I think it's time to officially call Pollack to task.

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(09-19-2022, 03:21 PM)Joelist Wrote: When you look and see the linemen are not being physically beat and the issues are mental mistakes (missing stunts, not picking up overloads or delays), the next question becomes WHY. Either the linemen are stupid, line communication is broken or the scheme is faulty. In our case 4 of the 5 starters are actually noteworthy for being football SMART not stupid. So that leaves line communications or scheme.

Both communication and scheme are partly players and partly coaches. The coaches are responsible for being sure the line all understand the signals and that the scheme matches the strong suits of the players. The players are responsible for executing the scheme correctly and for giving, receiving and acting on the signals correctly. In my opinion both are issues right now.

The line is not communicating correctly - if they were the constant missing of stunts would not be happening. This hopefully improves with time and snaps (and yes not plying them together in preseason is hurting here).

The line also does not look comfortable executing the wide zone. And for 4 of them they have never done it before. If they are uncomfortable and ineffective in the wide zone ditch it and go to something they DO know and ARE effective in. By the way, this is something else that playing them as a unit in preseason would have uncovered - you shouldn't be doing this in games that count.

I agree with almost every bit, but one thing.....there have been several plays when the linemen did get straight up beat. Jonah got pancaked yesterday at least once, and Collins got ate alive a few plays. One in particular, he had TE help and a chip from the RB on his way into the flat. We got the pass off, but Parsons hit Burrow as he threw it. That's getting your ass beat. No two ways about it. To me, it's been an "all of the above" shit show up front thus far.

[XenoMorph]

(09-18-2022, 09:08 PM)Wyche Wrote: Two bad weeks for the guys up front, and lack of talent is no longer an excuse. Joe wasn't holding the ball too long today, he didn't have time to very often. I get it's been against two good dlines, but this has GOTTA be fixed soon, and next week soon. 



Full disclosure, I've been a Frank Pollack supporter, but his unit is looking bad again with a significant investment in players.

Right Pollack has proven extremely over rated.    Id take piano man back asap.        

I have not been on his band wagon the entire time as he did nothing positive his last time here either. and didnt seem very highly in demand since.

But now even what should be a very serviceable OL  we are giving up bad plays at a higher rate.

Collins was looking Slow and blocking the WRONG guys a few times

There were too many times guys came at burrow untouched.

[XenoMorph]

(09-18-2022, 09:12 PM)Joelist Wrote: We brought in good players who are for once not old guys but they also are all players whose best play has been in power schemes with driving, attacking blocking not the more reactive wide zone we are using. Even Jonah is better in a power scheme. Pollack needs to change the scheme or leave and the team needs to bring in a legitimate NFL caliber OC and inform Zac he no longer is calling plays.

Wait did we switch to a power scheme or we adding square pegs to round holes?

Zac never should have been calling plays....

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(09-19-2022, 03:52 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: Right Pollack has proven extremely over rated.    Id take piano man back asap.        

I have not been on his band wagon the entire time as he did nothing positive his last time here either. and didnt seem very highly in demand since.

But now even what should be a very serviceable OL  we are giving up bad plays at a higher rate.

Collins was looking Slow and blocking the WRONG guys a few times

There were too many times guys came at burrow untouched.

I dunno if I'd go all PA just yet, but something's gotta give!

Absolutely agree with you on the rest though....and I was liking Pollack his first go around during Marvin's last year. He at least got the run game going a bit, but it's sure a headscratcher to see him have better talent and get worse results. I was for bringing him back as I said in the OP, but doubt is really creeping in at this point.

[XenoMorph]

(09-19-2022, 03:58 PM)Wyche Wrote: I dunno if I'd go all PA just yet, but something's gotta give!

Absolutely agree with you on the rest though....and I was liking Pollack his first go around during Marvin's last year. He at least got the run game going a bit, but it's sure a headscratcher to see him have better talent and get worse results. I was for bringing him back as I said in the OP, but doubt is really creeping in at this point.

I just dont know many available OL Coaches....  but the amount of money they spent in the offseason and the amount they are about to spend on burrow they need to figure it out very very quickly.

If they signed a bunch of Power OL guys we need a Power OL Coach and scheme.

If we signed guys that doesnt fit what we are doing... What are we doing? (making butt in seats signings)

We have been really lacking any identity on Offense since ZT took over.

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(09-19-2022, 04:02 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: I just dont know many available OL Coaches....  but the amount of money they spent in the offseason and the amount they are about to spend on burrow they need to figure it out very very quickly.

If they signed a bunch of Power OL guys we need a Power OL Coach and scheme.

If we signed guys that doesnt fit what we are doing... What are we doing? (making butt in seats signings)

We have been really lacking any identity on Offense since ZT took over.

Ah, gotcha.

Yeah, something is sure amiss there.

I think our identity is splash plays and going for broke. There hasn't been any of either so far this year. We're going to have to scrap that philosophy and go dink and dunk until teams get tired of that and go back away from the cover 2. They're daring us to run and beat them underneath. I don't see why we can't, but we'll have to get the ground game going in order to make it effective. 

[sandwedge]

Not gonna act like I know anything about OL technique, but why do O linemen get shoved backwards? I understand they are kicking back to meet the DEs but could they be retreated to far?

[007BengalsFan]

I'm on board with trying to lure Dante Scarnecchia out of retirement. Maybe he would like the challenge.

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(09-19-2022, 07:16 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: I'm on board with trying to lure Dante Scarnecchia out of retirement.  Maybe he would like the challenge.

Would love to see that.

[Nicomo Cosca]

He’s 74 years old guys lol. There are other good coaches out there.

The problem will again be getting a top coach that wants to work for Taylor. Would you be lining up to take the OL job after seeing 2 guys already come and go during Taylor’s 4 years here?

[Essex Johnson]

(09-19-2022, 09:37 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: He’s 74 years old guys lol. There are other good coaches out there.

The problem will again be getting a top coach that wants to work for Taylor. Would you be lining up to take the OL job after seeing 2 guys already come and go during Taylor’s 4 years here?

Coaches know it is a revolving door and normally some ex HC out there available,  also we went to SB and have invested in the line that will be appealing 

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(09-19-2022, 09:37 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: He’s 74 years old guys lol. There are other good coaches out there.

The problem will again be getting a top coach that wants to work for Taylor. Would you be lining up to take the OL job after seeing 2 guys already come and go during Taylor’s 4 years here?

Maybe we should get Hoodie to coax him out of retirement again for us.....lol. I knew he was getting up there in age, didn't know he was that old though.

[Shake n Blake]

(09-19-2022, 03:37 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: I agree except.. talent does not mean success, there are players that come out of college considered not so talented yet they succeed and there are those that come out talented and don't.  Also players have to make adjustments just like coaches.. I feel we are lacking in both right now, coaches need to get better but at same time, players have to also get better if we act like coaches are the only issue, what does that say for players with talent ?

How much did we spend this off-season on o-line? The odds that a team stinks at blocking, then goes out and splurges on talent (replacing 4/5ths of the line and only retaining what was probably the best linemen we had), and the line still stinking due to talent somehow not translating are slim.

I'll give you that it's still very early and they will probably improve as the season progresses, but if they still look like this mid-way through the season, then you have to look at Pollack then maybe the scheme itself.

A normal team wouldn't think twice to fire the o-line coach after the line costing them a championship, followed by it continuing to stink after splurging on talent. It is the coach's job to make the talent translate.