Offensive Line - still a work in progress

[Hawkscanner]

Just read this on Sheil Kapadia's blog over on ESPN. For those who haven't seen this yet, this is one real encouraging stat ...

4.1 -- The sack percentage on Wilson since Week 8. That's the ninth-best mark in the league. In Weeks 1 through 7, it was 11.7 percent, which ranked 32nd. The offensive line has really done a nice job of keeping him clean.

http://espn.go.com/blog/seattle-sea...that-matter-with-seahawks-qb-russell-wilson-2

Now, some of that has to do with Russell Wilson, who has been getting the ball out quicker in recent weeks. Kapadia notes that against the Steelers, he was getting the ball out faster than he had all year long. That said, a lot of credit obviously needs to go to the Offensive Line (specifically Patrick Lewis I'd say) for just flat out doing a better job of giving Wilson protection. If that trend continues, this Seahawks team is going to be like Godzilla stomping on Tokyo to teams heading down the stretch and into the playoffs.

 

[erik2690]

The 'time to throw' stat is always tricky in my mind. It can give you an idea, but it really isn't a purely QB stat when it comes to RW. For example, the line could just totally break down on a play, with RW as QB he might be able to escape and throw a pass outside the pocket that takes well over 3-4 seconds. QB ____ in that same spot gets sacked immediately and has no 'time to throw' counted on that play. So RW's 'time to throw' stat for that play will be inflated and look on paper like a negative, but you would obviously take it over QB _____ in the exact same situation. To be clear this is a specific scenario and doesn't at all mean he doesn't have an issue with holding it too long. I'm purely saying that with RW the 'time to throw' stat by itself can be inflated and skew a bit more than for some. I is a decent tool, but with this QB a longer time to throw could be just as much on the O-line on certain plays like the scenario I laid out.

Real example from last game, the drop to Helfet was probably a 4+ sec. hold that should have gone for 10+ yards. Just factor that in is all I'm saying, not that he is always getting rid of it on time.

 

[Seafan]

Folks are too stuck on this O-Line talk. Russell has looked like the same player for his entire career....until about a month ago.


It always was about passing the ball on time. He was holding it for too long and putting the guys up front under constant duress. Russell finally figured it out.

Execution by Russ is the biggest part of it but the play calling/game planning with the emphasis on quick throws is also a big part of it. I agree with you though. Russ was mostly responsible for the 2-4 start and it's mostly his play that has turned this around.

 

[MontanaHawk05]

Just read this on Sheil Kapadia's blog over on ESPN. For those who haven't seen this yet, this is one real encouraging stat ...

4.1 -- The sack percentage on Wilson since Week 8. That's the ninth-best mark in the league. In Weeks 1 through 7, it was 11.7 percent, which ranked 32nd. The offensive line has really done a nice job of keeping him clean.

http://espn.go.com/blog/seattle-sea...that-matter-with-seahawks-qb-russell-wilson-2

Now, some of that has to do with Russell Wilson, who has been getting the ball out quicker in recent weeks. Kapadia notes that against the Steelers, he was getting the ball out faster than he had all year long. That said, a lot of credit obviously needs to go to the Offensive Line (specifically Patrick Lewis I'd say) for just flat out doing a better job of giving Wilson protection. If that trend continues, this Seahawks team is going to be like Godzilla stomping on Tokyo to teams heading down the stretch and into the playoffs.

The line may have gotten better simply because Bevell started calling a game that protected them.

 

[Hawkscanner]

Just read this on Sheil Kapadia's blog over on ESPN. For those who haven't seen this yet, this is one real encouraging stat ...

4.1 -- The sack percentage on Wilson since Week 8. That's the ninth-best mark in the league. In Weeks 1 through 7, it was 11.7 percent, which ranked 32nd. The offensive line has really done a nice job of keeping him clean.

http://espn.go.com/blog/seattle-sea...that-matter-with-seahawks-qb-russell-wilson-2

Now, some of that has to do with Russell Wilson, who has been getting the ball out quicker in recent weeks. Kapadia notes that against the Steelers, he was getting the ball out faster than he had all year long. That said, a lot of credit obviously needs to go to the Offensive Line (specifically Patrick Lewis I'd say) for just flat out doing a better job of giving Wilson protection. If that trend continues, this Seahawks team is going to be like Godzilla stomping on Tokyo to teams heading down the stretch and into the playoffs.

The line may have gotten better simply because Bevell started calling a game that protected them.

Well, that may be so ... but at the same time the Offensive Coordinator isn't physically out there hiking the ball and blocking opposing DT's. Consider that stat above. The one thing I ask myself is, "What's changed over that time frame?" The answer I immediately come to is the insertion of Patrick Lewis and the removal of Drew Nowak from the lineup. That statistical improvement coincides about perfectly with that decision. It really illustrates the power of having a C who can effectively make the calls at the line can have for the entire group. Look at the stats from last year on the games Max Unger played and the ones he didn't. You'll find the same basic trend.

I just know that if you take any QB out there (doesn't really matter who) ... bring relentless pressure on him from the second he says, "Hike." on virtually every play ... and you watch that QB rating plummet. Regardless of whatever cool, innovative play may happen to have been called, it won't necessarily be effective. There are legitimate criticisms when it comes to Darrell Bevell's play calling in the past IMO, but I would say that what we're seeing right now is a more a function of better line play than anything else.