Does the zone blocking scheme work anymore
- Thread starter Iowa Hog
- Start date
Execution vs scheme. This is the "Chicken and the Egg" of our time.
Now to pop some popcorn....
Now to pop some popcorn....
Name one single pro or college team which does not zone block. Another stupid question from somebody who does not understand offensive line play.
It’s a lot more intricate than “step to the play side and move up”. There are many audibles on the line based on strength, alignment, blitzes, etc. Everyone has to be on the same page.
If you can't execute the zone scheme better than Iowa does most weeks there is no reason to believe you will execute something else better.
It works, but your RB has to be smart and hit the hole. Freddie Russell was the best RB for the zone scheme, that guy could find a hole and hit it.
Wadley is good at it, but its almost like he "dances" too much on the outside runs. He has to just pick a hole and go. Also against the 3-4 its difficult because you do not know who is coming and who isn't.
Wadley is good at it, but its almost like he "dances" too much on the outside runs. He has to just pick a hole and go. Also against the 3-4 its difficult because you do not know who is coming and who isn't.
They also need to say f*** the script and use the cut back lanes when they're there, instead of lowering their heads and plowing into a hundred bodies on the short side of the field for a worthless waste of a play, that basically amounts to a token run play to set up the risk of a pass play.......
But in all seriousness, they're gonna need to scheme....and then execute getting to the LBs better going forward. Teams that shut down our zone, are either starting to do so, or have been doing so with their LBs and how they read and play the scheme.
When we struggle, it's because we're just dancing with guys (LBs in particular here) rather than getting a body on body and driving them back.
Look at Wisconsin and how they had everyone picked up in traffic to allow their guys to find a hole between the tackles. Our LBs were engaged often and had trouble breaking free to stuff the run.
Our zone means they're gonna start off running with their assignments but then at some point they're gonna have to engage and get a push if you want to move the ball....ever.
Or, ya know......look for the cut back lane.
Not sure, why don't you ask Urban Meyer?
I should have asked him. I asked Paul Chryst by mistake.
Darn it, probably get two different answers...I should have asked him. I asked Paul Chryst by mistake.
Problem isn’t the scheme. We ran it in college and it was very effective, until it wasn’t. The challenge is finding consistency which we haven’t been able to do. We’ve got 2 young OT’s are ahead of the curve in pass pro and not very good at run blocking yet.
Part of the problem is while we develop great individuals at OL and sometimes great OL across the board, most years we usually have 1-2 weak links that keep us from executing constently. Throw in injuries with our consistent lack of depth and the problems compound.
I’d say the problem is recruiting which shouldn’t happen since this is an area where we typically put the most players in the NFL.
You also have to give a lot of credit to Wisconsin’s front 7, their coaching staff for gameplanning and their DC for playcalling.
Part of the problem is while we develop great individuals at OL and sometimes great OL across the board, most years we usually have 1-2 weak links that keep us from executing constently. Throw in injuries with our consistent lack of depth and the problems compound.
I’d say the problem is recruiting which shouldn’t happen since this is an area where we typically put the most players in the NFL.
You also have to give a lot of credit to Wisconsin’s front 7, their coaching staff for gameplanning and their DC for playcalling.
Reading this - scheme's...scheme's....and scheme's. Get the players to match the schemes, not the other way around.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2718815-nfl1000-ranking-the-best-offensive-schemes
In today's NFL, not every schematic genius is an innovator. Most aren't, in fact, and that's OK. Innovation is great, but execution is far more important. You can only invent so much, and the league's 32 coaching staffs are looking to get the edge on all the other coaching staffs at any given time. What the best play designers must do for their teams is understand their personnel and marry that personnel to their playbooks. It's important to note that marrying personnel to scheme is the way to success—not the other way around.
If you have a bunch of smaller, quicker linemen who excel in zone and you insist on running gap power to the detriment of your offense, or you have a group of small receivers who cut angles and run option routes like experts and you miscast them in a vertical offense, it's nobody's fault but yours when it doesn't work out.
The best offensive schemes in the NFL have two things in common: They work more often than they don't because the playbook and players match up, and the people who put those plays in motion are flexible enough to create new plays for personnel when rosters change, which they do all the time.
I actually think we get into trouble quite often when going away from zone in short yardage situations. We consistently run power in those situations and it hardly ever works. Maybe that's just confirmation bias on my part but seems that way to me.
We never heard much about this 'stacked box' phenomenon until GD got to Iowa. Because of his passing scheme and lack of vertical game, teams started playing cover 1 and cover 0 against us which allows them to roll safeties up and send backers when we are in our 'pro sets' (1 or 2 TE's, FB +TE, etc.). That puts extra people in the 'box'. No, we are not blocking outside zone (stretch) well this year, because our young OT's and our TE's are getting beat bad on the edge a great deal of the time. but the only way to get defenders out of the 'box' is either by formation (going 3 or 4 WR's) or by developing a good vertical passing game which forces the other team out of cover 1 or cover 0 and makes them give safety help to the passing game, not the run game, and backs the safeties up.
The new passing scheme is actually trying to accomplish that, we're just not very good or consistent at it yet. I think they are going in the right direction with the new scheme and we just have to block better at times. The coaches and players are really frustrated because this team is, has been, so close to being really successful and just can't get out of it's own way at times with all the stupid little mistakes and drops, etc.
The new passing scheme is actually trying to accomplish that, we're just not very good or consistent at it yet. I think they are going in the right direction with the new scheme and we just have to block better at times. The coaches and players are really frustrated because this team is, has been, so close to being really successful and just can't get out of it's own way at times with all the stupid little mistakes and drops, etc.
My ex wife had 8 or 9 in her box...that is why I had to get rid of her...
It works, but with Iowa’s youth at tackle they don’t have the ability to just line up and say here it is, we’re coming right at you so stop it. It’s been stopped over and over again this year. It needs to be offset with formations and off script playcalling. There is nothing wrong with digging people out of the box formation wise before the play is run. It’s ok to run the football in a 5 wide set.
Zone blocking is not the problem. We need to do a better job of picking up blitzes and make teams pay when they load the box against us.
You obviously don't know what 'zone' blocking is nor what loading the box means. But thanks for you in-depth analysis.
Excellent post Muskie....tried using facts like this in banter before and was labeled as calling people stupid and morons. Got tired of trying to do it so I went right to the moron post. What you posted is exactly why football is the best sport ever. Plays that work are great calls and ones that do not --- are not...that simple
once and awhile you have to run straight forward with quicker developing plays. You also need to make things hard on the backside DE. Iowa never does. Either your qb has to keep once and awhile or you must run jet sweep action. Pull some lineman occasionally as well and actually toss it to your rb so they can run wide quick and read where the hole is. This is why Wisconsin rb's are always so tough.
I've noticed a lot of teams countering our zone blocking attack by coming in from the back side. If the RB doesn't find hole quickly, they get caught dancing in the backfield.
Yup. They put 'speed' guys (DE's or LB's) at the ends and teach the unblocked backside end to sprint 'flat' behind the line.
