Please help with dissecting the game of Charles Cross

[toffee]

Cross is our BEST linemen by a mile, but he gave up a lot of pressures. PFF credited Cross with 26 hurries, most of his peers less than 10.

To my untrained eyes, I noticed that he seldom stop the income pass rushers upon contact, Cross landing his hands on his opponents' chest seldom stop them. In fact, Cross was pushed towards the QB with his hands on his opponent, directly towards the QB, not being pushed 1-2 yards behind the QB.

My unscientic observation, last year, he and the guy he was blocking could end up to be 2-3 ft from the QB, this year, it maybe 4-5 ft from the QB this year.

Is that a strength issue or technique?

 

[Maelstrom787]

I don't think it really is an issue, quite honestly. Tackles in pass protection are expected to lose ground. It's physics - the edge rushers is coming toward them at speed with momentum, and the tackle is setting back to meet that momentum.

A great tackle is better than others at arresting momentum, and to your point, the punch is a big part of that. It's about not just arresting momentum, it's about gaining leverage on the defender and redirecting them into a controllable position.

Cross does get pushed back, but the majority of tackles do. Personally, in pass protection, I don't care if they cede an extra foot or so as long as the pocket is maintained.

Cross isn't a brute. He's a technician who wins on savvy and really great mirroring skills. He's got fantastic recovery. In college, he looked like houdini - he'd look like he lost a rep only to almost teleport back to the defender, squared up, and still balanced. I knew then he was worth the selection, even though I'd admittedly soured on his due to his middling physical testing.

I've been very pleased with Cross, even in his first 2 years. He is everything you need out of a left tackle. He isn't the best in the league, but if he keeps growing at this rate, he'll be a consistent top-5.

TL;DR: This is mostly by design. OT has to cede ground to maintain control of the edge rusher. As long as pocket integrity isn't compromised by the defensive penetration, should be considered a win.

 

[keasley45]

If the run to pass ratio was a bit better balanced, his nunbers would likely be better. Its logical to expect that even a great o lineman will begin to give up more ground than he should if he is constantly in backpedal mode with a 280 lb edge rusher tee'ing off on him 70 percent of the snaps.