Offensive Line Needs to Get Healthy and Consistent

[Pokerbrat2000]

I thought this was a good article concerning the Packers O-Line. It's no secret that its been at the root of a lot of the offensive woes this season. I keep hoping for a healthy line, but that doesn't seem to happen and even if it does, will it be enough to take us deep into the Playoffs? Are there any street free agents that would be an upgrade?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...es-at-perfect-time-for-hobbled-offensive-line

 

[JBlood]

The o line has been sub par since Larry Beightol left in 2005, except for 2010. And even that year they weren't dominant until the playoff run.

 

[Carl]

The o line has been sub par since Larry Beightol left in 2005, except for 2010. And even that year they weren't dominant until the playoff run.

You missed last season also. It was one of the best in the league.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

You missed last season also. It was one of the best in the league.

That to me is why this is such a head scratcher, what has happened to that highly rated unit from last year? Is it injuries, timing, poor off season, over rated, bad coaching, poor depth, age? Both Tackles are off their games, maybe due to injury. Even the always reliable Lang and Sitton aren't having their most stellar years. Linsley hasn't progressed from his solid rookie season. My patience is up with Barclay, was giving him a pass until he got over his knee injury, but that was 16 months ago. He needs to be gone before he gets AR killed.

IMO the one big mistake this year in the roster was carrying only 2 true tackles (Bulaga and Bakhtiari), especially one with injury history. Barclay can play both T and G, but as we have seen this year...maybe neither position suits him. This mistake was further compounded by staying pat before the trade deadline, despite poor play and injuries.

If our offense ends up not getting its act together and either the Pack doesn't make the playoffs or has an early exit, the O-line may/should end up taking more blame then the WR's.

 

[Mondio]

You missed last season also. It was one of the best in the league.

Their pass blocking was good from about week 5 or 6 and then when Rodgers came back hurt they were excellent. This line has been very inconsistent over the years. I like our guys, they seem to have the right body types and seem like good men. This year it's been difficult because of injury I think, not much continuity and not much health, but we've seen them go thru these things before and be better.

 

[C-Lee]

The O-Line was amazing last year, especially down the stretch.

 

[Sky King]

Pad level.

 

[Uncle Rico]

If our offense ends up not getting its act together and either the Pack doesn't make the playoffs or has an early exit, the O-line may end up taking more blame then the WR's.

It's an offensive unit problem, not a position problem. Think about it. AR gets sacked because he's holding the ball too long because nobody can get open. Whose fault is the sack? AR for holding onto it? OL for letting the pocket collapse after 6 seconds? WR for not coming out of their breaks hard enough to get open?

Hard to point the blame at just one position.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I get what you are saying Rico, but don't fully agree with you. Are the WR's and AR partially to blame? Yes. Is play calling an issue? Maybe. But far too often this year we have seen our tackles get completely blown off the line of scrimmage and pushed backwards, the pocket collapsing and AR running for his life. Even on The Hail Rodgers, Detroit rushed 3 guys....3....and our O-line couldn't keep them off Rodgers. To a man, they aren't consistently getting their job done.

In order for an offense to be successful, the O-line needs to do its job. IMO it starts there. All it takes is one lineman to blow an assignment and the play has little chance at success.

This article written after the Carolina game sums up my feelings on the O-line this year.

http://gnb.247sports.com/Bolt/Packers-offensive-line-not-doing-itself-or-Rodgers-any-favors-40948997

Look at the teams above and below us and their success this year:

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/ol

 

[Uncle Rico]

In order for an offense to be successful, the O-line needs to do its job. IMO it starts there. All it takes is one lineman to blow an assignment and the play has little chance at success.

The same could be said about any position on the field IMO.

I'm not saying that our OL is playing stellar, but assigning them the majority of the blame isn't accurate either.

I agree, Bakhtiari can't kick quick enough to cover a speed rush on the outside and he's bad against the bull rush. The sacks he gives up are mostly on him.

But when AR holds the ball and dances around in the pocket, there's nothing the OL can do about it. He puts Bulaga in a bad position a lot because he likes to escape to his right but instead of stepping up into the pocket then out, he tries to get out the back of the pocket. Draws a lot of holding penalties that way as well.

 

[PackerDNA]

The tackles re the problem, and since they re physical problems, they won't be fixed this season. Bk's shortcomings leave me hoping he's not too much of a liability, and Bulaga is in decline; one injury after another has robbed him of a good chunk of his ability.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I get what you are saying Rico, but don't fully agree with you. Are the WR's and AR partially to blame? Yes. Is play calling an issue? Maybe. But far too often this year we have seen our tackles get completely blown off the line of scrimmage and pushed backwards, the pocket collapsing and AR running for his life.

It´s absolutely true the offensive linemen deserve some of the blame for the offense struggling but especially over the last few games (aside of the Lions game playing mostly with back-ups) they have given Rodgers enough time to throw the ball but receivers weren´t able to get open or Rodgers misfired too often.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I won't deny there is blame to be had all over the place concerning the poor offensive production this year. But, IMO the performance (or lack of) of the 5 lineman can have a higher impact on the final results of what the offense is able to do. If those 5 guys don't get their job done to a man, a run can get stuffed or there isn't even time for a ball to be thrown into the ground or a pass to be thrown to eventually be dropped.

 

[PackerDNA]

I won't deny there is blame to be had all over the place concerning the poor offensive production this year. But, IMO the performance (or lack of) of the 5 lineman can have a higher impact on the final results of what the offense is able to do. If those 5 guys don't get their job done to a man, a run can get stuffed or there isn't even time for a ball to be thrown into the ground or a pass to be thrown to eventually be dropped.

Everything starts in 'the trenches'.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I won't deny there is blame to be had all over the place concerning the poor offensive production this year. But, IMO the performance (or lack of) of the 5 lineman can have a higher impact on the final results of what the offense is able to do. If those 5 guys don't get their job done to a man, a run can get stuffed or there isn't even time for a ball to be thrown into the ground or a pass to be thrown to eventually be dropped.

There's no doubt that is true but while the offensive linemen have had their share of terrible plays they have opened up holes in the run game or pass protected well on tons of plays as well when someone else on the unit messed up.

 

[JBlood]

You missed last season also. It was one of the best in the league.

Correct. But 2 yrs out of 9 doesn't qualify as acceptable any more than 1 of 9 in most people's eyes.

 

[Uncle Rico]

Correct. But 2 yrs out of 9 doesn't qualify as acceptable any more than 1 of 9 in most people's eyes.

Packers have had one of the best offenses in the league since Aaron took over. Hard to do that with a bad OL.

 

[JBlood]

Packers have had one of the best offenses in the league since Aaron took over. Hard to do that with a bad OL.

That's correct, which is exactly why Rodgers is the best in the game.

 

[TJV]

I agree the problems aren’t just the OL. For example in order for Rodgers to hold the ball “too long” he had to have enough time to get rid of it; and there have been times when he had more than 5 seconds and still takes the sack. And his inaccuracy isn’t entirely on the OL. The OL contributes to the struggles of the receivers but I think there are problems there independent of the OL. However, obviously if the OL were playing like it was last season a lot of those problems would be minimized.

That to me is why this is such a head scratcher, what has happened to that highly rated unit from last year? Is it injuries, timing, poor off season, over rated, bad coaching, poor depth, age?

I’d eliminate bad coaching and age from this list. It’s difficult for me to believe Campen went from “brilliant” the second half of last season to “incompetent” this season. And Sitton is the oldest O lineman at 29. I think the most likely explanation is injuries have hampered the play of Bulaga and the play and progress of Bakhtiari. And those plus the other injuries have affected the timing of the OL. I’ve never liked Barclay as an OT so I agree Thompson bears responsibility for him being the primary backup there. But even another adequate backup OT wouldn’t have solved all the problems on the OL. But I don’t blame Thompson for not anticipating the cluster schtup the OL has been too often this season. He can only address so many areas of the team and after the way the OL finished last season…

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I for one need to keep checking myself when I use the words "poor production" in regards to the Packers offense. Because statistically, they aren't "poor". I think I had such high expectations this year, which the offense has fallen way short of and as a result haven't looked like the brilliant offensive machine that they have been and thought to still be. We are no longer the #1 offense in the league, but we are also by no means the #32 either. Let's face it, we as fans and the Packers as a team, are not accustomed to seeing an offense that is not firing on all cylinders over such a long stretch, that it has left everyone scrambling for the duct tape.

 

[Un4GivN]

I agree the problems aren’t just the OL. For example in order for Rodgers to hold the ball “too long” he had to have enough time to get rid of it; and there have been times when he had more than 5 seconds and still takes the sack. And his inaccuracy isn’t entirely on the OL. The OL contributes to the struggles of the receivers but I think there are problems there independent of the OL. However, obviously if the OL were playing like it was last season a lot of those problems would be minimized. I’d eliminate bad coaching and age from this list. It’s difficult for me to believe Campen went from “brilliant” the second half of last season to “incompetent” this season. And Sitton is the oldest O lineman at 29. I think the most likely explanation is injuries have hampered the play of Bulaga and the play and progress of Bakhtiari. And those plus the other injuries have affected the timing of the OL. I’ve never liked Barclay as an OT so I agree Thompson bears responsibility for him being the primary backup there. But even another adequate backup OT wouldn’t have solved all the problems on the OL. But I don’t blame Thompson for not anticipating the cluster schtup the OL has been too often this season. He can only address so many areas of the team and after the way the OL finished last season…

While maybe you can eliminate position coaching from blame, I'm not sure you can eliminate play calling which is a coaching issue. Route combination are taking to long to develop as well at times. I agree its a "offense" problem not a line problem.

 

[TJV]

While maybe you can eliminate position coaching from blame, I'm not sure you can eliminate play calling which is a coaching issue. Route combination are taking to long to develop as well at times. I agree its a "offense" problem not a line problem.

I was referring to Campen specifically regarding the coaching issue as it affects the OL. I agree about the need for more combination routes.

 

[JBlood]

...and there have been times when he had more than 5 seconds and still takes the sack

How much time from the snap to when Rogers is forced to move? Not much, it seems to me, in most cases. If he weren't so excellent in buying time w his feet he'd be on the ground much more than he is. My only criticism of Rogers is his aversion to throwing the ball away when nothing's open. But you have to balance that with the occasional brilliant play he'll make out of nothing.

 

[yooperpackfan]

But you have to balance that with the occasional brilliant play he'll make out of nothing.

Those have been few and far between this season.

 

[JBlood]

Those have been few and far between this season.

I'll forgive him a season, and wouldn't trade him for another QB in the league. Hard to forgive an offensive line that has been below average 7 of the last 9 years under the same coach.