Chiefs O-Line analysis

milkman · 03-20-2010, 08:34 AM

Saw this posted eleswhere.
Took a quick look around and didn't see it here.
If it's repost, then that's just too damn bad.

Frankie gets to give me shit, though, if it is.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/3...-line-analysis

With the addition of what should be two new starters, I thought I would give you a few facts that the public is not aware of, along with some personal reflection on my part.

The Chiefs have made some positive moves this past week, but the team knows a lot more has to be done. They need a right tackle and depth.

I thought I would expand a bit and give some statistics you will rarely see anywhere.

First of all, this OL was bad last year, but that's in the past.

Lets look at the starters at this point.

BRANDEN ALBERT

Albert did not have the greatest of seasons in this year's rankings. His overall ranking was in the bottom 20 percent among offensive tackles in the league. He gave up seven sacks and 18 QB pressures playing left tackle. He was also guilty of being called for 13 penalties—that was more than any tackle in football.

I think a lot of the problem with Albert was that he played hurt. He started the year injured but was still willing to play. One would have to wonder if that in any way hindered his performance. I believe it did.

Albert is too gifted to not succeed at that position. We have not seen Albert at his best.

As a straight-ahead run blocker, at the line, he has average strength. It's when he's on the move that he is most dangerous.

At Virginia, Albert pulled frequently from his left guard position. The longer he ran, the bigger the impact. He was a BEAST when it came to blocking on the move—I mean he exploded into guys on the second level and drove them into the ground. That was the big reason for his success—his explosion on the move.

I would think that with Charles and Jones, who are better in space, Albert should find more confidence that will help him from being measured only by his ability to pass block. If healthy, he'll get a lot better. He has the feet to protect the quarterback.

One more note about Albert: Many have said that he was a natural guard in college and that he didn't play tackle because Eugene Monroe was better. That is totally untrue. The reason he played guard is because Monroe refused to. Albert made that move inside because he was an unselfish player. So before people jump to conclusions, they shouldn't speak at all unless they know the whole story.

The people involved in this falsehood were fellow divisional "bashers" not Chief bloggers

BRIAN WATERS

Waters had a very poor season as well, mostly because of aging. He ranked 20th amongst players at his position, and most of the reason he was that high was because of his excellent pass protection. For the season, he was charged with only giving up one sack. In addition, when blocking straight ahead, he opened a few holes. But his mobility is the problem at this point in his career.

His other problems? Penalties.

Like Albert, he was the most penalized player at his position in the game.

Despite those figures he's still a very good player—just not one of the best anymore.

CASEY WEIGMANN

Weigmann ranked 23rd out of the 32 starting offensive centers last year. At his age, his better years are behind him, but that doesn't mean he can't play. He was only slightly better at pass blocking than Niswanger, but he graded out much better as a run blocker.

Weigman, of course, played in a zone-blocking scheme in Denver and played extremely well these past few years, proving that he was not as washed up as the Chiefs thought. He still excels in making line calls and adjustments, and he can still pull.

Remember those classic sweeps that Priest Holmes ran under Vermeil? It was Weigmann that was the first guy down the field, not Roaf or Shields. The problem now, however, is how much does he have left?

RYAN LILJA

Well, we all know his story, so I won't repeat it. Lilja graded out at 14th at offensive guard—which is very good. It is by far the best grade of any Chief lineman last year.

Despite being 290 pounds, it is his run blocking that stood out more than his pass protection. He was in the top five out of 64 guards when it came to screen blocking—great news for the Chiefs with both Albert and Weigmann excelling in that area.

He did not give up many sacks, but you have to take into account the quarterback that was behind him all these years.

Indianapolis usually leads the NFL in pass protection, but its not because the line is that talented. It's because they have Peyton Manning. It is Manning's intelligence, ability to get rid of the ball quickly, short drops, making quick reads, and throwing the ball away that skewed their stats favorably.

Without a doubt though, Lilja will play as well as Cassel plays, which means that Cassel needs to play well.

RYAN O'CALLIGHAN

Do you really want to know? I didn't think so.

Actually I thought he did OK, but looks are deceiving. He finished 57th. He played less than 850 snaps and still gave up nine sacks and was responsible for 24 QB pressures. His run blocking was just as bad, and he got flagged a lot to boot. Its very clear with this guy—bad starter, but decent, experienced backup.

As for the backups, well, if everything was great in Kansas City most of the guys mentioned would be the backups. Niswanger provides depth at center. Ndukwe played out of position at tackle, but is really their depth at guard. After that, all bets are off.

So where does that leave the Chiefs?

They need to get a stud right tackle for sure and a few guys they can groom for the immediate future.

Many people now feel that Bulaga and Okung don't seem to fit at this point.

But they're wrong.

Both of those guys are outstanding run blockers and would be great right tackles. In addition, that player would provide depth at left tackle, should Albert get hurt. Last year, they played the season without one.

No matter how you slice it, the Chiefs now have a better line, and that's good news.

But it's not rebuilt yet. We'll see where they are after draft days.

(Props to HG at HoTC)

Titty Meat · 03-20-2010, 08:38 AM

I could save that guy time in his write up but just simply saying this: Chiefs O-line sucks.

Hog's Gone Fishin · 03-20-2010, 08:46 AM

Didn't realize Albert and Waters both had the most penalties for their respective positions in the league.

Also makes you wonder how good Lilja really is now that Superman is not his QB.

We do need to draft OL badly. I can live with Clausen/Suh/Berry/Okung/Baluga.

Any of those will help our team.

Marcellus · 03-20-2010, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billay

I could save that guy time in his write up but just simply saying this: Chiefs O-line sucks.

That is all you took from the article?

TheGuardian · 03-20-2010, 08:51 AM

Quote:

One more note about Albert: Many have said that he was a natural guard in college and that he didn't play tackle because Eugene Monroe was better. That is totally untrue. The reason he played guard is because Monroe refused to. Albert made that move inside because he was an unselfish player. So before people jump to conclusions, they shouldn't speak at all unless they know the whole story.

Someone should keep reposting this until the dumbass mf'ers who keep saying Albert isn't a true LT

.

Marcellus · 03-20-2010, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hog Farmer

Didn't realize Albert and Waters both had the most penalties for their respective positions in the league.

Also makes you wonder how good Lilja really is now that Superman is not his QB.

We do need to draft OL badly. I can live with Clausen/Suh/Berry/Okung/Baluga.

Any of those will help our team.

I find the Lilja info interesting. 14th best out of 64 guards. I know Manning was part of it but that's still pretty good.

milkman · 03-20-2010, 08:54 AM

I'm not overly concerned about the penalties stats.
The majority of those penalties were false starts.

Install a brand new scheme just two weeks prior to the start, and that's what you get.

Titty Meat · 03-20-2010, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcellus

That is all you took from the article?

I didn't read it. 1 guards played has declined for a few years now the other supposedly failed a physical, and the center is 37 years old and got thrown around like a rag doll. Forgive me for not being excited about the o-line.

Hog's Gone Fishin · 03-20-2010, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcellus

I find the Lilja info interesting. 14th best out of 64 guards. I know Manning was part of it but that's still pretty good.

I'm afraid Manning could have easily been 95% of it.

milkman · 03-20-2010, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billay

I didn't read it. 1 guards played has declined for a few years now the other supposedly failed a physical, and the center is 37 years old and got thrown around like a rag doll. Forgive me for not being excited about the o-line.

Read the ****ing thing.

It actually gives far more insight than "the O-Line sucks".

You might actually learn something.

Oh, hell, who am I kidding?

Never mind.

Marcellus · 03-20-2010, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billay

I didn't read it. 1 guards played has declined for a few years now the other supposedly failed a physical, and the center is 37 years old and got thrown around like a rag doll. Forgive me for not being excited about the o-line.

Nope you didn't read it.

Fairplay · 03-20-2010, 09:03 AM

Chiefs line still needs improvement.

Minor changes at best so far.

Marcellus · 03-20-2010, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hog Farmer

I'm afraid Manning could have easily been 95% of it.

His run blocking skills aren't on Manning.

Marcellus · 03-20-2010, 09:05 AM

The comment about screen blocking with Lilja, Weigmann, and Albert is good news. With JC's wheels that could be huge.

Titty Meat · 03-20-2010, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkman

Read the ****ing thing.

It actually gives far more insight than "the O-Line sucks".

You might actually learn something.

Oh, hell, who am I kidding?

Never mind.

I just read it and it was 5 minutes of my life i'll never get back. Whats the ****ing point we already knew all this.

03-20-2010, 08:34 AM
milkman Dumbass! Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Leading the Marty bashing Casino cash: $10029395	O-Line analysis Saw this posted eleswhere. Took a quick look around and didn't see it here. If it's repost, then that's just too damn bad. Frankie gets to give me shit, though, if it is. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/3...-line-analysis With the addition of what should be two new starters, I thought I would give you a few facts that the public is not aware of, along with some personal reflection on my part. The Chiefs have made some positive moves this past week, but the team knows a lot more has to be done. They need a right tackle and depth. I thought I would expand a bit and give some statistics you will rarely see anywhere. First of all, this OL was bad last year, but that's in the past. Lets look at the starters at this point. BRANDEN ALBERT Albert did not have the greatest of seasons in this year's rankings. His overall ranking was in the bottom 20 percent among offensive tackles in the league. He gave up seven sacks and 18 QB pressures playing left tackle. He was also guilty of being called for 13 penalties—that was more than any tackle in football. I think a lot of the problem with Albert was that he played hurt. He started the year injured but was still willing to play. One would have to wonder if that in any way hindered his performance. I believe it did. Albert is too gifted to not succeed at that position. We have not seen Albert at his best. As a straight-ahead run blocker, at the line, he has average strength. It's when he's on the move that he is most dangerous. At Virginia, Albert pulled frequently from his left guard position. The longer he ran, the bigger the impact. He was a BEAST when it came to blocking on the move—I mean he exploded into guys on the second level and drove them into the ground. That was the big reason for his success—his explosion on the move. I would think that with Charles and Jones, who are better in space, Albert should find more confidence that will help him from being measured only by his ability to pass block. If healthy, he'll get a lot better. He has the feet to protect the quarterback. One more note about Albert: Many have said that he was a natural guard in college and that he didn't play tackle because Eugene Monroe was better. That is totally untrue. The reason he played guard is because Monroe refused to. Albert made that move inside because he was an unselfish player. So before people jump to conclusions, they shouldn't speak at all unless they know the whole story. The people involved in this falsehood were fellow divisional "bashers" not Chief bloggers BRIAN WATERS Waters had a very poor season as well, mostly because of aging. He ranked 20th amongst players at his position, and most of the reason he was that high was because of his excellent pass protection. For the season, he was charged with only giving up one sack. In addition, when blocking straight ahead, he opened a few holes. But his mobility is the problem at this point in his career. His other problems? Penalties. Like Albert, he was the most penalized player at his position in the game. Despite those figures he's still a very good player—just not one of the best anymore. CASEY WEIGMANN Weigmann ranked 23rd out of the 32 starting offensive centers last year. At his age, his better years are behind him, but that doesn't mean he can't play. He was only slightly better at pass blocking than Niswanger, but he graded out much better as a run blocker. Weigman, of course, played in a zone-blocking scheme in Denver and played extremely well these past few years, proving that he was not as washed up as the Chiefs thought. He still excels in making line calls and adjustments, and he can still pull. Remember those classic sweeps that Priest Holmes ran under Vermeil? It was Weigmann that was the first guy down the field, not Roaf or Shields. The problem now, however, is how much does he have left? RYAN LILJA Well, we all know his story, so I won't repeat it. Lilja graded out at 14th at offensive guard—which is very good. It is by far the best grade of any Chief lineman last year. Despite being 290 pounds, it is his run blocking that stood out more than his pass protection. He was in the top five out of 64 guards when it came to screen blocking—great news for the Chiefs with both Albert and Weigmann excelling in that area. He did not give up many sacks, but you have to take into account the quarterback that was behind him all these years. Indianapolis usually leads the NFL in pass protection, but its not because the line is that talented. It's because they have Peyton Manning. It is Manning's intelligence, ability to get rid of the ball quickly, short drops, making quick reads, and throwing the ball away that skewed their stats favorably. Without a doubt though, Lilja will play as well as Cassel plays, which means that Cassel needs to play well. RYAN O'CALLIGHAN Do you really want to know? I didn't think so. Actually I thought he did OK, but looks are deceiving. He finished 57th. He played less than 850 snaps and still gave up nine sacks and was responsible for 24 QB pressures. His run blocking was just as bad, and he got flagged a lot to boot. Its very clear with this guy—bad starter, but decent, experienced backup. As for the backups, well, if everything was great in Kansas City most of the guys mentioned would be the backups. Niswanger provides depth at center. Ndukwe played out of position at tackle, but is really their depth at guard. After that, all bets are off. So where does that leave the Chiefs? They need to get a stud right tackle for sure and a few guys they can groom for the immediate future. Many people now feel that Bulaga and Okung don't seem to fit at this point. But they're wrong. Both of those guys are outstanding run blockers and would be great right tackles. In addition, that player would provide depth at left tackle, should Albert get hurt. Last year, they played the season without one. No matter how you slice it, the Chiefs now have a better line, and that's good news. But it's not rebuilt yet. We'll see where they are after draft days. (Props to HG at HoTC)
Posts: 70,769

03-20-2010, 08:38 AM	#2
Titty Meat Inmem 2.0 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: My house Casino cash: $2027558	I could save that guy time in his write up but just simply saying this: Chiefs O-line sucks.
Posts: 75,439

03-20-2010, 08:46 AM	#3
Hog's Gone Fishin Fish are scared of me Join Date: Nov 2001 Casino cash: $1470477	Didn't realize Albert and Waters both had the most penalties for their respective positions in the league. Also makes you wonder how good Lilja really is now that Superman is not his QB. We do need to draft OL badly. I can live with Clausen/Suh/Berry/Okung/Baluga. Any of those will help our team.
Posts: 40,384

03-20-2010, 08:54 AM	#7
milkman Dumbass! Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Leading the Marty bashing Casino cash: $10029395	I'm not overly concerned about the penalties stats. The majority of those penalties were false starts. Install a brand new scheme just two weeks prior to the start, and that's what you get. __________________
Posts: 70,769

03-20-2010, 09:03 AM	#12
Fairplay A certain set of skills Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: texas Casino cash: $10026683 VARSITY	Chiefs line still needs improvement. Minor changes at best so far.
Posts: 25,265

03-20-2010, 09:05 AM	#14
Marcellus Diablo Negro Join Date: Sep 2003 Casino cash: $2842662	The comment about screen blocking with Lilja, Weigmann, and Albert is good news. With JC's wheels that could be huge.
Posts: 69,466