was back in 2004.





YAKUZA

 

[DallasDomination]

it would be better to not have many pro bowlers because now you got some average guys wanting/expecting more because of it.

 

[pgreptom]

Any chance we move one of our OT picks from last year to Guard and try to see if they can beat out Kosier? I believe Kosier was our weak link that and the fact that they weren't playing as a unit at times.

Kosier had 0 false starts last year.

He had a pretty good year. It's because he doesn't talk, wasn't drafted high, and he doesn't go to Pro Bowls.. he's not "good"

The guy is good. I'm perfectly happy with him starting next year.

 

[BouncingCheese]

We all know that Roy made it due to rep, name recognition and a lack of real competition. Our problem is that our weak points, Roy and #3 CB, were pretty bad.

I agree with you 100 percent.

Terrence Newman played well when healthy and Anthony Henry played well jumping on routes and taking advantage of the system utilizing his talents and hiding his lack of speed. Hamlin played well but he is a better strong safety and is out of place because of his lack of coverage skills. That being said, he is much better at coverage than Roy Williams and Hamlin is a leader in the secondary.

Get rid of Roy and Put Hamlin back at strong safety. Haha that will probably never happen. Foolish dreams.

 

[Aikbach]

Well, I think Dallas' less than Top 10 ranking had a lot to do with Julius Jones' consistency, when he's hot he's the man and when he's not he's a frustrating slug.

Also in Julius' brief defense some of his best plays were wiped out by the referee's flag, some of which were highly questionable penalties at that.