05-07-2020, 01:22 PM
(05-07-2020, 09:54 AM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: LSU's offensive line was above average. They had a 3rd round Center, 3rd round RG and a 4th round LT, with a RT coming out in 2021 who will likely be drafted somewhere in the middle rounds. Then their LG was a priority UDFA as well.
There was talent on that offensive line. That's more than a lot of college QBs can claim.
Trying to dissect whether a QB makes an Oline look good or vice versa is tricky. In this case, I think it's safe to say it was a mutually beneficial relationship tied with a healthy dose of scheme (as the 5 man blocking scheme did help the sack numbers). There are plays in which I thought "Jesus Christ, Burrow has ALL DAY to throw this damn ball." and there were plays where I thought "If that was any other QB, that touchdown would have been a sack for 15 yards. It looked like no one even bothered blocking that play."
However, the acrobatics people did to compare Tua and Burrow's offensive lines in an attempt to discredit Burrow's talent were hilarious. LSU's line was fine, but Alabama's line was absurd.
Tua had 2 OTs that were top 11 picks in their respective drafts and a RG in 2018 who moved to LT in 2019 and would have likely been a first round pick had he not returned to school. They also have the #1 OT in the 2019 class (7th overall prospect) waiting in the wings to likely start somewhere along that line in 2020.
That's what I think of when I think "This QB had a line that covered up his issues." Not a bevy of 3rd and 4th round picks, but top 15 picks across the line.
People attributing Burrow's success to his Oline are just looking for a reason to be concerned.
I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous about how well Burrow's scrambling and evasion will transition to the NFL. Some of his greatest plays in college were ones where he juked out a DE and ran to the sideline before flinging a beauty 40 yards downfield.
I don't think he'll be able to juke NFL DEs like that. So there's a possibility Burrow takes a lot of sacks in 2020 as he learns how much more athletic NFL defenders are than college defenders. But I'm confident that he'll adjust as necessary and learn when he can scramble and when he has to just get rid of the ball.
Great post, that is the thing, why didn't Bama win the Joe Moore award? As you note, way better O-line that was great at
both run blocking and in pass protection. Agreed on the concern with Burrow maybe not being able to get away with making
NFL defenders look like he did in college. It is an entirely different level. He will have to learn to go down more and take the
sack instead of trying to make something out of nothing I think, but who knows...
This is just another thing that makes Burrow special, imagine Burrow extending plays for us like the Pig did for all those years
for Pitt? Should be fun, just don't want to see Burrow get hurt in doing so.
