New England Offensive Line: Mind Blown!

[Fan_in_Kettering]

Yes, they spy. Yes, they deflate balls. These two things are incontrovertibly true. Still, I must give credit where credit is due — and it’s time to give mad props to Dante Scarnecchia, the Patriots’ masterful offensive line coach. What I saw in the AFC Championship blew my mind and here’s why: Tom Brady often has up to ten seconds to throw a pass but I finally figured out WHY: Dante teaches a blocking method where each lineman stays locked up with a defensive player UNTIL TOM BRADY RELEASES THE PASS. I’ve been watching offensive lines for decades and I’ve never seen this before. The Patriot linemen do not stop blocking until that ball is GONE. This is why Tom Brady is so confident: His pocket rarely collapses.

I saw this happen on one pass play, then two, then ten. I truly hope Frank Pollack teaches this technique to Cincinnati because it’s actually easier than the “backpedal and wave your arms” method Paul Alexander taught. The other part of Dante’s technique involves moving forward INTO the defenders. This makes for a bigger pocket and uses the offensive linemens’ energy in the right direction.