Maybe some hope up front?

[bjf1984]

I forced myself to review the game tape (I lost TV coverage for most of the 2nd half on Saturday):

I mentioned earlier that PSU played a ton of 2 and 3 TE sets.....and that doing so was essentially like playing 8 vs 11 in the run game.

The TE blocking has been, on the whole, awful.

Now....I don't want to mention the specific player....but one of those guys WOULD NEVER TAKE ANOTHER SNAP, if it were up to me (at least not unless/until he had a complete attitude re-adjustment wrt his blocking)

Words fail to describe how pitiful his blocking has been.....and it is not due to lack of size, lack of strength, being in the wrong position etc.....it is flat out the most complete lack of effort/interest I have ever seen from a TE. And it happens play after play after play.


Now....the good news:

I have been politicking for using one of the young offensive linemen (my choice would be Sorrell) as the extra TE....to try to get some acceptable blocking on the edge.

Who is #86??

In the second half someone (#86....I do not see an #86 on the roster, so I assume it is one of the offensive linemen who was given an "eligible" number so that he could line up at TE) came into the game for ONE PLAY.......and he (on an edge run) just drove his guy right back from the edge into the middle of the field.

The play didn't go anywhere - due to failures elsewhere - but it was without a doubt the BEST TE block I have seen in 17 games. Why he never came back out? I have no idea......but they better get him some more PT as the season goes along.

_______________________________________

Also.....#55 (Laurent)

Aside from the "victory formation" snaps.....PSU ran just SEVENTEEN offensive plays in the 2nd half (one of the difficulties of playing an option team)....so Laurent didn't have a lot of snaps after Mangiro went down - a total of 12, aside from the victory formation.
When I review the tapes, I give each of the linemen (or blocking tight ends) a 1, 2, or 3.
1 - Whiff, got beat, play was blown up
2 - Did you job. Nothing special, but handled your man to at least a draw.
3 - Dominated your man. Cleared a hole, stoned a pass rusher, etc.

Laurent had not a single play that wasn't at least a "2".

I've always given the benefit of the doubt wrt keeping #66 at OC.....assuming that as the most experienced guy, it makes sense to have him there so he can handle the line audibles etc.

It is time for a change.

Not only did #55 play a very solid game in his own right.....but the "assignment issues" were a problem all day (again) even when #66 was at OC.

A LOT of the run plays didn't go anywhere - but several of them were not because of a guy flat out getting beat, but because we had 2 linemen blocking one defender, with another defender running free. Now, this happens on just about every snap, and that is usually "the plan". The issue here is that based on the play call and the defensive front, the line assignments SHOULD be adjusted so that the "key" defenders are accounted for....and that any "free guy" is someone who is not aligned in a position to disrupt the play. When you have so many "free" guys at or near the point of attack, someone isn't communicating or isn't getting the message. We have had way too much of that.

________________________________

Won't post the full breakdown, but overall for the offensive line....there were a LOT of "1"s. One guy in particular had just a horrible game....but I don't think there are many (if any) options to upgrade.
Maybe...MAYBE....#66 would perform better at OG instead of OC, and could be an option to replace him.....but that is probably wishful thinking.

On the plus side, #53 (who is about the only guy they ever "pull"....does a much better job than most guys of "finding his man" while on the run). He is about the only guy they ever pull, and is also almost always the guy who pulls out as the "protector" on the rollouts by Hack. And that is a good thing...he is by far the best we have in those situations.

I'll also just add....to end on a high note....that after watching each play several times over, there is some real top end athletic talent in the younger classes (especially on defense....aside from Barkley and a couple of wideouts, we haven't seen most of the young offensive guys yet). May take a couple years to result in a top end "team", but the raw material is there.

 

[BBrown]

I forced myself to review the game tape (I lost TV coverage for most of the 2nd half on Saturday):

I mentioned earlier that PSU played a ton of 2 and 3 TE sets.....and that doing so was essentially like playing 8 vs 11 in the run game.

The TE blocking has been, on the whole, awful.

Now....I don't want to mention the specific player....but one of those guys WOULD NEVER TAKE ANOTHER SNAP, if it were up to me (at least not unless/until he had a complete attitude re-adjustment wrt his blocking)

Words fail to describe how pitiful his blocking has been.....and it is not due to lack of size, lack of strength, being in the wrong position etc.....it is flat out the most complete lack of effort/interest I have ever seen from a TE. And it happens play after play after play.


Now....the good news:

I have been politicking for using one of the young offensive linemen (my choice would be Sorrell) as the extra TE....to try to get some acceptable blocking on the edge.

Who is #86??

In the second half someone (#86....I do not see an #86 on the roster, so I assume it is one of the offensive linemen who was given an "eligible" number so that he could line up at TE) came into the game for ONE PLAY.......and he (on an edge run) just drove his guy right back from the edge into the middle of the field.

The play didn't go anywhere - due to failures elsewhere - but it was without a doubt the BEST TE block I have seen in 17 games. Why he never came back out? I have no idea......but they better get him some more PT as the season goes along.

_______________________________________

Also.....#55 (Laurent)

Aside from the "victory formation" snaps.....PSU ran just SEVENTEEN offensive plays in the 2nd half (one of the difficulties of playing an option team)....so Laurent didn't have a lot of snaps after Mangiro went down - a total of 12, aside from the victory formation.
When I review the tapes, I give each of the linemen (or blocking tight ends) a 1, 2, or 3.
1 - Whiff, got beat, play was blown up
2 - Did you job. Nothing special, but handled your man to at least a draw.
3 - Dominated your man. Cleared a hole, stoned a pass rusher, etc.

Laurent had not a single play that wasn't at least a "2".

I've always given the benefit of the doubt wrt keeping #66 at OC.....assuming that as the most experienced guy, it makes sense to have him there so he can handle the line audibles etc.

It is time for a change.

Not only did #55 play a very solid game in his own right.....but the "assignment issues" were a problem all day (again) even when #66 was at OC.

A LOT of the run plays didn't go anywhere - but several of them were not because of a guy flat out getting beat, but because we had 2 linemen blocking one defender, with another defender running free. Now, this happens on just about every snap, and that is usually "the plan". The issue here is that based on the play call and the defensive front, the line assignments SHOULD be adjusted so that the "key" defenders are accounted for....and that any "free guy" is someone who is not aligned in a position to disrupt the play. When you have so many "free" guys at or near the point of attack, someone isn't communicating or isn't getting the message. We have had way too much of that.

________________________________

Won't post the full breakdown, but overall for the offensive line....there were a LOT of "1"s. One guy in particular had just a horrible game....but I don't think there are many (if any) options to upgrade.
Maybe...MAYBE....#66 would perform better at OG instead of OC, and could be an option to replace him.....but that is probably wishful thinking.

On the plus side, #53 (who is about the only guy they ever "pull"....does a much better job than most guys of "finding his man" while on the run). He is about the only guy they ever pull, and is also almost always the guy who pulls out as the "protector" on the rollouts by Hack. And that is a good thing...he is by far the best we have in those situations.

You and me both have been screaming about taking the TE out and putting a reserve O-linman in and thats what they started to do. I think #86 is Albert Hall. I also see him back on punt protection.

I thought the rt side of the line struggled on Sat. I didn't think Mahon had a very good game.
I agree about Laurent I thought he did pretty good.
For whatever reason Mangiro's shotgun snaps were back to last years. Slow and to the right.
Maybe it was the weather and wet ball?

 

[4rosco]

I forced myself to review the game tape (I lost TV coverage for most of the 2nd half on Saturday):

I mentioned earlier that PSU played a ton of 2 and 3 TE sets.....and that doing so was essentially like playing 8 vs 11 in the run game.

The TE blocking has been, on the whole, awful.

Now....I don't want to mention the specific player....but one of those guys WOULD NEVER TAKE ANOTHER SNAP, if it were up to me (at least not unless/until he had a complete attitude re-adjustment wrt his blocking)

Words fail to describe how pitiful his blocking has been.....and it is not due to lack of size, lack of strength, being in the wrong position etc.....it is flat out the most complete lack of effort/interest I have ever seen from a TE. And it happens play after play after play.


Now....the good news:

I have been politicking for using one of the young offensive linemen (my choice would be Sorrell) as the extra TE....to try to get some acceptable blocking on the edge.

Who is #86??

In the second half someone (#86....I do not see an #86 on the roster, so I assume it is one of the offensive linemen who was given an "eligible" number so that he could line up at TE) came into the game for ONE PLAY.......and he (on an edge run) just drove his guy right back from the edge into the middle of the field.

The play didn't go anywhere - due to failures elsewhere - but it was without a doubt the BEST TE block I have seen in 17 games. Why he never came back out? I have no idea......but they better get him some more PT as the season goes along.

_______________________________________

Also.....#55 (Laurent)

Aside from the "victory formation" snaps.....PSU ran just SEVENTEEN offensive plays in the 2nd half (one of the difficulties of playing an option team)....so Laurent didn't have a lot of snaps after Mangiro went down - a total of 12, aside from the victory formation.
When I review the tapes, I give each of the linemen (or blocking tight ends) a 1, 2, or 3.
1 - Whiff, got beat, play was blown up
2 - Did you job. Nothing special, but handled your man to at least a draw.
3 - Dominated your man. Cleared a hole, stoned a pass rusher, etc.

Laurent had not a single play that wasn't at least a "2".

I've always given the benefit of the doubt wrt keeping #66 at OC.....assuming that as the most experienced guy, it makes sense to have him there so he can handle the line audibles etc.

It is time for a change.

Not only did #55 play a very solid game in his own right.....but the "assignment issues" were a problem all day (again) even when #66 was at OC.

A LOT of the run plays didn't go anywhere - but several of them were not because of a guy flat out getting beat, but because we had 2 linemen blocking one defender, with another defender running free. Now, this happens on just about every snap, and that is usually "the plan". The issue here is that based on the play call and the defensive front, the line assignments SHOULD be adjusted so that the "key" defenders are accounted for....and that any "free guy" is someone who is not aligned in a position to disrupt the play. When you have so many "free" guys at or near the point of attack, someone isn't communicating or isn't getting the message. We have had way too much of that.

________________________________

Won't post the full breakdown, but overall for the offensive line....there were a LOT of "1"s. One guy in particular had just a horrible game....but I don't think there are many (if any) options to upgrade.
Maybe...MAYBE....#66 would perform better at OG instead of OC, and could be an option to replace him.....but that is probably wishful thinking.

On the plus side, #53 (who is about the only guy they ever "pull"....does a much better job than most guys of "finding his man" while on the run). He is about the only guy they ever pull, and is also almost always the guy who pulls out as the "protector" on the rollouts by Hack. And that is a good thing...he is by far the best we have in those situations.

As for who is #86 That would be Albert Hall. In the game notes his # is listed as 71/86

 

[bjf1984]

You and me both have been screaming about taking the TE out and putting a reserve O-linman in and thats what they started to do. I think #86 is Albert Hall. I also see him back on punt protection.

I thought the rt side of the line struggled on Sat. I didn't think Mahon had a very good game.

Without question! (although I would say the guy next to Mahon....Gaia....graded out even worse).

Of the four times that Hack was sacked/immediately pressured......2 of them were complete whiffs up front by #72.

 

[bjf1984]

As for who is #86 That would be Albert Hall. In the game notes his # is listed as 71/86

Well.......he needs to become our "second TE" immediately!!!!

 

[BBrown]

Without question! (although I would say the guy next to Mahon....Gaia....graded out even worse).

Of the four times that Hack was sacked/immediately pressured......2 of them were complete whiffs up front by #72.

thanks it might have been Gaia I just remember seeing the rt. side struggle and the whiffs on (what seemed) to be the edge rusher.

 

[bjf1984]

thanks it might have been Gaia I just remember seeing the rt. side struggle and the whiffs on (what seemed) to be the edge rusher.

Oh, I think you are certainly correct.....both guys on the right side had their share of issues.

 

[psualt]

Thanks for the post bjf....Ended up having to listen to the second half on XM, come back to watch the game last night and I screwed up the DVR. Did you find the game online to rewatch it?

 

[bjf1984]

Thanks for the post bjf....Ended up having to listen to the second half on XM, come back to watch the game last night and I screwed up the DVR. Did you find the game online to rewatch it?

Yes....its available via the ESPN website.

Go to "Watch", and then select "Replay" and "ESPNU" and you can access the game.