Improvement on the O-Line

[YardRat]

http://www.realfootball365.com/nfl/articles/21069.html

Though neither Dockery nor Walker had a spectacular, Pro Bowl-caliber season, the pair did enough to greatly improve the Bills' offensive line. Want evidence of that? Consider that Buffalo's quintet of blockers yielded just 26 sacks in 16 regular-season games. That number, 26, is the fewest amount of sacks the Bills have surrendered since they became an official statistic in 1982. Just one year prior, when Dockery was in Washington and Walker was a much-maligned member of the Raiders, the Bills allowed a whopping 47 sacks. Therefore, the team's amount of sacks given up fell nearly 50 percent in one season, which is certainly extraordinarily impressive.

[TacklingDummy]

Re: Improvement on the O-Line

It also has alot to do with the QB. Where Trent would get rid of the ball quickly, JP would hold on to it. If JP was the QB all year the Bills would have been sacked more than 26 times.

[TacklingDummy]

Re: Improvement on the O-Line

In 2006

JP was sacked 47 times. 429 pass attempts, Sacked every 9.1 times.

in 2007

JP: 14 sacks, 175 attempts, once every 12.5 times

TE: 12 sacks, 269 attempts, once every 22.4 times

[mush69]

Re: Improvement on the O-Line

Lets not forget Peters who not only moved to the left side but did have a pro bowl spot till he was injured.

Dockery and Walker additions along with Peters on the left was huge for us this year.

[Wys Guy]

Re: Improvement on the O-Line

http://www.realfootball365.com/nfl/articles/21069.html

Though neither Dockery nor Walker had a spectacular, Pro Bowl-caliber season, the pair did enough to greatly improve the Bills' offensive line.

If this is true, then the rest of our offense including the coaching, rest of the line, and skill position players really, really sucked, because we scored fewer points than any other team and were the worst in the red zone too.

That in no way suggests that our OL was good.

But hey, there are people out there that believe the moon is actually made of cheese no doubt.

[Mahdi]

Re: Improvement on the O-Line

If this is true, then the rest of our offense including the coaching, rest of the line, and skill position players really, really sucked, because we scored fewer points than any other team and were the worst in the red zone too.

That in no way suggests that our OL was good.

But hey, there are people out there that believe the moon is actually made of cheese no doubt.

If anything the fact that the rest of our offensive positions sucked only proves that our OL had a great year. Despite our WRs and TEs not getting open quick enough our line still held up long enough to avoid sacks...

[SquishDaFish]

Re: Improvement on the O-Line

TD the QB had a small part in that your right but only a small part. Our OL was 100% improved. And yes Wys we didnt have enough playmakers/skill players and the playcalling was atrocious. When you rather have Gilbride or Mularky you know the playcalling was horrible LMAO

[Wys Guy]

Re: Improvement on the O-Line

If anything the fact that the rest of our offensive positions sucked only proves that our OL had a great year. Despite our WRs and TEs not getting open quick enough our line still held up long enough to avoid sacks...

LOL

Sure Mahdi.

And naturally the team bending over backwards to formulate an entire offense predicated on just about entirely 3 and 5 step drops, yet utterly ineffective due to the lack of any significant medium to deep passing game, has nothing to do with that, eh.

Perhaps you can explain to everyone then why Losman, a passer more typical of the NFL today, was subject to one sack every 12.5 attempts (poor) while Edwards was subject to one sack every 22.5 attempts (slightly above average), yet while being less effective than JP?

[SquishDaFish]

Re: Improvement on the O-Line

Wys the main problem with the O was lack of talent at WR/TE positions and the crap Ocord they call ****child.

[Wys Guy]

Re: Improvement on the O-Line

TD the QB had a small part in that your right but only a small part. Our OL was 100% improved. And yes Wys we didnt have enough playmakers/skill players and the playcalling was atrocious. When you rather have Gilbride or Mularky you know the playcalling was horrible LMAO

Oh, the play calling was horrible. But it's not going to get all that much better under Schonert. That much I promise you. Particularly with Jauron's oversight.

But to suggest that Evans, Reed, and Parrish were so bad that the Bills couldn't move the ball well is absurd.

And what about Lynch? Are you suggesting that he's not very good now too? Doesn't he have "hands?"

So in essence, what you're suggesting is that we have a line but no talent at QB, WR, or RB.

Please explain?

[SquishDaFish]

Re: Improvement on the O-Line

I didnt say RB first off. And the WRs werent great. Evans didnt do much at all. I would say it seemed Reed came up big at times. But thats it. The playcalling was the main part that ruined this O to begin with. Hopefully Turk wont have his head up his ass too but we shall see

[Wys Guy]

Re: Improvement on the O-Line

Wys the main problem with the O was lack of talent at WR/TE positions and the crap Ocord they call ****child.

OK.

I'll just default to my own analyses then that have turned out to be nearly perfect forecasts of our team for years.

The main problems with the O are numerous.

1. Our OL isn't nearly as good as we thought it was or would be. McNally's now gone, but his understudy w/ hardly any experience and little results now takes over. Good? I suggest not.

2. Fairchild was a moron. Who hired Fairchild? Jauron and Levy. What did they say about him? Same things they're saying about Schonert. I rest my case.

3. Edwards is massively overrated. You'll find that out soon if you don't believe it now. The writing was on the wall for him in college when he only stepped up vs. one crap team while crapping against the others. Ditto here. He stepped up against Miami and has otherwise posted some of the worst rookie performances ever. Losman ain't the answer either but he's better than Edwards FWIW.

4. We don't have the talent at WR, but it's not so bad that we should have ranked DFL in scoring this season. Behind the Niners? Raiders? Bucs? Fins? Jets? I mean do we have the absolute worst skill position talent in the entire league now offensively? If so, then I rest my case there too.

5. Lynch is also overrated. He's good, but from what I've seen he will never be any more than an "all you need" RB, but never a RB that singlehandely carries games. And if you disagree, then what about all those times where we lined up three or four WRs? And it was often. 165 times w/ Edwards alone. With such a great line, why couldn't Lynch perform better?
Where are all the 100-yard games?

6. We don't use our TEs, less so than just about every team in the league despite our talking about it every offseason with promises by those pouring the medicine down your throat that we will.

7. Jauron's a moron, the personnel office, some of which were just promoted do a poor job, and the organization has a losing corporate culture from top to bottom now.

That about sums it up. But this nonsense that our OL was great yet every other aspect of our O was so bad that we were DFL in scoring is absurd.

Evans alone is a very good WR and Reed has proven to be a good slot guy during those instances where the QBs play well. Parrish, while a role player, nothing more, also adds "an element." Granted, neither he nor Reed are great, but they're not so damned bad that it should merit our DFL status alongside Evans and Lynch all other things being equal, which you not only suggest, but suggest that they are better, not equal.

No sale!

[Wys Guy]

Re: Improvement on the O-Line

.Evans didnt do much at all.

Ding, ding, ding, ding!!!

Let's see what we have in the prize drawer; free admission to training camp in August.

Please explain why a third year WR who had averaged 8 TDs per season and was otherwise showing flashes of top-10 status regressed so much and "didn't do much at all," with a new QB and a better OL?

Dude!

[Wys Guy]

Re: Improvement on the O-Line

I can't discuss like this. It's comparable to nearly drowning yourself, reviving yourself, and then repeating a dozen times.

LOL

[mysticsoto]

Re: Improvement on the O-Line

OK.

I'll just default to my own analyses then that have turned out to be nearly perfect forecasts of our team for years.

The main problems with the O are numerous.

1. Our OL isn't nearly as good as we thought it was or would be. McNally's now gone, but his understudy w/ hardly any experience and little results now takes over. Good? I suggest not.

They improved. That's what's positive and they can still continue to improve more. Pass blocking is great. If they can get their run blocking together, they could move to elite status! Are they good? Yes. Great? No.

2. Fairchild was a moron. Who hired Fairchild? Jauron and Levy. What did they say about him? Same things they're saying about Schonert. I rest my case.

No argument here except that, removing Fairchild improves us just by him not being there making the calls. The only possible good think with Schonert is that he saw what Fairchild did (which did not work) and hopefully that means he won't do the same.

3. Edwards is massively overrated. You'll find that out soon if you don't believe it now. The writing was on the wall for him in college when he only stepped up vs. one crap team while crapping against the others. Ditto here. He stepped up against Miami and has otherwise posted some of the worst rookie performances ever. Losman ain't the answer either but he's better than Edwards FWIW.

I don't think you have enough to judge TE based on his rookie season. As of yet the door is open and we'll have to wait and see what he does in his 2nd year to judge better. JP has had 6 yrs. Clearly he is not the answer, so it doesn't hurt to give another guy a shot!

4. We don't have the talent at WR, but it's not so bad that we should have ranked DFL in scoring this season. Behind the Niners? Raiders? Bucs? Fins? Jets? I mean do we have the absolute worst skill position talent in the entire league now offensively? If so, then I rest my case there too.

I disagree. It is that bad. With no one to draw cover from Evans, they only have to worry about him - that makes it easy on defenses - lean the safety toward Evans side and we'll ensure that they can't get anything out of him. Our "pretending" 2nd WR could have been covered by team's 4th and 5th stringers with no problem..

5. Lynch is also overrated. He's good, but from what I've seen he will never be any more than an "all you need" RB, but never a RB that singlehandely carries games. And if you disagree, then what about all those times where we lined up three or four WRs? And it was often. 165 times w/ Edwards alone. With such a great line, why couldn't Lynch perform better?
Where are all the 100-yard games?

Again, this is bullcrap. Lynch got 1115 yds in 14 games (remember - he was out due to injury for 2 games) and this with an OLine that you have criticized! The Oline admittedly did nothing to help him whatsoever. Those yards he got on his own! Give him a decent hole to run through every time and he'll give you those 100 yd games you want. Clearly he was a load to bring down and fought hard for yards. The kid has heart - something we haven't had at the position since Travis left.

6. We don't use our TEs, less so than just about every team in the league despite our talking about it every offseason with promises by those pouring the medicine down your throat that we will.

Agreed here. We need to use our TEs more. Alot of this will depend on what Schonert plans to do. If we go to a WCO, TE becomes alot more important! All indications are that they will look to improve this area.

7. Jauron's a moron, the personnel office, some of which were just promoted do a poor job, and the organization has a losing corporate culture from top to bottom now.

Some people may debate that Jauron even matching last years record with the crazy amt of injuries we had is an accomplishment in and of itself. Yes, right now you are rolling your eyes at that. But the team is better off now than it was 2 years ago, despite what it may seem.

That about sums it up. But this nonsense that our OL was great yet every other aspect of our O was so bad that we were DFL in scoring is absurd.

All in all, there were many things that contributed to us having the record we had. Oline was great, but much better than previously. But not having a viable 2nd WR or TE does hurt the offense and the Oline not being able to create holes hurts the running game. On D, numerous injuries hurt us - Poz and Ko being the biggest losses, but also the Dline not being able to get enough of a pass rush on most teams. This is probably the single most important thing that has to change in our defense or it will not improve no mattter who we put at LB, CB or S.

Evans alone is a very good WR and Reed has proven to be a good slot guy during those instances where the QBs play well. Parrish, while a role player, nothing more, also adds "an element." Granted, neither he nor Reed are great, but they're not so damned bad that it should merit our DFL status alongside Evans and Lynch all other things being equal, which you not only suggest, but suggest that they are better, not equal.

No sale!