04-08-2024, 01:22 PM
The story of the line this season is not as simple as one might think. Just some items:
With Burrow there were 23 sacks in 9.5 game for a 2.3 per game average. And this was with the calf issues.
With Browning there were 27 sacks in 7.5 games for a 3.6 per game average. And a LOT of these sacks were Browning holding the ball way too long.
Running wise despite some games that looked okay the overall result was not the best. That said, there are things to consider:
Good run games require more run plays to get warmed up and into some kind of groove. We averaged 36 drop backs and 22 rushes per game for 62% pass and 38% rush. And let's remember that QB scrambles count as rushes in that so the real imbalance is higher. Burrow and Browning account for 58 rush attempts or 3.4 per game - how many are designed and how many scrambles?
Now take the system they have run into account which is kinda predictable and which constantly puts the linemen on islands. Being predictable lets the defense pin its ears back. Notice the couple of games last year where we actually broke our tendencies more the line looked much better.
Finally, we have suffered from having a starting RB who was both terrible at pass blocking and one of the worst YAC backs in football. This actually constricted the playbook (by making plays that rely on a RB block/pickup problematic) and forced us into a more pass happy approach. Welcome Zack Martin, not only an upper tier pass protector but also upper tier in terms of YAC - a MUCH better fit to our system.
With Burrow there were 23 sacks in 9.5 game for a 2.3 per game average. And this was with the calf issues.
With Browning there were 27 sacks in 7.5 games for a 3.6 per game average. And a LOT of these sacks were Browning holding the ball way too long.
Running wise despite some games that looked okay the overall result was not the best. That said, there are things to consider:
Good run games require more run plays to get warmed up and into some kind of groove. We averaged 36 drop backs and 22 rushes per game for 62% pass and 38% rush. And let's remember that QB scrambles count as rushes in that so the real imbalance is higher. Burrow and Browning account for 58 rush attempts or 3.4 per game - how many are designed and how many scrambles?
Now take the system they have run into account which is kinda predictable and which constantly puts the linemen on islands. Being predictable lets the defense pin its ears back. Notice the couple of games last year where we actually broke our tendencies more the line looked much better.
Finally, we have suffered from having a starting RB who was both terrible at pass blocking and one of the worst YAC backs in football. This actually constricted the playbook (by making plays that rely on a RB block/pickup problematic) and forced us into a more pass happy approach. Welcome Zack Martin, not only an upper tier pass protector but also upper tier in terms of YAC - a MUCH better fit to our system.
![[Image: 4CV0TeR.png]](https://i.imgur.com/4CV0TeR.png)
