"The OL needs time to gel." Ok. How long does that take?

[RealSNR]

I'm a busy Chiefs fan on the internet, so I need instant and direct answers, please!

I'm as excited about the new OL as everybody else, but I keep hearing this warning from critics, "Ok, but your new OL will need time to gel." Teicher the Dickless even said we could be looking at 1-3 or 0-4 to start the season all because the OL will not have had time to "gel" yet! Seems scary!

I'm trying to think of massive single-offseason OL rebuilds in the past. The recent Cowboys rebuild in the early 2010s was entirely through the draft and took at least two seasons to construct. I think I remember the Chargers doing a full-on rebuild a bit later and being impressed by it, but in typical Chargers fashion is sort of just slowly collapsed and dudes got injured.

Is there a precedent for this kind of thing where we're virtually guaranteed a Week 1 OL full of starters who have never played next to one another in a game? And when they say, "They need time to gel" does that mean a few weeks? Just a game or two? Not until late in the season? And what's the severity of playing with an un-gelled line?

[Perineum Ripper]

[wazu]

I would expect it to take getting at least into the second quarter of the season to "gel". But that doesn't mean they'll be bad at the start. It'll just take them awhile to become the awesome, punishing force that will be rampaging through the playoffs in January and February.

[Chris Meck]

this is dumb.

A non-issue.

You've got some pro bowlers in there with talented youngsters, full OTA's and training camp. They'll be fine.

[Megatron96]

In 2019, the OL played just 56 snaps together (typically a game sees around 65-80 offensive snaps) before the injury train hit the Chiefs.

The starting OL didn’t play as a unit again until week 10. And they were a little rusty until the playoffs, but iirc, they looked like they were’gelling’ week 15 (CHI).

So my guess is about 4-6 weeks.

[oldman]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Brown, Thuney, Long, LDT, Blythe and Remmers are professionals with years of service time, so their knowledge of the line calls will not, in any way, shape or form, become a hindrance to great offensive line play.

By all accounts, Creed Humphrey is not only impressive on field but extremely smart as well, so I don't think it will take him any time to gel with the guys next to him. Morse had zero issues and I expect Humphrey will have zero issues.

The only person that should be even remotely concerning (and I'm stressing remotely) is Lucas Niang, but Niang has had the playbook and access to the terminology for more than a year. He hasn't been in full pads since October 2019 so his timing might be a little off to start Training Camp but I think he'll be fine next to a veteran, whetherthat's LDT or Long.

The bottom line is that no one should be concerned about whether or not the offensive line will "gel" come Week 1.

This. While they may not be at peak performance Week 1, woe be to any opponent come the 2nd quarter of the season.

[duncan_idaho]

The biggest risk to the OL not "gelling" is not even how many of them are brand new. It's how they get through the opening part of the season with regards to injuries.

If the Chiefs new OL gets through training camp and preseason uninjured, I think we'll see strong play over the first part of the season and dominant play as they hit the second quarter of the schedule.

[kccrow]

Know the playbook. Know the protection calls. Communicate. Sprinkle in a dash of knowing the weaknesses of the guys next to you. That's all the gelling there is. Most of these guys are vets, they get it by now. The media acts as though you need a bunch of Einstein's out there to "gel." Just don't be a ****ing idiot that can't remember the playbook and that'll get you 90% of the way there.

[Mama Hip Rockets]

30 seconds.

[srvy]

Originally Posted by kccrow

Know the playbook. Know the protection calls. Communicate. Sprinkle in a dash of knowing the weaknesses of the guys next to you. That's all the gelling there is. Most of these guys are vets, they get it by now. The media acts as though you need a bunch of Einstein's out there to "gel." Just don't be a ****ing idiot that can't remember the playbook and that'll get you 90% of the way there.

This is the perfect explanation of when a coach says they gelled. This thread may be closed now.

[srvy]

Oh and don't ever read or listen to Teicher.

[scho63]

Originally Posted by Cave Johnson

Teicher, as always, is a moron of the highest order.

That guy asks the dumbest ****ing questions at every press conference.

I have no idea how he keeps his job.

[Chief Pagan]

Originally Posted by Mama Hip Rockets

30 seconds.

Does it take more than 5 seconds to rub gel on after a shower?

So you are assuming they have to go one at a time. They can only afford one can of gel or this is some bonding ritual?

[Halfcan]

Originally Posted by srvy

Oh and don't ever read or listen to Teicher.

The guy second-guesses every move the Chief's make with comments like "that is not what I would have preferred" everything out of his mouth has a negative tone.

[jettio]

The only way the Chiefs could lose 2 games in September in the next 15 years is if the personal conduct policy calls for a 4 game suspension if a player for a team in Missouri leaves the toilet seat up and the NFL installs spycams in every bathroom that a Chiefs player takes a piss in. And the league does not announce the suspensions until after the final cuts.

[Kman34]

As long as they don’t drink any of this it won’t be an issue.. I don’t know why anybody would read anything that dumbass Teicher writes anyway..