01-10-2018, 12:54 PM
(01-09-2018, 11:09 PM)PDub80 Wrote: I blame the coaching a lot. Here's why ...Thanks PDub! I hadn't read or heard that before, but makes a lot of sense. It's hard to believe that an OC who was on the job for 2 months, was the first one to say something about this.
I listen to a ton of Bengals related Podcasts every week and Dave Lapham gives excellent insight to the inner workings of the org, team, and on the field.
Something he said that was really educational was that Paul Alexander was in charge of the running game and blocking schemes and, as such, made the Oline run a "Mid Zone" scheme. A mid zone basically has the O-linemen fall back or slide across the line of scrimmage and rely on athleticism/technique rather than pushing/driving and power. He said the Bengals players just weren't made for being good at that - horrible at it, actually, but Alexander refused to change it and kept trying to shove a round peg through a square hole.
This is much different than the much more common "Inside Zone", which is more aggressive and designed to use power and strength and push forward. He said there is a huge difference between the two concepts/schemes
Lapham said basically that Lazor forced the change with 6 weeks left in the season. I believe this is what Lazor was referring to when he said in his rehire press conference that the coaches need to be able to have a disagreement and make changes without taking it personally and getting emotional and throwing a fit while still being able to go to lunch after and work together, even if someone doesn't get their way. To that effect, I believe PA was emotionally stumping/fighting for his Mid Zone scheme and "his guys" to continue to play. Lazor finally said enough of this BS, which is why the running game got on the uptick late in the season and some of these more powerful maulers finally got playing time.
Lapham went on to say that the Bengals players are built much better for inside zone - and probably prefer it. He also gave a lot if insight as to why Westerman and Redmond weren't playing and how it was BS for Paul Alexander to have stuck to his idea and players when he had other ones who would have done much better with a proper scheme. Westerman and Redmond are way better suited for inside zone than mid zone so PA gave them little practice time or consideration because he refused to change his ways, even when it was clearly an absolute disaster.
After hearing Lap pull back the curtain the past two weeks I feel like PA was a serious issue among the coaching staff and was totally inept as he was in charge of so much. He wasn't just a line coach in terms of 1 on 1 and technique. He was in charge of the entire running game and ground game plan each week and a lot of ot other coaching things it would seem. Players play, this is true.... but football is a coaches sport in so many ways. They have to put the players in positions to be successful and that just wasn't being done.
