WHY can’t the Offensive Line generate push in the run game? Why is the Offensive Line allowing so much pressure on QB Carson Wentz? Everywhere you turn, you hear fans asking one of, or both of these questions. They can’t figure out why a unit with a new starter on it, isn’t performing at a high level. The answer is simple: They haven’t played together enough during “live” fire.
People who don’t know ass about football, will say that our O-line has been going against our D-line for months now. They’ll say that counts as experience. If these people were six years old, that assessment would be cute. However, coming from full grown humans, claiming to be Eagles fans, that shit is nothing short of embarrassing.
Look, let me take you Inside The Helmet:
The D-lineman who lines up across from you in practice, is a guy you rapidly get to know. Who’s quicker off the snap, you or him? Does he favor his right or his left, with his first step? Does he like to bull rush, rip, or swim? When you lock on, does he club your inner elbow, or does he forklift your wrists to generate a hands to face penalty?
These are just a few things you quickly learn about the man who practices across from you, five days a week. Once he knows what he can’t beat you with, he’ll lean on the things that give him a chance, or an advantage. After all, he also needs to look good, either to hold onto his starting spot, or to make the team period.
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When it comes to practices, players see the same things day in and day out, from the guy across from them. O-linemen are blocking against the same guys, who are executing the same defensive concepts, day in and day out. That means the linemen aren’t exposed to new wrinkles. The only way to see new wrinkles, is to face other teams that run different systems, or the same system with an emphasis on a few different concepts.
This O-Line hasn’t seen enough live fire this preseason. That impacts their ability to act as one cohesive unit, because they don’t get to communicate adjustments to seeing something new, in real-time. Just in the film room. Imagine a chorus line not kicking in unison. This is where our O-line is.
Since the starters are almost guaranteed to sit out this last preseason game, this is where the O-line will still be on opening day. Hopefully that won’t end up with Wentz being carted off the field this year. Given how much abuse he was allowed to take in just one quarter of play vs the Dolphins, any sensible fan would have to be concerned.
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