Offensive Line: It's NOT the Players. It's the Scheme

[kevin]

(10-12-2020, 08:46 AM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: What do Billy Price, Cedric Ogbuehi, Jonah Williams, Jake Fisher, and Russell Bodine all have in common?

Simple:  They were among the highest graded players at their respective positions in college.  I offer the example of these five offensive linemen as a microcosm of the Bengals' trench problems over the years.  How is it that college stars are drafted early by Cincinnati and let's just use the word underperform in the NFL?  

Coaching is the issue.  The hapless Jim Turner never created a dominant offensive line anywhere else in the NFL so why anyone thinks this will magically happen in Cincinnati is pazzo.  That's Italian for mishuganah.  Frank Pollack built a great line in Dallas and really never had a chance to make his mark with the Bengals so we'll throw that data point out as an outlier.  Paul Alexander is the chameleon coach because some of his lines were outstanding early on but some of them stank up Paul Brown Stadium.

Therefore, I believe the difference is this:  Paul Alexander's scheme was bad while Jim Turner's scheme is incorrect.  Let's define scheme before going further; scheme is the set, the blocking technique, and the blocking assignment.  "Mister Hart, you set up angled inward, drive block the defensive end, and turn him inside."  A good lineman can overcome a bad scheme but an incorrect scheme is the death knell for the entire line.

This is why the lines composed of players like Rich Braham, Willie Anderson, and Levi Jones had success.  They possessed the talent to overcome a bad scheme.  No one, not even Jonah Williams, can overcome an incorrect and outdated scheme.  Jim Turner might have a gruff, mean exterior but this does not translate into effective blocking technique.  Defensive linemen are no longer fat blubber-filled lumbering Stay-Puft Marshmallow Men; they are big, strong, and fast.  Merely pushing against them like moving a refrigerator is an exercise in futility.  As Dave Lapham says, whoever has the lowest pad level wins.  I don't see low pads among the Bengals' linemen; I see them get stood up and beaten on every play.  

On the radio I've heard excellent commentary about technique from Willie Anderson and Joe Walter and I believe these two men -- and other former players -- should be coaching the offensive line.  Jim Turner is going to be an accessory to assault because Joe Burrow is getting beat up for his lunch money back there.  Joe Mixon is getting stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey.  There is no excuse for this, none.  Fixing this incorrect scheme cannot wait until next year.  It cannot even wait until next week.  

NO, it really is the players.  Every year you people come on here and ask how can we be losing, it must be coaching, Bengals have such great players.  NO THEY DON'T....The Bengals Right Guards and Right Tackles could not play for any other team in the NFL.   Their right flank is wide open to defenses pouring in. 

Now, I will say Bengals should do more Power Running.  Mixon behind Burrow with a head of steam as he takes the hand off.   That thing of Mixon standing next to Burrow flat footed is weak.  I know many college and pro teams do this now, but it is weak.   Mixon and this line are better when Mixon lines up for run behind Burrow and takes the hand off on the run and POWERS into the trenches. 

Still, lets not have another year of saying we have the best players in NFL, so it must be coaching.  No, some of our players have no business in The NFL.  Hopefully the Rebuild will weed them out. 

In you mentioning Ogbuehi and Price, I've been thinking their injuries that ruined their rookie years. Maybe they never got over those injuries. It would explain why we never saw the reason they were drafted round one, Injuries. Damaged Goods. They were not out a game or two, theses were major injuries. So was Williams and hopefully he can play. He is still in his first games getting taken to school by NFL Defenses.