Did anyone see what caused DD to chop block Pouncey?

[thor75]

Stanford....leading the nation in tornado evacuation plans

[BradshawsHairdresser]

That sorta thing is a core tenet of zone blocking.

Yup. He was trying to chop the defender. Didn't do it very well, but it succeeded in taking out Pouncey.

Guess Gilby isn't the only one who can take out a teammate.

[winwithd]

Was DD expecting Pouncey to flow to his left while Pouncey was pushing up the field so the defender was not where DD was expecting him to be? I couldnt believe the replay when I saw it because it looked so bad. Like intention sabotage.

[thor75]

Was DD expecting Pouncey to flow to his left while Pouncey was pushing up the field so the defender was not where DD was expecting him to be? I couldnt believe the replay when I saw it because it looked so bad. Like intention sabotage.

I guarantee it was not sabotage. DD looked devastated. He was guessing. plain and simple

[flippy]

Was DD expecting Pouncey to flow to his left while Pouncey was pushing up the field so the defender was not where DD was expecting him to be? I couldnt believe the replay when I saw it because it looked so bad. Like intention sabotage.

I think that's the only defensible position. They are all flowing left and then Pouncey stops him and holds him up. The only thing could be DD was aiming for where he thought the defender was going and he didn't expect Pouncey to stop the flow.

[phillyesq]

The only thing I can think of is that DD expected Pouncey to release the defender and either continue going left or go up the field and try to get a LB. I heard a few postgame comments from DD, but no real explanation.

[NorthCoast]

It's called "zone blocking" for a reason. DeCastro went to a zone and threw a block. Not his fault that Pouncey was there instead of the defender.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

It's called "zone blocking" for a reason. DeCastro went to a zone and threw a block. Not his fault that Pouncey was there instead of the defender.

OK, so I never played football at a level where there is zone blocking involved.

But I can't see how a player throwing his body at a point in space, even if there is no defender there, would be considered proper execution of a zone blocking system or any blocking system for that matter.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

OK, so I never played football at a level where there is zone blocking involved.

But I can't see how a player throwing his body at a point in space, even if there is no defender there, would be considered proper execution of a zone blocking system or any blocking system for that matter.

It wasn't proper execution...but I believe he was trying to carry out his zone blocking assignment. Unlike the OP, I can fault DD for poor execution on the play.

[BURGH86STEEL]

It looked like DD went after Pouncey like he slept with his wife or something. I don't ever recall a player diving at a teammates legs the way DD dived at Pouncey's legs.

[Moonie]

That was as lame as Sanchez' butt fumble last year. It's like he was trying to dive down an imaginary gopher hole.

[NorthCoast]

OK, so I never played football at a level where there is zone blocking involved.

But I can't see how a player throwing his body at a point in space, even if there is no defender there, would be considered proper execution of a zone blocking system or any blocking system for that matter.

OK, I guess I needed to insert <sarcasm on> in my post....

[thor75]

It looked like DD went after Pouncey like he slept with his wife or something. I don't ever recall a player diving at a teammates legs the way DD dived at Pouncey's legs.

sorry burgh, I just don't see the intent. A HORRIBLE mistake I agree, just don't see the reasoning.

[skyhawk]

It looks like DD didn't hit Pouncey's legs UNTIL he was already on the ground and rolled up on Pouncey.

One of the weirdest plays I have ever seen.

[hawaiiansteel]

But Pouncey went down eight plays into the drive when right guard David DeCastro, pulling from his left to deliver a cut block, drove into the back of the center's legs rather than those of nose tackle Sammie Hill.

“It's terrible,” DeCastro said. “You're trying to cut the nose down, run outside, chop him down.”

He got the wrong man, and, on the sidelines, defensive end and co-captain Brett Keisel was furious. He is one of NFL's main lobbyists against the cut block, and he's even more opposed now that Pouncey's season is over because of what Keisel termed friendly fire.

“When you have a play like that and the backside guard is cutting, it's ridiculous,” Keisel said. “Guys are big enough and strong enough to block. ... I know it's legal, technically, but it's been proven that guys are getting their knees blown out. The league has got to do something.”

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