Someone Asked for It...Jesse James Not Blocking

[Mojouw]

In one of the threads around here, someone asked me if I was watching James enough to give an idea of what his blocking looked like.

I answered that I kinda could, but not really.

Here are some excellent moving images of James not blocking people.

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2017/11...s-jesse-james/

[Born2Steel]

Johnson was so much better. Made sense to cut the vet if keeping both James and Grimble, but what happened to that TE from Pitt? We brought him in as UDFA and I thought he played well, especially in the run block game. I still say we don't need another receiver. AB, Bryant, and JuJu, with Bell and Conner provide enough passing targets, IMO. If James/Grimble could block, they would both be good enough, also IMO. But they don't, so they are not.

[steelreserve]

I honestly don't know if this is something that can ever improved to the point where he's a "good" blocker.

James is a tall lanky guy. McDonald and Heath were a bit more stocky. A lot of the plays where he gets beaten, it looks like he just gets bum-rushed and can't hold his ground.

He also hesitates for a split-second a lot of the time instead of attacking aggressively - that part they can work on. But his frame is definitely a disadvantage in power blocking / blocking against powerful guys. To be a top-tier guy at that, he'd probably need to be approaching 300 pounds, and I have a feeling that'd be bad for his ability to make plays in the passing game.

[tube517]

Johnson was so much better. Made sense to cut the vet if keeping both James and Grimble, but what happened to that TE from Pitt? We brought him in as UDFA and I thought he played well, especially in the run block game. I still say we don't need another receiver. AB, Bryant, and JuJu, with Bell and Conner provide enough passing targets, IMO. If James/Grimble could block, they would both be good enough, also IMO. But they don't, so they are not.

Scott Orndorff from Pitt was waived and then picked up by Detroit but I don't see him on their roster.

Jake McGee is on the Steelers practice squad.

[Born2Steel]

Scott Orndorff from Pitt was waived and then picked up by Detroit but I don't see him on their roster.

Jake McGee is on the Steelers practice squad.

McGee may actually be the TE I'm thinking of. I just remember we had a TE this preseason that was a GREAT blocker. He may not have had any other skills than as a blocker, but glad he is still around.

[43Hitman]

McGee may actually be the TE I'm thinking of. I just remember we had a TE this preseason that was a GREAT blocker. He may not have had any other skills than as a blocker, but glad he is still around.

Yeah, you're thinking of McGee, he was destroying people in the pre-season this year.

[DesertSteel]

In one of the threads around here, someone asked me if I was watching James enough to give an idea of what his blocking looked like.

I answered that I kinda could, but not really.

Here are some excellent moving images of James not blocking people.

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2017/11...s-jesse-james/

That was me. Thank you.

Interesting that the reviewer made this assessment:

"He tends to have a lot of these plays in which he just barely gets the job done. But the job still gets done."

The third play down, DeCastro royally misses a block that leads to the tackle.

The fourth play is a great catch and run by James. Another good catch in play five.


I agree with the reviewer that he still has work to do and he is often out of position to make the block. But I don't see in these plays what you described as "a detriment to the offense."

[Mojouw]

That was me. Thank you.

Interesting that the reviewer made this assessment:

"He tends to have a lot of these plays in which he just barely gets the job done. But the job still gets done."

The third play down, DeCastro royally misses a block that leads to the tackle.

The fourth play is a great catch and run by James. Another good catch in play five.


I agree with the reviewer that he still has work to do and he is often out of position to make the block. But I don't see in these plays what you described as "a detriment to the offense."

First play shown as an image - James (81) misses a block on the LB (44) that directly results in Bell getting tackled in the backfield.

Second play shown as an image - James barely gets a piece of the DE (cant tell #) and yes Bell slips through the hole. BUT the DE who James basically only slightly slowed down, gets a piece of Bell and he trips up before any further contact. Look at the oodles of open grass that Bell had if he wasn't stumbling through the hole.

Third Play - Decastro misses a block and James, well I guess we could call that a block. I'm not sure that getting rocked back on your heels into the rush lane and only barely managing not to fall down is really what we would like a block to be defined as -- but I mean I guess?

I do not see how those three plays are not the definition of "detrimental" to the offense. He was the sole or joint failure point on at least 3 rushing plays in one game. This set of images says nothing about James' "pass blocking" which is not much better - I am willing to bet actual money - that James has let in a good number of pressures. No sacks - likely because even Haley isn't dumb enough to trust James in protection.

Take a look at this play - http://www.steelersdepot.com/2017/10...ect-play-call/

You need a short run play and you run away from your TE to get those yards. Now maybe it is by design and disguise. Or maybe it is because you don't want a "meh" blocker leading the way?

Sorry - I would've loved for James to be better, but I serious think he is the worst blocking TE the Steelers have ever had. He is costing them yards on multiple plays in any given game. Vance McDonald can not get healthy soon enough!

[DesertSteel]

I guess when all we want to see is negative that’s what we see. Even the film reviewer doesn’t agree with you. He’s not a great TE. Half the time not a good one. But he’s average on a whole. I hope we take a TE early in the draft next year.

[Mojouw]

Jesse James: I’ll admit I didn’t get the best look at it but it seemed like James was at fault on the blocked extra point. Sure, he made the tackle but that’s just cleaning up the mess he made. It’s been a clear problem and hasn’t been fixed. Danny Smith and his unit struggled today.

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2017/11...nnerslosers-2/

In addition, on the goal to go drive in third quarter it is first and goal from the 8, James did his usual whiff on the end or LB - who then ran down the line of scrimmage and tackled Bell behind the line. Now that ended up not mattering because a few plays later Juju caught the TD. But that is the stuff that James does 2-4 plays per game. At some point it is going to matter.

Hopefully Macdonald is not hurt that bad and can continue to take a bigger role.

[SteelerFanInStl]

There's been a lot of pressure coming off of James' side on kicks. It was only a matter of time before one got blocked.

[Mojouw]

There's been a lot of pressure coming off of James' side on kicks. It was only a matter of time before one got blocked.

Agreed. He is just over-matched at the NFL level when asked to block at the end of the line. He is okay or better when asked to block on the move or in space. But in-line blocking? Not good. At all.

[ALLD]

Put Nix on the line in place of JJ.

[86WARD]

Agreed. He is just over-matched at the NFL level when asked to block at the end of the line. He is okay or better when asked to block on the move or in space. But in-line blocking? Not good. At all.

I’d argue he’s not good at blocking on the move either. He had a play today where he did zero to block when on the move. It was a WR screen and he did very little but get in the way.

[DesertSteel]

Jesse James: I’ll admit I didn’t get the best look at it but it seemed like James was at fault on the blocked extra point. Sure, he made the tackle but that’s just cleaning up the mess he made.

I just watched it on the all-22 and it was James who missed the block that allowed the block. SMH.

[Geno71]

Leave Jesse alone and be a fan.

[DesertSteel]

Leave Jesse alone and be a fan.

Who are you the new junior sheriff?

[Shoes]

Who are you the new junior sheriff?

[Mojouw]

Who are you the new junior sheriff?

Who's our special little guy? Who is the best offensive mind in modern football? Its our special little buddy...CrashGeno!

[Geno71]

When Haley runs it my way they win.

When they run it his way Ben wants to retire.

Just the facts.

[teegre]

When Haley runs it my way they win.

When they run it his way Ben wants to retire.

Just the facts.

You spin me right 'round, baby, right 'round... like a record, baby, right 'round, right 'round.

[Mojouw]

You spin me right 'round, baby, right 'round... like a record, baby, right 'round, right 'round.

Never gonna give you up. Never gonna let you down. Never gonna run around...


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[Geno71]

Sorry - I would've loved for James to be better, but I serious think he is the worst blocking TE the Steelers have ever had.

And yet for some reason our boy Genius still has James trying to pull and block when he hasn't done it well in three years.

At what point do you stop trying it?


I have a plane to catch tomorrow. If someone hops the rail and KO's Haley Thursday night it just might be me. LOL

[Lady Steel]

You spin me right 'round, baby, right 'round... like a record, baby, right 'round, right 'round.

[Geno71]

I don't dance. I don't sing.

[86WARD]

I just watched it on the all-22 and it was James who missed the block that allowed the block. SMH.

You don’t need to watch that to know that is where the issue is. It’s been brought to the forefront since the beginning of the month at the very least...Danny Smith chooses to ignore it...

[DesertSteel]

You don’t need to watch that to know that is where the issue is. It’s been brought to the forefront since the beginning of the month at the very least...Danny Smith chooses to ignore it...

Yes I do need to watch it. I don’t take other people’s word for things. Especially when all they did was hear it from someone else. There are other issues than Jesse James on this team. He’s nowhere near the top of the list, in fact.

The biggest reason this offense isn’t scoring 30 PPG: Jesse James? Not even close.

[Geno71]

Leave Danny Smith alone too. He's a Yinzer who coached Danny Marino, in HIGH SCHOOL. So he obviously knows what he's doing.

[86WARD]

Danny Smith has been the biggest problem this team has seen in the last 5 seasons. It’s not close. He should’ve been fired well before LeBeau...lol. He’s quite terrible and it shows on a weekly basis. Most recently...problems with the FG unit, Antonio Brown averaging 4.8 yards a punt return to name a couple...

[DesertSteel]

I think people at the top of the food chain (Tomlin) often see the process so closely that it blinds them to the poor results. For example, all week Smith may seem to be a star but us fans only see the results on Sundays - ST’s suck. The really good HC’s can see this and make changes.