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Should we ditch the zone blocking next year?

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  • I don't kknow if it's the blocking scheme or the low talent or both, but i'm irritated every time the ball is snapped. It always seems like at least one dude is just getting green lighted upfield, and i'm not always sure if it's by design or they suck. In any case, we can't run....opposing defensive players are constantly in our backfield so what chance do our RB's have? Is it the zone blockigng?

  • C Clevfan4life

    I don't kknow if it's the blocking scheme or the low talent or both, but i'm irritated every time the ball is snapped. It always seems like at least one dude is just getting green lighted upfield, and i'm not always sure if it's by design or they suck. In any case, we can't run....opposing defensive players are constantly in our backfield so what chance do our RB's have? Is it the zone blockigng?

    @clevfan4life said:

    I don't kknow if it's the blocking scheme or the low talent or both, but i'm irritated every time the ball is snapped. It always seems like at least one dude is just getting green lighted upfield, and i'm not always sure if it's by design or they suck. In any case, we can't run....opposing defensive players are constantly in our backfield so what chance do our RB's have? Is it the zone blockigng?

    It will improve as time goes on. Switching from a power blocking scheme to a zone scheme is much harder for an entire team than the other way around.

    For the most part, power blocking is "you are blocking this man, this way, turn your ass this way and push" while the back gets "you are running to this hole, which will be blocked in this fashion, the end".

    Zone requires more time to implement, because it's inherently more of a cohesive unit philosophy than power, but there aren't assignments that can be dictated pre-snap that apply universally. It is literally all feel...and feel takes time.

    I had a coordinator that put it this way... Zone is just run pass blocking. You are pass blocking for the back, downfield.

    You think we have it bad, look at Detroit. They are going through the same struggles trying to convert to a primarily zone scheme so that Abdullah can thrive. Green Bay went through the same growing pains some time ago, but now they have a group that is fairly plug and play in case of injury.

    Stay the course with this offensive system. By God, if we stay the course anywhere, it should be on offense. Flip has "it". He's a hell of a coordinator.

    I'm awesome, and I fuck dolphins. Ghoolie 12/2/2012: I have absolutely no skills, training or pride
    Tour2maT 1 Reply

  • No just got the reset button

  • Tim Couch Pulls OutT Tim Couch Pulls Out

    @clevfan4life said:

    I don't kknow if it's the blocking scheme or the low talent or both, but i'm irritated every time the ball is snapped. It always seems like at least one dude is just getting green lighted upfield, and i'm not always sure if it's by design or they suck. In any case, we can't run....opposing defensive players are constantly in our backfield so what chance do our RB's have? Is it the zone blockigng?

    It will improve as time goes on. Switching from a power blocking scheme to a zone scheme is much harder for an entire team than the other way around.

    For the most part, power blocking is "you are blocking this man, this way, turn your ass this way and push" while the back gets "you are running to this hole, which will be blocked in this fashion, the end".

    Zone requires more time to implement, because it's inherently more of a cohesive unit philosophy than power, but there aren't assignments that can be dictated pre-snap that apply universally. It is literally all feel...and feel takes time.

    I had a coordinator that put it this way... Zone is just run pass blocking. You are pass blocking for the back, downfield.

    You think we have it bad, look at Detroit. They are going through the same struggles trying to convert to a primarily zone scheme so that Abdullah can thrive. Green Bay went through the same growing pains some time ago, but now they have a group that is fairly plug and play in case of injury.

    Stay the course with this offensive system. By God, if we stay the course anywhere, it should be on offense. Flip has "it". He's a hell of a coordinator.

    @tim-couch-pulls-out said:

    It will improve as time goes on. Switching from a power blocking scheme to a zone scheme is much harder for an entire team than the other way around.

    For the most part, power blocking is "you are blocking this man, this way, turn your ass this way and push" while the back gets "you are running to this hole, which will be blocked in this fashion, the end".

    Zone requires more time to implement, because it's inherently more of a cohesive unit philosophy than power, but there aren't assignments that can be dictated pre-snap that apply universally. It is literally all feel...and feel takes time.

    I had a coordinator that put it this way... Zone is just run pass blocking. You are pass blocking for the back, downfield...or to the sideline.

    Stay the course with this offensive system. By God, if we stay the course anywhere, it should be on offense. Flip has "it". He's a hell of a coordinator.

    Added one tweak, but I agree with the above, TC, especially Flip. Very inventive at utilizing folks and creating mismatches. But as Cleve4 indicated we are seeing individual OL defeats in ZBS runs that we did not see last year. I've been unable to put my finger on it, but something is very different this year. May even be as simple as splits or pad angle while on the move.

    Last year our ZBS was rough Game 1, but improved each week until we peaked in Games 4 vs. TN followed by SteelersII in Game 5. In Game 4 I remember writing about a chorus line heading left or right, passing off DL to each other as they moved along. Even after Mack was hurt in Game 5, we ran a better ZBS at times than we are seeing now.

    This year nothing has approached that kind of coordinated effort. There's no finesse...

    "When you have a shared vision it is a lot easier to make unpopular decisions." - Paul DePodesta "When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less." - Paul Brown Complete 2017 Browns Board Mock: http://thebrownsboard.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=46196

  • and, lets be honest, Crow isn't seeing the field properly.....he runs right up the backs of his OL.....and rarely, if ever, changes direction

    Tim Couch Pulls OutT 1 Reply

  • Totally agree, Mud, and sometimes it's a matter of Crow hurrying and attacking the line rather than gliding and waiting for the hole to appear.

    But more often than not that laser straight line from LT to RT we lay out before every snap doesn't stay as straight on the move as it once did.

    "When you have a shared vision it is a lot easier to make unpopular decisions." - Paul DePodesta "When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less." - Paul Brown Complete 2017 Browns Board Mock: http://thebrownsboard.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=46196
  • MudflyM Mudfly

    and, lets be honest, Crow isn't seeing the field properly.....he runs right up the backs of his OL.....and rarely, if ever, changes direction

    @mudfly said:

    and, lets be honest, Crow isn't seeing the field properly.....he runs right up the backs of his OL.....and rarely, if ever, changes direction

    Theoretically, Crow shouldn't even be seeing the field soon enough. Duke is one of the best ZBS backs I've seen coming out of college, I would imagine he should be getting a majority of the carries soon, outside of short yardage situations.

    I'm awesome, and I fuck dolphins. Ghoolie 12/2/2012: I have absolutely no skills, training or pride
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