How do you guys think our OL played?

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

I always forget to focus on them during the game ... I don't remember too many false starts (Colon must have been under the weather or something), but Ben did have to scramble hard 2 or 3 times, seems like they did ok overall to me ... any one want to give them a grade?

[DBR96A]

They did a better job in pass protection than they did in run blocking.

[Starlifter]

they completed the game without injury and ben for the most part stayed clean. it appeared the jets were executing a lot of run blitzes, many which were successful. nevertheless we ran enough to keep them honest and gave ben enough time to find the open WR's. I'd grade today as a solid B.

[Oviedo]

Run blocking is still work in progress. Ben made the pass blocking look better than it was. Overall it was a "C" game for the OL.

[steelfin]

Obviously they played well enough to win...but....

The running game needs help.

Short passes have allowed us to keep Ben healthy.

Way too much contact behind the line of scrimmage.

The OL needs to continue to improve and hopefully will as the season progresses.

[flippy]

On pace for 64 sacks. Helping out backs get 2 YPC. Getting everyone hit in the backfield.

[Oviedo]

On pace for 64 sacks. Helping out backs get 2 YPC. Getting everyone hit in the backfield.

Still way too much penetration of the interior of the OL. Everyone got beat yesterday. We know Foster isn't the answer, but is Pouncey more hype than performance? Is Colon still learning?

For a new thought, is Kugler the problem? We all, me included, praised Kugler a couple of years ago but the OL is still marginal and we absorb an extremely high number of injuries. Thoughts?

[BigRob]

I still think this OL has some real potential if they can stay healthy. Once we get Castro in the line-up and he gets his feet under him, I think we can be good.

One thing I like about this year, it seems like we are going to be able to get and peak at the right time if everyone can get and stay healthy.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Still way too much penetration of the interior of the OL. Everyone got beat yesterday. We know Foster isn't the answer, but is Pouncey more hype than performance? Is Colon still learning?

For a new thought, is Kugler the problem? We all, me included, praised Kugler a couple of years ago but the OL is still marginal and we absorb an extremely high number of injuries. Thoughts?

I think formations are giving away our intentions too much. Lining up 3 TE's next to each other on the end of the line then attempting to run behind them over and over (had to be a half dozen times at least) is moronically stupid. Leonard Pope and David Paulson scare no one. The speed of our wideouts scare everyone. Why keep our WR's on the bench in favor of multiple TE packages? I think the reason that Ben is so good on 3rd down is because that is the only time that he has Wallace, Brown, Sanders, Heath, and a single RB at his disposal. If we used that formation more on 1st and 2nd down as well, we could pass and run out of it as well. The oppositon is forced to play nickel against our 3-wide set, and the safeties have to play deep in order to respect our deep speed. That means that there are only 6 men in the box for our 5 OL and Heath to block if we want to run. That is much better than bringing in more crappy TE's on the line so that the defense has 9 men stacked in the box against us (shocking that we can't run for 3 yards a carry when we have a steady dose of this as our routine run formation).

[hawaiiansteel]

I think formations are giving away our intentions too much. Lining up 3 TE's next to each other on the end of the line then attempting to run behind them over and over (had to be a half dozen times at least) is moronically stupid. Leonard Pope and David Paulson scare no one. The speed of our wideouts scare everyone. Why keep our WR's on the bench in favor of multiple TE packages? I think the reason that Ben is so good on 3rd down is because that is the only time that he has Wallace, Brown, Sanders, Heath, and a single RB at his disposal. If we used that formation more on 1st and 2nd down as well, we could pass and run out of it as well. The oppositon is forced to play nickel against our 3-wide set, and the safeties have to play deep in order to respect our deep speed. That means that there are only 6 men in the box for our 5 OL and Heath to block if we want to run. That is much better than bringing in more crappy TE's on the line so that the defense has 9 men stacked in the box against us (shocking that we can't run for 3 yards a carry when we have a steady dose of this as our routine run formation).

I completely agree, with Revis out I really expected us to run some 4 WR formations and instead we ran 3 TE ones?

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

^ ^ Were we just running out the clock, or using the run to set up the pass?

[Slapstick]

I think formations are giving away our intentions too much. Lining up 3 TE's next to each other on the end of the line then attempting to run behind them over and over (had to be a half dozen times at least) is moronically stupid. Leonard Pope and David Paulson scare no one. The speed of our wideouts scare everyone. Why keep our WR's on the bench in favor of multiple TE packages? I think the reason that Ben is so good on 3rd down is because that is the only time that he has Wallace, Brown, Sanders, Heath, and a single RB at his disposal. If we used that formation more on 1st and 2nd down as well, we could pass and run out of it as well. The oppositon is forced to play nickel against our 3-wide set, and the safeties have to play deep in order to respect our deep speed. That means that there are only 6 men in the box for our 5 OL and Heath to block if we want to run. That is much better than bringing in more crappy TE's on the line so that the defense has 9 men stacked in the box against us (shocking that we can't run for 3 yards a carry when we have a steady dose of this as our routine run formation).

I can only figure that it was something that Haley saw on tape...Buffalo ran for 195 yards on the Jest last week...they shored up their run D by run blitzing quite a bit...

Last week, against the Yonkos, the Steelers were in 3 WR formations for most of the game...

[ikestops85]

Still way too much penetration of the interior of the OL. Everyone got beat yesterday. We know Foster isn't the answer, but is Pouncey more hype than performance? Is Colon still learning?

For a new thought, is Kugler the problem? We all, me included, praised Kugler a couple of years ago but the OL is still marginal and we absorb an extremely high number of injuries. Thoughts?

I agree with everything you said. The penetration the Jets got on running plays was unbelieveable.

Pouncey did not look as good last year as he did as a rookie. This year so far he looks worse. I've seen him walked into the backfield on numerous plays. I thought Colon and Pouncey would give us some nice push on the left side for us to get some of those tough 1 and 2 yards pickups that we need occasionally. That hasn't been the case. Maybe Kugler isn't what we thought after that first year when it appeared he was turning the offensive line around.

[chiken]

I am wondering if those Tight End sets will be more effective in the play action game when Saunders comes back..

[RuthlessBurgher]

I am wondering if those Tight End sets will be more effective in the play action game when Saunders comes back..

I like Saunders more than Pope or Paulson, but there is still no excuse for having 3 TE and only 1 WR on the field. Based on best available talent, that ratio should be reversed.