G. Host
11-12-2003, 08:36 PM
I do not talk much pure football especially line play but hear me out:
Teams have been blitzing Buffalo since Jim Kelly retired and Thurman Thomas left except against Flutie because the OL has not been able to stop blitzers. Todd Collins and Rob Johnson had blitzers in their face all day with poor results. The Bills opponents know that you can beat the Bills most of the time by blitzing and other line stunts so they blitz until Bills can prove otherwise.
It used to be blamed on the lineman; but linemen would look good one year and regress. Why? Because they lost talent? No! Because they went as far as their natural skill took them and could not get any further without help from coaching staff; opposing DC study them and find their weaknesses and exploit them. Right now Ruben is the only lineman pre-Mauck. Trey has training from another OL coach and a good one but he has been trained to block as part of a team and as a Tackle; it is very different blocking assignment as a center.
The PRIMARY coaching need for Bills is for the OL and RBs so they can understand how to work as a team to pick up the blitzes in whatever offensive system is chosen. A number of linemen have left and have been productive in other systems even if they have not been superstars. The backs we have not been in Thurman's class of picking up a blitz so they have not been able to pick up the slack. Sam Gash and Phillip Crosby (out) are great run blocking backs but if we can not pass we can not get run game going. Going three-and-out running because the line is stacked and penetrated does not help and just puts the opposing offense on the field quicker tiring our defense.
Ronnie Vinklarek, Pat Ruel, and Carl Mauck have not been able to get the job done. No one has and Tom Donahoe needs to realize that our linemen are poorly used and all of the talent in the world will be wasted until a first rate OL coach is hired. The OL MAY make more than the head coach but it will be worth the investment compared to the amount of money spent on players.
Teams have been blitzing Buffalo since Jim Kelly retired and Thurman Thomas left except against Flutie because the OL has not been able to stop blitzers. Todd Collins and Rob Johnson had blitzers in their face all day with poor results. The Bills opponents know that you can beat the Bills most of the time by blitzing and other line stunts so they blitz until Bills can prove otherwise.
It used to be blamed on the lineman; but linemen would look good one year and regress. Why? Because they lost talent? No! Because they went as far as their natural skill took them and could not get any further without help from coaching staff; opposing DC study them and find their weaknesses and exploit them. Right now Ruben is the only lineman pre-Mauck. Trey has training from another OL coach and a good one but he has been trained to block as part of a team and as a Tackle; it is very different blocking assignment as a center.
The PRIMARY coaching need for Bills is for the OL and RBs so they can understand how to work as a team to pick up the blitzes in whatever offensive system is chosen. A number of linemen have left and have been productive in other systems even if they have not been superstars. The backs we have not been in Thurman's class of picking up a blitz so they have not been able to pick up the slack. Sam Gash and Phillip Crosby (out) are great run blocking backs but if we can not pass we can not get run game going. Going three-and-out running because the line is stacked and penetrated does not help and just puts the opposing offense on the field quicker tiring our defense.
Ronnie Vinklarek, Pat Ruel, and Carl Mauck have not been able to get the job done. No one has and Tom Donahoe needs to realize that our linemen are poorly used and all of the talent in the world will be wasted until a first rate OL coach is hired. The OL MAY make more than the head coach but it will be worth the investment compared to the amount of money spent on players.