Zone blocking vs Man blocking

[starfrombirth]

I heard the announcers mention that we've transitioned to a zone blocking scheme, during the game today. For all you coaches and scouts out there... did we? What's the difference and is that reason (along with the change of running backs) why we are better running?

 

[starfrombirth]

Any thoughts on this?... Buler...Buler?

 

[CATCH17]

We still do some power runs but for the most part it's been a zone scheme.

We've ran more and more of it since the Rams game.


It fit's what our Oline can do because they are all more finesse guys and they really aren't going to knock anyone off the ball.


Plus the Zone has so many advantages to it because there is an answer for anything the defense does.

 

[Doomsday101]

I think this line lacks the bulk but not the athleticism so running zone blocking schemes seems to me will allow this group to be use to their strengths

 

[newlander]

against mediocre Dlines like Seattle, St. Louis and Buffalo....however when we start playing good divisional dlines again in Philly(yeah, they ate our lunch a couple weeks ago) and the Giants...and even the skins...what will happen then? We shall see. I'm hopful but some skepticism still exists.

 

[Temo]

Dallas' run offense under Garrett has always used a variety of styles, it's been a mark of his as a coordinator. This year we've added more zone runs, to accommodate the change in the profile of our lineman. I don't think it's been a new thing for this specific game, it may have been used a bit more than usual, to get specific match-ups. That's always a possibility. The running attack is designed to be flexible that way.

Here's Juan Castillo comparing the Commanders' running attack to the Cowboys:

Alright, then they have lead schemes, lead draws, kind of like the Cowboys had, misdirection type plays. So this is a team that probably uses a little bit of everything. The Commanders were basically an outside zone scheme [and] that's what they did and they were pretty good at that because that's what they did. The Cowboys use a little bit of each scheme so we're having to take time [to study]

 

[TheCount]

Ever since Garrett took the reigns, we have been incorporating more zone blocking. I remember last year (or perhaps the year before) hearing we were the only team in the league that had NO zone blocking.

We've been running an antiquated blocking scheme for a long time, these are some of the benefits of having a younger head coach.

 

[jrumann59]

Zone blocking is meant for intelligent lineman. Zone schemes are hard to pick up especially for guys that have played man most of their football life. In HS when we switched to Fla. St. offense we did zone blocking and it is weird when you drop in your pass blocking that you may not have someone immediately in your face to block but you were responsible for that area no matter what and it took discipline not to go find a defender to block. At first we had a lot of our oline get out of position because they all felt they should be on someone. Now zone run blocking can get even more confusing because depending on the play and where a defender lines up a guard may be the scrape blocker on DT because the DT is lined up over the center but if the defender shifts the responsibility may switch where the center is the scrape blocker and the guard is the primary.

 

[Clove]

You see how good a zone blocking scheme works when you have a GREAT runner. It all comes down to, how good your runner is. Oh yeah, and you actually have to block someone.

 

[CATCH17]

You see how good a zone blocking scheme works when you have a GREAT runner. It all comes down to, how good your runner is. Oh yeah, and you actually have to block someone.

Look what Houston is doing with it. We should model our run game off of what they are doing down there.

That is a perfect team for us to study.

 

[burmafrd]

Zone blocking is more mentally taxing; and more subject to mistakes and getting tricked by the D. You need very intelligent and instinctive players to do it right.

Man blocking is easier since you have a guy to take care of and that is all you have to do.

You also must have much more athletic players to do zone blocking right. There is a lot more movement involved.

 

[CATCH17]

Zone blocking is more mentally taxing; and more subject to mistakes and getting tricked by the D. You need very intelligent and instinctive players to do it right.

Man blocking is easier since you have a guy to take care of and that is all you have to do.

You also must have much more athletic players to do zone blocking right. There is a lot more movement involved.

I disagree I think Zone blocking is easier.

If the defender cuts inside of you than you go outside. If he goes outside than you cut it inside. IF they over pursuit then you can just cut it back.

The Olinemen reall can't do anything wrong. You just get to a spot and if the runner can read it (like Murray) than it's tough on the defense

 

[TheCount]

I disagree I think Zone blocking is easier.

If the defender cuts inside of you than you go outside. If he gets go outside than you cut it inside. IF they over pursuit then you can just cut it back.

The Olinemen reall can't do anything wrong. You just get to a spot and if the runner can read it (like Murray) than it's tough on the defense

It does require a bit more of an ability to anticipate what your teammates are going to do under a given situation.

I don't know that it requires any more or less intelligence than man to man though.

 

[starfrombirth]

Thanks for all the insight. It clears things up... a little bit.

 

[CATCH17]

It does require a bit more of an ability to anticipate what your teammates are going to do under a given situation.

I don't know that it requires any more or less intelligence than man to man though.

Yeah it's just that you have more options if the play breaks down in the zone scheme. Thats one thing I like. It just depends on your personel really and zone fits us much more than a power blocking scheme.

 

[jblaze2004]

Look what Houston is doing with it. We should model our run game off of what they are doing down there.

That is a perfect team for us to study.

this is true. That foster kid is making it look easy in there blocking scheme. Demarco cam be foster like if we run more of it.

 

[brymatt94]

The zone blocking scheme utilizes athletic lineman. Wisconsin actually does a very good job using this scheme. In a very basic explanation:

The line will all block to the playside. If a lineman is uncovered he will take what is called a "bucket step" and assist his adjacent lineman. They will double team the defensive lineman in their "zone". The important part is that one of the linemen must come off his block and get to the second level to a linebacker. Which is why they must have that athleticism.

 

[jblaze2004]

doug free, tyron smith, and kosier should flourish in this scheme. But i thought holland, dockery and costa was more of power players?

I heard costa didn't have good ability to move or something like that.

 

[Temo]

Holland has played in zone blocking schemes basically his entire career.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

I think zone blocking works today because running backs are taught to run more like that in college and high school. It's more of the runner's decision as to what hole to go to and hit it. Instead of having the patience to find the hole and understand how much longer they need to wait or if they just need to go ahead becasue the hole isn't going to develop. Emmitt was so great at understanding that and really, it was an underappreciated talent he had for it.

People thought the O-Line 'made Emmitt', but it was really the other way around...Emmitt made the O-Line look great because he had such a great feel for when to allow the blocker to get out in front or when to say 'screw it, gotta hit the crease now or I won't gain any yards.'

Obviously, it's a tough skill to develop. So high schools and college teams would rather see their talented running back use their athleticism.

The problem that Alex Gibbs started to run into is that he fell in love with smaller O-Linemen to run his scheme and they were great at the run blocking, but they were small and when teams would rush the passer, they struggled at times to deal with bigger 3-4 fronts.







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