Colts Offensive Line Ranked Worst In Pocket Space

[BOTT]

When the Colt have utilized a quick rhythm passing game Luck gets rid of the ball quickly and doesn't get hit.  Rocket science, I know.

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/08/11/adam-gase-on-limited-deep-passes-if-you-want-qbs-brains-beat-out-do-it-more/

[Tmoney]

41 minutes ago, BOTT said:

When the Colt have utilized a quick rhythm passing game Luck gets rid of the ball quickly and doesn't get hit.  Rocket science, I know.

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/08/11/adam-gase-on-limited-deep-passes-if-you-want-qbs-brains-beat-out-do-it-more/

If only we had an OC who knew this. I'm hoping Kamar Aiken can be a difference, great route running and possession WR. Does his best work in short to intermediate and can create space. I feel its a combination of too many deep routes and WRs not creating enough space to create a throwing window. 

[OLD FAN MAN]

22 hours ago, Blueblazes said:

Any impartial semi-football educated observer would say this O line needs more than slight improvement. Castanzo is average at best at LT, possible a reliable RT (waited long enough for him to live up to his pre-draft status). Mewhort is solid, Kelly will be fine. But honestly that would leave LT and RG wide open for improvement. Just being a realist.

i concur

[OLD FAN MAN]

9 hours ago, Blueblazes said:

Yes I would like to believe that too, However, the right side of that would be a frequent issue and the LT is average at best. Sorry I just want for more, and I'm possibly wanting too much, but I feel protecting Luck is imperative. An average O line makes for an average team. 

i concur

[Tmoney]

2 hours ago, Track Guy said:

You have to also account for the fact that they played a lot of bad defenses at the end of the year last season. 

 

Sack totals of the teams we faced after the by week (keep in mind we had 33 sacks):

 

Titans - 40

Steelers - 38

Jets - 27

Texans - 31

Vikings - 41

Raiders - 25 (worst in the NFL)

Jaguars - 33

 

The Vikings game was promising, but I'm not feeling secure about our line being set for next year. 

Sacks aren't always telling. Houstons pass rush is better then that # says. Same about Oakland they didn't play great last year but they have 2 guys who constantly get pressure. 

[BlueShoe]

It takes a long time for NFL analyst to recognize any change. They only know how to regurgitate old information. I am sure most of these same people will be saying the AFC South is a worthless division too.  

 

I like our Offensive Line, and I believe it will become top 5 in the NFL within the next couple of years.

 

This is a good looking group:

 

Ryan Kelly	C	6'4"	313	Alabama
Anthony Castonzo	T	6'7"	311	Boston College
Jack Mewhort	T/G	6'6"	312	Ohio State
Joe Haeg	T	6'6"	304	North Dakota State
Le'Raven Clark	T	6'5"	319	Texas Tech
Denzelle Good	T/G	6'5"	355	Mars Hill
Brian Schwenke	C/G	6'3"	315	California
Austin Blythe	C	6'3"	298	Iowa
Fahn Cooper	T	6'5"	306	Mississippi
Jeremy Vujnovich	T	6'5"	300	Louisiana College
Adam Redmond	G	6'6"	290	Harvard
Isiah Cage	T	6'5"	312	Wis.-Eau Claire

[jameszeigler834]

On ‎3‎/‎24‎/‎2017 at 10:24 AM, #12. said:

If you drew names out of a hat or threw darts at a draft board, you could create a better roster than Grigson did.

For most of last season I would say for sure worst o-line in the league but the last month or so of the season I clearly saw improvement out of that bunch. I think the offense if we get a true RG we will be good to go in 2017 Defense needs completely rebuilt from the ground up and I think Ballard has done a solid job of that so far.

[Defjamz26]

But you talk about drafting Forrest Lamp in the first and everyone thinks you're crazy.

[Track Guy]

12 hours ago, Tmoney said:

Sacks aren't always telling. Houstons pass rush is better then that # says. Same about Oakland they didn't play great last year but they have 2 guys who constantly get pressure. 

Sure, but then you can't also say the fact that Luck wasn't sacked as often over the last 7 weeks or what ever tells the whole story about our O-line. I was responding more to people who think the lack of sacks over the stretch proves that our line is up to par - I don't think it is quite yet. 

[Andrew Luck fan club]

4 hours ago, Defjamz26 said:

But you talk about drafting Forrest Lamp in the first and everyone thinks you're crazy.

5th least sacked qb over the last 7 games. 

Gotta give em time to develope and gel. 

[Defjamz26]

12 minutes ago, Majin Vegeta said:

5th least sacked qb over the last 7 games. 

Gotta give em time to develope and gel. 

You don't have to. Ballard could feel it wasn't adequate enough and choose to find an upgrade. And as long as it works out, it wouldn't be the wrong move. 

[Andrew Luck fan club]

26 minutes ago, Defjamz26 said:

You don't have to. Ballard could feel it wasn't adequate enough and choose to find an upgrade. And as long as it works out, it wouldn't be the wrong move. 

Kind of silly not too? When they showed improvement. But sure. Lamp wouldn't be a bad pick, just not the best use of our pick imo. 

[Defjamz26]

4 hours ago, Majin Vegeta said:

Kind of silly not too? When they showed improvement. But sure. Lamp wouldn't be a bad pick, just not the best use of our pick imo. 

Nothing is silly when there's a new GM in town. Different standards. He's not married to any of the players unless it's an Andrew Luck level talent. He can come and shape the roster as he sees fit, which he has already done.

[crazycolt1]

What you guys going to do if Ballard drafts McCaffrey?

[KB]

13 minutes ago, crazycolt1 said:

What you guys going to do if Ballard drafts McCaffrey?

Watch colts football. That's about all I can do lol

[Yoshinator]

11 minutes ago, crazycolt1 said:

What you guys going to do if Ballard drafts McCaffrey?

I'm staying home on draft night for that very reason. If we draft an rb or te in the 1st, I don't want to be antagonized by someone making fun of me and end up in jail. I already wouldn't watch the rest of the draft and would contemplate watching the season this year. O-Line is fine, other than that, we need defense, defense, and more defense.

[jvan1973]

On 3/24/2017 at 11:24 AM, King Colt said:

Carolina and Indy failed to protect their QBs and both QBs had shoulder surgery. Duh, what can be wrong?

The cowboys have the best line in the nfl,   what happened to their qb?    Injuries happen always

[jvan1973]

44 minutes ago, crazycolt1 said:

What you guys going to do if Ballard drafts McCaffrey?

In the second round?  I would be stoked

[Yoshinator]

27 minutes ago, jvan1973 said:

Why would you end up in jail over something you have no control over.    Maybe you should seek therapy

I have bipolar depression and it would definitely affect me pretty bad. In my mind, I would be wasting the season watching games if we made an outrageous pick like that. It's like a long term investment that went from 100 to 0 in an hour if it happened. Same thing happened when I learned wrestling was fake, I immediately stopped watching it. Certain movies like superhero movies don't interest me because I can predict them, and anything else I can predict ahead of time is hard for me to get into. It's a mixture of me reading patterns and predicting outcomes, and losing interest in that particular thing once I'm able to do so. Picking an rb or te in the 1st would convince me the defense would stink again and this season is another lost cause. That's why I'm up and down on these boards. Some of my posts can be very intelligent, and some of them make me sound like a 5 year old.

[NewColtsFan]

17 minutes ago, Jared Cisneros said:

I have bipolar depression and it would definitely affect me pretty bad. In my mind, I would be wasting the season watching games if we made an outrageous pick like that. It's like a long term investment that went from 100 to 0 in an hour if it happened. Same thing happened when I learned wrestling was fake, I immediately stopped watching it. Certain movies like superhero movies don't interest me because I can predict them, and anything else I can predict ahead of time is hard for me to get into. It's a mixture of me reading patterns and predicting outcomes, and losing interest in that particular thing once I'm able to do so. Picking an rb or te in the 1st would convince me the defense would stink again and this season is another lost cause. That's why I'm up and down on these boards. Some of my posts can be very intelligent, and some of them make me sound like a 5 year old.

 

Great post.....    thanks for sharing your story....

 

Wishing you nothing but good things in your life in the future....

 

By the way,  just so you know,  you're not alone....     we all have some baggage that impacts us, whether we know it or not...        but you're brave enough to post about it here...    very impressive....

 

[crazycolt1]

1 hour ago, jvan1973 said:

The cowboys have the best line in the nfl,   what happened to their qb?    Injuries happen always

Romo gets hurt trimming his finger nails. But look what a couple of rookies done last season.

[Yoshinator]

Just now, NewColtsFan said:

 

Great post.....    thanks for sharing your story....

 

Wishing you nothing but good things in your life in the future....

 

By the way,  just so you know you're not alone....     we all have some baggage that impacts us, whether we know it or not...          but you're brave enough to post about it here...    very impressive....

 

Thanks NewColtsFan, and thanks for always being a solid poster!

[Dark Superman]

Draft Lamp and that all changes.

[Dark Superman]

BRING IN THE LAMP!

[Myles]

11 hours ago, jvan1973 said:

The cowboys have the best line in the nfl,   what happened to their qb?   

He made the pro bowl and they won the 2nd most games in the NFL.

 

[Myles]

I would love to see them draft OL in the first.   The OL is one position where depth is critical. 

 

[jvan1973]

1 hour ago, Myles said:

He made the pro bowl and they won the 2nd most games in the NFL.

 

Romo was on the bench injured

[chad72]

1 hour ago, Myles said:

I would love to see them draft OL in the first.   The OL is one position where depth is critical. 

 

 

We need a starter, not a depth guy in round 1, especially where we are picking at #15.

 

The Cowboys, despite drafting all those OL players high and having DeMarco Murray and Ezekiel Elliott lead the league in rushing in the 2014 and 2016 seasons, do not have more than a divisional round appearance to show for due to an imbalance in team building. Their D has cost them games enough in the playoffs now and now with all the FAs that left, their defensive talent imbalance is only going to show its ugly head again. 

 

So, if we want to talk SB winning teams, investing in pass D has what won the recent teams the SBs. From the 2013 Seahawks' ferocious DL pass rush to help the LOB to 2014 Patriots (with Revis, Browner) to 2015 Broncos with their CBs and safeties to 2016 Patriots with their 3 safety play and all those deals for utility DL like Chris Long, Jabaal Sheard etc. to rotate to keep their DL fresh, that has what has won SBs primarily along with smart/elite QB play, IMO.

 

Patriots have what, 1 guy drafted in round 1 for their OL, Nate Solder. Vollmer was drafted in round 2 and both were tackles. I think Colts fans should embrace the fact that the QB, coaching and play calling will help our OL more than where they are drafted. 

[aaron11]

26 minutes ago, jvan1973 said:

Romo was on the bench injured

romo was hit from behind while scrambling, he had time to throw it away

[ColtsBlueFL]

On 3/24/2017 at 11:30 AM, GoDeep said:

And I always wonder...if Luck is really good behind this line, what could he be with a consistently clean pocket?

 

On 3/24/2017 at 11:33 AM, King Colt said:

That is what we all are waiting for. It's pathetic to see him go down every game but it was good to see the OL get better at the end of the season. With a good OL the running game improves and Luck will be unlimited with what he can do. All fingers are crossed.

 

It's not all O-line though.  Peyton made some average O-lines look stellar.  I found this tidbit on 'Time to Throw' article once-

 

"It’s no coincidence that pocket quarterbacks like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady consistently rank among the fastest releases in the league as they’re rightly touted for their quick decision making and ability to work within the flow of the offense, and their pocket stats back this up.

 

On the other hand, some of the younger, more mobile quarterbacks in the league such as Cam Newton, Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick, and even Andrew Luck have much higher times to throw, and it’s not because they’re getting more time from their line, but moreso because they’re either looking to extend plays with their legs, trying to take more downfield shots, or some combination of both."

 

I Feel the time to throw stat gives a glance at not only the O-Line, but at the quarterback and the scheme he is trying to execute as well.  Time to first pressure is another stat I like to check on as well.  But it is good to see the young linemen coming together.  Philbin and his group must be doing something right.  The days, with College Spread and Air Raid offenses where O linemen don't even have a hand in the dirt and don't have to pass block for any length of time, it can take up to 2 years to get a young O line player up to NFL speed.  And they (as a group) have to stay healthy and on the field together to gel well. A good backup with position flexibility is always a plus too.

[ColtsBlueFL]

On 3/25/2017 at 8:53 PM, Tmoney said:

If only we had an OC who knew this. I'm hoping Kamar Aiken can be a difference, great route running and possession WR. Does his best work in short to intermediate and can create space. I feel its a combination of too many deep routes and WRs not creating enough space to create a throwing window. 

 

If I were a DC for a Colts opponent, I would often pin the pass rushers ears back and let them rip.  Since I don't respect the Colts run game all that much, then I'd also crowd the short zone areas with defenders.  Since pressure will likely come to Luck quickly (at least designed to), my defenders won't have to cover long.  Then their job is to just be draped on their man for a short spell until the play is disrupted and Luck is moved off his spot.

 

The only way to open space up  short, is to send Phillip Dorsett or T.Y. on a nine route (or deep 8) and connect a time or two.  Otherwise I'm not giving your receivers room to create space, will jam the rushing lanes, and get to your QB quickly.  That's why good pass blocking O line that creates pocket space is important. And chuink yardage plays.

[Myles]

4 hours ago, chad72 said:

 

We need a starter, not a depth guy in round 1, especially where we are picking at #15.

 

 

I meant that we would draft a starter and thus demote a current starter to improve our depth.  

A great offensive line helps the running game, the QB and the WR's.   It also helps the defense by keeping them well rested.  

 

[Vinatieri4]

17 hours ago, jvan1973 said:

The cowboys have the best line in the nfl,   what happened to their qb?    Injuries happen always

 

Their QB is known to be brittle, they had the best offensive line in football and:

 

• Had a top running game -

clinched the first seed in the NFC with a Rookie QB (good QB I know, but still that o line had a lot to deal with it)

 

 

[ColtsBlueFL]

5 minutes ago, Vinatieri4 said:

 

Their QB is known to be brittle, they had the best offensive line in football and:

 

• Had a top running game -

clinched the first seed in the NFC with a Rookie QB (good QB I know, but still that o line had a lot to deal with it)

 

 

 

I know we fans and the media like to label people.  But Romo is not more brittle than other human beings.  I can say with good confidence that if others that took the same exact shots in the same place(s) at the same force at the same angle as Romo, they would also suffer the same damage.  If not everyone, a very high % would. 

 

I chalk it up to poor fortune, and letting those defenders get that shot in on you in the first place.

[chad72]

17 minutes ago, Myles said:

I meant that we would draft a starter and thus demote a current starter to improve our depth.  

A great offensive line helps the running game, the QB and the WR's.   It also helps the defense by keeping them well rested.  

 

 

You don't need a great offensive line, just a good one, is my contention. Even a great OL cannot be great game in and game out against playoff Ds, so the balance of having a great D to increase the margin of error for the O would be what I would want to strive for.

 

Once you have that balance, your good OL can be great for a game or two in the playoffs but not all the time because of the margin for error. 

[Myles]

1 hour ago, chad72 said:

 

You don't need a great offensive line, just a good one, is my contention. Even a great OL cannot be great game in and game out against playoff Ds, so the balance of having a great D to increase the margin of error for the O would be what I would want to strive for.

 

Once you have that balance, your good OL can be great for a game or two in the playoffs but not all the time because of the margin for error. 

I understand what you are saying, I just want a great offensive line.  

[ClaytonColt]

Need to scheme and coach better.

 

The talent we have should be adequate for us to be better than we show.

[Myles]

4 minutes ago, ClaytonColt said:

Need to scheme and coach better.

 

The talent we have should be adequate for us to be better than we show.

Maybe a little, but this team has lots of holes.   Players that would be bench players on other teams are starters for the Colts.  

[ClaytonColt]

Just now, Myles said:

Maybe a little, but this team has lots of holes.   Players that would be bench players on other teams are starters for the Colts.  

There's about 8 of them on the defense.

 

Don't think many of Castonzo, Mewhort, Kelly or Haeg would be sat on the bench in other teams. Clark needs to gave a chance to join that group given where we drafted him last year.

[Myles]

10 minutes ago, ClaytonColt said:

There's about 8 of them on the defense.

 

Don't think many of Castonzo, Mewhort, Kelly or Haeg would be sat on the bench in other teams. Clark needs to gave a chance to join that group given where we drafted him last year.

I would agree with most of that.   I think we can still upgrade the line though.    i would like more depth too.   But the depth is true for almost every defensive position too. 

My thinking is that having a top offensive line can hide most other flaws.