Offensive Line
Stat Line: 1 sack surrendered, 76 yards rushing, 175 yards passing
Some might look at the offensive line on the winners list and say, “What?! Really?” However, I believe the offensive line, which consisted of Dan Moore Jr., B.J. Finney, Kendrick Green, Rashaad Coward and Joe Haeg, did an ‘above the line’ job of both creating running lanes and protecting the quarterback. What was obvious was not just a commitment to the run, but the line getting some push. For once you saw the offensive line firing off the ball and moving defenders backwards. A nice change in philosophy from last season. The aggressive nature of the line was on display, and it was glorious.
https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.co...lysees-gilbert
I thought Kendrick Green looked good, as did Haeg and Dotson. Aviante Collins was aggressive on down blocks and some combination blocks that I saw and Chaz Green really moved defenders in the run game with the #2's in the run game and looked good in pass pro.
Will be a decent group of maybe 9 linemen that make the53
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I thought Kendrick Green looked good, as did Haeg and Dotson. Aviante Collins was aggressive on down blocks and some combination blocks that I saw and Chaz Green really moved defenders in the run game with the #2's in the run game and looked good in pass pro.
Will be a decent group of maybe 9 linemen that make the53
What I saw of the OL made me more optimistic. There will be some early season growing pains I think as they will need to learn each other’s tendencies, but after on preseason game, without all of the starters playing and against mostly 2nd stringers, they did well.
Do you want to know what I liked about the OL? The effort.
Over the last few years,, the lack of effort in run blocking has been disgraceful. Watching past Pro Bowl caliber players not staying on their blocks and becoming spectators to another unsuccessful running play as they almost never even tried to push the pile infuriated me.
Watching young men be aggressive at the point of attack and playing to just after the whistle is refreshing and encouraging. I loved the obvious mindset of being more physical manifesting in the very first game under a different OL coach and OC. I hope it is the beginning of the new normal.
Alex Kozora
@Alex_Kozora
First team OL on-air. Okorafor-Coward-Green-Turner-Banner. #Steelers
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I have yet to read a report, tweet, or article wherein a reporter, writer, or blogger has anything negative to say about Kendrick Green. In fact, the reviews say that he just keeps getting better every single day.
I remain optimistic and have been since the end of last season.
But...I won't really know what to think until the first time the starting five moves a real NFL front off the ball and handles an actual all out pass rush with twists, stunts, and what-not.
On paper...it should be a better offensive line than last years. Whatever is lost in pass protection will be off-set by a more rugged approach to the run game. Also, the team will have to adjust their "go to" stuff. Turner is able to move people but he isn't going to run around like DeCastro. Green is athletic and mobile but will he look like a young Pouncey? Likely not. Dotson can pull...but maybe not at an elite level. So a team that used to like to get its running game going by pulling one or more interior lineman will likely have to do it other ways. Perhaps actually using Derek Watt? Hopefully Radar and Friermuth can block more than a gust of wind...
That's the thing. And we haven't even got to pass protection. We, as fans, just won't really know until the starting five faces live fire so to speak. Here is hoping they look good throughout the preseason...but I won't be fully aboard the hype train until they put some strong regular season tape down.
Well to good news is they have to practice against one of the top DLs in the league, so while not game speed, they will be facing top talent. The bad news is we probably have 3 of the top 5 DLs in our division, that will be a big learning curve.
REPORTER: Is it safe to say that Kendrick Green is your starter…
TOMLIN: (coy smile)
"But he is a guard, he is undersized, he has only played center 3 times in college, he doesnt do cartwheels in overalls".
The young man has an edge, a nastiness and has the athletic ability, plus put up 225lbs 25 times, so he knows where the weight room is. I think he is going to be a tone setter on the O line for the next 10 years.
Sure an "Outside Zone" (or Wide Zone or Stretch play), is when the entire O line takes a lateral step and sometimes a bit more of a pull step like a sweep, to one side all at the snap of the ball. The goal is that they take 3 steps (1 lateral, 2, other foot, 3 drive step) and with 2 more steps should engage the defender, with their mind made up if they are going to reach the defenders outside shoulder and block him inside, like a sweep or toss. OR do they block the inside shoulder and push the defender to the sideline.
Essentially, in 5 steps, the O line has a "Hat" on one side of the defender's "Hat" or the other and its the job of the RB to read the block of the O lineman and pick that hole.
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With "Inside Zone" the general goal is to use double team blocks initially on the linemen that are on the line of scrimmage...and then one of the double teaming linemen comes off the block after displacing the down lineman and goes to block a 2nd level defender. For instance, on a inside zone vs a 4-3, depending on alignment, the G and T will double the DT, while the TE or Hback will seal out the DE. The backside DT gets doubled by the backside G and C. Of both of those double teams, one lineman will scrape 2nd level to block the MLB and SAM LB, which creates an option for the RB to most often run between the B gap or A gap.
Some inside zone schemes purposely put a backside cutback block, so the RB has to read if he wants to run B gap, A gap, or the backside cutback lane.
So it may be easy for most of us to recognize an Outside Zone play, but you have to know what to look for on an Inside Zone play and see that its designed for the RB to make a read of multiple holes, not just try and run it down a designed gap like in a man blocking scheme. In the past, the Steelers rarely ran outside zone, but I have seen them do it. They mixed in some Inside zone a lot more.
Per Alex Kozora, Dotson now playing with the first team O-line in practice. I imagine that’s how it will be going forward.
I have posted a slightly different O-line elsewhere (with Moore at LT). But, with Tomlin’s comment about Moore moving to RT and/or Chukks being the LT, here is my revised O-line.
Chukks - Dotson - Green - *** - Moore
***I have put Banner here before, but something tells me he isn’t as healthy as they want him to be. I know, I know, Banner is an OT, but I want him on the field (and Moore seems to be destined to start at one of the tackle spots). Turner would be the default.
I like it. Its like the Marvel Smith situation where they played him at RT to get used to the speed of the NFL, before putting him over to LT. Dan Moore Jr has the size, length and quick feet to play LT, but his college technique didnt look great, so I think throwing him in to protect blindside would be premature.
The thing is, that Moore likes to finish in the run game, as does Dotson, as does Green. Good mentality to have. I like Banner too, but he may not be ready for a while as you mention and for that reason I still think Haeg makes it, as he has looked proficient out there at RT. I still think Turner gets the RG nod, but I also like what I have seen in games of Aviante Collins and Chaz Green (although they are playing vs the 2's most times)