Big Turk Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Teams that use zone blocking typically have smaller more athletic players able to pull, get to the 2nd level and play well in space...especially at the guard position...this was the complete opposite of what we had, big guys that had trouble moving(see our screen blocking which was so bad it could have been on NFL bloopers), leading me to believe they had the complete wrong run scheme in place to maximize the effectiveness of our players... Think we would have been much better at man to man blocking and I'm sure Roman will be able to put our players in a much better position to succeed than Hackett, as he is known as a very good run game guy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wagon Circler Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Not sure we used zone blocking that much as that typically involves stretch plays off tacle. All our running seemed to be between the guards. We sadly lacked creativity in the run game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niagara Bill Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I only hope we do not go through another transition in the style of O lineman. In the last 6 or 7 years we went from huge and road graders to small and nimble to big and strong and every time that occurs it takes 2 or 3 years to gather the right personnel and then more time to allow them to play together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Lightning Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Blocking, zone or otherwise, was a problem. But not as big a problem as the block-heads coaching the offense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebandit27 Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Yes, it's definitely part of it. Marrone assembled an OL of massive bodies built for drive-blocking, and asked them to dance around and play technique instead of mauling people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronin Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Could zone blocking be why our running game was so poor? Could the fact that we relied on a 33-year old RB as the oldest one in the league, a role player, a short-yardage "move the sticks" type, and an overrated free agent castoff from another team be the reason? Going into next year we have Jackson at 34, maybe the same role player that does not contribute to winning and who's been overrated since being drafted 9th overall, the same marginal backups and short yardage guys. We need a Thurman Thomas, Antowain Smith, Marshawn Lynch type of RB, not a collection of guys that don't effectively compliment each other. Relying on them for next season would be foolish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PS 56 Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Not sure we used zone blocking that much as that typically involves stretch plays off tacle. All our running seemed to be between the guards. We sadly lacked creativity in the run game. and what was even sadder is we did the same play over and over and over....and got nada for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibs Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Yes, it's definitely part of it. Marrone assembled an OL of massive bodies built for drive-blocking, and asked them to dance around and play technique instead of mauling people. This concept at least gives hope for dramatic improvement next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebandit27 Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 This concept at least gives hope for dramatic improvement next year. Agreed. The guy I'll be watching closely is Richardson. If he can drop about 15-20 lbs of fat and get a bit stronger I think he's got the tools to be a very good guard. His run blocking was actually good as a rookie; his pass protection was an abomination. I never had much hope for Kouandjio, so if he does end up a quality OT--even a swing OT--I'll be pleasantly surprised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I've began analyzing SF's O to ours. The talent mostly. Their OL and ours only had a 15lbs difference in average weight. Height was only off by 3" iirc. I've been very busy revamping lifestyle to accommodate career but will get to work on it this wrekend Not sure we need zone blocking if we have a succesfful blocking back like Gray or Jackson to take the place of tbr pulling OL on QB boots. But I totally believe and saying it again Peyton Manning will be our QB in 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondo in seattle Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Could the fact that we relied on a 33-year old RB as the oldest one in the league, a role player, a short-yardage "move the sticks" type, and an overrated free agent castoff from another team be the reason? Going into next year we have Jackson at 34, maybe the same role player that does not contribute to winning and who's been overrated since being drafted 9th overall, the same marginal backups and short yardage guys. We need a Thurman Thomas, Antowain Smith, Marshawn Lynch type of RB, not a collection of guys that don't effectively compliment each other. Relying on them for next season would be foolish. While I'd love for the Bills to upgrade every position, I really didn't see our backs as the main culprit in our putrid running game. In 40 years of watching football, I can't remember an OL so inept at opening running lanes as this one. Was zone blocking part of the problem? I'm no expert and can't say. All I know is this OL sucked. The statistical gurus at PFF rated our OL 32nd in the league at run blocking. I remember watching Willie Ellison run for 247 yards on 26 carries for the LA Rams back in 1971. Don't remember Willie Elliison? At the time, his effort was the greatest single game rushing total in pro football history topping Gilchrist's best game of 243 and Jim Brown's NFL record of 237 yards. Everybody knows Jim Brown, Rex Ryan remembers Cookie, but few people remember Willie because he wasn't actually all that talented. Instead, he piled up yards running behind a very good offensive line that opened up gaping holes for him. An OL like that would put our backs into the Pro Bowl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 When the fans know that the 1st play of a series of downs will be a dive up the middle.......that is a bad thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Over 29 years of fanhood Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 CJ spiller is an example of one of the worst kinds of running backs for a zone blocking scheme. Ideal rb's are patient rbs with good vision who stick their foot in the ground cut once and go. A la Forsett, Morris, Foster... The bills don't have that guy on the roster and they also don't have that blocking scheme mastered...band perhaps the o line personal wasn't right either. Kubiak and Shanny through their careers have found these rbs off the street and made them stars. The moral of the story is if you aren't great at it and you have the wrong rb, and line it's not going to work.... At all because the line blocks down in the same direction and the rb has to read to crease. Also you need a mobile qb to exploit the play action bootleg potential.... For which orton was useless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowery4 Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Yes, it's definitely part of it. Marrone assembled an OL of massive bodies built for drive-blocking, and asked them to dance around and play technique instead of mauling people. this and my biggest beef with HCDM I am not much of a Rex fan but I hope they can improve what we have and bring in what we need. Because HCDM certainly couldn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
....lybob Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Agreed. The guy I'll be watching closely is Richardson. If he can drop about 15-20 lbs of fat and get a bit stronger I think he's got the tools to be a very good guard. His run blocking was actually good as a rookie; his pass protection was an abomination. I never had much hope for Kouandjio, so if he does end up a quality OT--even a swing OT--I'll be pleasantly surprised. yeah he has to lose some of that gut it's hurting him getting into and out of his stance as for Kouandjio degenerative arthritis of the knees does not inspire hope Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miyagi-Do Karate Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Teams that use zone blocking typically have smaller more athletic players able to pull, get to the 2nd level and play well in space...especially at the guard position...this was the complete opposite of what we had, big guys that had trouble moving(see our screen blocking which was so bad it could have been on NFL bloopers), leading me to believe they had the complete wrong run scheme in place to maximize the effectiveness of our players... Think we would have been much better at man to man blocking and I'm sure Roman will be able to put our players in a much better position to succeed than Hackett, as he is known as a very good run game guy... Thank you for raising this. I read the recent Bills Mafia article, which specifically mentioned that we used a zone-blocking scheme. I had no idea we did so, because I has assumed that you need smaller, athletic linemen to do it. If we did, in fact, use ZBS and didn't alter it based on our personnel, this is almost a fireable offense, in my book. I remain stunned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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