O Line Protection

[brinkeguthrie]

(Again, is it just me, or..)

Every game I saw, I swear the QB was getting chased down/hammered/sacked.

Every D brought extreme heat it seemed, on every play.

Can't anyone block anymore? QBs will become extinct.

And there are only so many Detmer's to serve as backups.

[WJMorris3]

The problem is we don't have many good offensive lineman. The average offensive lineman should afford a quarterback ten seconds of protection, minimum (fifteen preferably) under any circumstances.

[Mings]

Why do you think Freeney, Vandenbosch, and Smith are so good? They may be undersized but they can flat out beat the big guys up front. Its not an issue of size, but an issue of mobility.

[HedleyLamarr]

Teams are using the old Broncos' model of smaller, quicker O-linemen instead of your 330-pound behemoths.....

[pcgd]

The problem is we don't have many good offensive lineman. The average offensive lineman should afford a quarterback ten seconds of protection, minimum (fifteen preferably) under any circumstances.

10 seconds??? At any level the goal is a good long 3 or 5 count. Yes, 10 seconds would be amazing, but its a very long time. Double what the goal is.

Its not as much the offensive line, but its how rediculously fast and strong Defensive linemen and linebackers are anymore. Pass blocking is a different beast and a "defensive" reaction as opposed to an offensive reaction. When you have guys that weight nearly 300 lbs and can run a sub 4.7 40 yard time, its going to be rough to block someone like that.

Also credit the defensive schemes, shifting, and blitzing happens these days, as well as defensive backs covering better.

[Discrim]

big time football, the NFL especially but this is true to a degree in college ball as well, is obsessed with size. on the offensive line, however, they're not yet obsessed with quickness, so you don't have too many lineman with quick enough feet to stay with the Jevon Kearses and Ray Lewises of teh world, and thus QBs are getting sacked more often than they used to be.

[infrared41]

The problem is we don't have many good offensive lineman. The average offensive lineman should afford a quarterback ten seconds of protection, minimum (fifteen preferably) under any circumstances.

Wow could you imagine what Manning or Brady could do with 10 seconds of protection every time they dropped back to pass? What about Marino or Montana...Geez Trent Dilfer would put up HOF numbers if he got that kind of protection.

I think you're being a just a tad unrealistic asking for 10 seconds every play. 15 is just plain crazy.

[winters in buffalo]

10 seconds of protection??? That's two whole plays.

[VitaminD]

Count to 10-Mississippi (or 10-Philadelphia, depending how you played growing up). How long did it take before you could rush the QB? I'll bet my house and car it didn't take more than 3-5 seconds, and that's if you enunicated every syllable. A man can run the length of a football field in 10 seconds in the Olympics. You just don't get 10 seconds in the pocket, on any level of football. Be realistic.