Offensive Speed and Freshness

[buzztheirazz]

Its been pointed out that we'll play quicker on the offensive side on the ball this year. As far as play to play. Due to familiarization with the sceme and our ability to hustle back to the line because of our conditioning.

Don't you feel that it will be very difficult for a defense to continue to rotate fresh (GOOD to decent) players to keep up with our RB corp? Especially, due to the fact that we can rotate Dwyer and Allen at B and peeples wright, jones, cox at A to keep us extremely fresh. As well as others.

When a combination of many players are used running all over the field. I think we're going to force the other team to use their 2nd tier LB's and CB's just to give the starters some breathers. Thats where you can take advantage of inferior players and i think we'll be able to do this.

I think at the tail end of games after the more limited linebacker corps have been running to sideline, we're going to have a gigantic advantage.

I think we may have a good bit of games that in the 2nd half we just have more fresh guys on O than the d will be able to keep up with.

What do ya'll think?

 

[JoeCakeEater]

Where does our O-line factor into this? We do have several good running backs, but ultimately someone has to spring them for long runs. If we continue to recruit solid RBs and build a deep O-line then down the road we will have exactly the situation you've outlined. When we can cycle offensive lineman effectively then we will be able to play at a high tempo and leave opposing defenses sucking wind. Until then, we will be good but not great offensively.

 

[GTLiebs]

Where does our O-line factor into this? We do have several good running backs, but ultimately someone has to spring them for long runs. If we continue to recruit solid RBs and build a deep O-line then down the road we will have exactly the situation you've outlined. When we can cycle offensive lineman effectively then we will be able to play at a high tempo and leave opposing defenses sucking wind. Until then, we will be good but not great offensively.

Actually we might be decently prepared right now to be rotating on the O line more often, at least from one perspective. With the injury to starters this spring the lower string guys got a lot more snaps then they otherwise would of, so at the least our OL group might be more prepared on the whole. Though such a thing might not mean success on the field.

I think at the tail end of games after the more limited linebacker corps have been running to sideline, we're going to have a gigantic advantage.

I think we may have a good bit of games that in the 2nd half we just have more fresh guys on O than the d will be able to keep up with.

What do ya'll think?

I think that we will have to decide between putting in a fresh player or keeping in a more fatigued player who is in their groove. That's a sort of paradox of the matter, similar to what happened with Miami's QB's last year. Would switch because one QB wasn't doing well and sometimes the new one caught the defense tired and sometimes both QB's couldn't get comfortable. Not quite the same but it's for my point.

 

[wombat]

It's been proven over the years that good running teams wear down their opponents by game's end. A great OL can make this happen regardless of the talent at RB. A good OL and a good RB will also achieve the same result. But a modest OL will rarely make it happen, no matter how good the RB is. I guess what I'm saying is that what we do in the 4th quarter will be nearly 100% determined by our OL.

I'm glad the 2nd stringers got some reps in the Spring, but we'll struggle if we don't get our first 5 out there on a consistent basis starting this Fall.

 

[gt23eric]

PJ has stated he is very pleased with our depth at OL this year. Also said he expects some of the true freshman to make the two deep. We went thru the spring without 60% of our starting lineman. I expect us to wear a lot of teams down this year and give us the huge advantage in the fourth quarter

 

[GTLiebs]

PJ has stated he is very pleased with our depth at OL this year. Also said he expects some of the true freshman to make the two deep. We went thru the spring without 60% of our starting lineman. I expect us to wear a lot of teams down this year and give us the huge advantage in the fourth quarter

While this might just be my opinion, you've sort of stated why we no can truly predict just how good we will be next season. While having 3 of 5 starters from an O line that had problems last year be injured for the spring may seem like a debacle, I think with the way things are now we might just come out and completely dominate people. The alternative is that we are a similar team to last year with some more wrinkles in the offense. I don't see us possibly getting any worse that last year.

 

[gt23eric]

^ very good post. We had moments last year when we showed flashes of good blocking.

 

[BuzzLaw]

we'll be faster this year and we'll be better this year. pj said as much. i think the other teams will get worn down because it gets old getting your knees taken out from under you.

 

[stinger78]

we'll be faster this year and we'll be better this year. pj said as much. i think the other teams will get worn down because it gets old getting your knees taken out from under you... and getting trucked by Jon Dwyer.

Fixed. :D

 

[drinkclearwiskey]

PJ did state, I wish I had the quote on the blog, that the O-line was the most improved on the offensive side of the line after spring, mostly due to the second stringers getting all of those snaps.

I think this year we will be most definitely a second half team. Teams will keep up with us in the first half. We will score TD's early in the first quarter in most games because of sheer surprise and the unique offense. Late first and second quarter we will see a bit of a drop off. Then in the second half we will start to wear down the defenses and get a few more scores. I did a bit of statistics on this and in 2007 Navy scored 53% of their TD's in the second half and overtime. While it doesn't fully back up my theory, Navy also didn't have the depth we do this year.

I think someone said it up there, as long as our O-line really get the chop blocking scheme down I think opposing D-lines will eventually start to wear down from that, and as long as Refs actually know how to call them damn things this year!

 

[surferdave]

I think someone said it up there, as long as our O-line really get the chop blocking scheme down I think opposing D-lines will eventually start to wear down from that, and as long as Refs actually know how to call them damn things this year!

We can't expect the refs to get it right if we can't; we run a perfectly legal cut blocking scheme! A chop block is a 15 yard personal foul!