What GT does - Pass Blocking

[ilovetheoption]

The downside to this? You're asking your running back to block, an edge rusher, and that's not always the most fantabulous matchup ever invented, you know? Sometimes RB's don’t like getting kerploomied, and get their QB's kerploomied instead, which gets your offense kerploomied, and eventually, your coaching career kerploomied.

3. Half-Slide
Because of this, "Half-slide" (or "Combo") protection was invented. This attempts to take the best of both worlds. 1/2 of the line will slide protect, and the other side and the RB will BOB protect. This gets you the simplicity and stunt pickups of slide protection, while not asking your back to block DL, an instead putting them on a LB (a much more winnable matchup).


In general, the zone-side (including the center) will go to the strongside of the defense, and the BOB side (including the back) will go to the weak side of the defense. The Back is assigned to Mike, which means that the Center has to know to ID Mike as a backer on the weak side of the formation, so the back goes the right way.

In the end, it ends up looking like this:

How can you tell quickly whether it's BOB or halfslide? Look where the back goes. In BOB, the Center has Mike, so the back generally ends up blocking an outside guy. In Half-slide, the Center is involved in a zone block, so the back generally ends up blocking an inside guy. This is especially true, because in Half-Slide, the back is told "if two guys come, you get the inside guy, the QB can either climb up into the pocket, or he's on the hook to find the hot route". The back always protects inside-out.

 

[ilovetheoption]

So, here we are first play of the 2nd quarter vs Pitt:

The slide side is set to the right (little tough to tell because it's an odd defensive front, but watch the right side of the line slide right.

 

[ilovetheoption]

If this were BOB protection, the assignments would be as follows:

But as you see, that's not what happens:

And finally, the play in motion:


Note that RBs can give the old "ole" block on LB's just as well as DE's, but LB's are less likely to end a QB's life, so it's better to have them ole a guy with a number in the 50's than a guy with a number in the 90s. This play is a pretty poor effort by the RB, LOL Tashard Choice will have murdered him in the film room yesterday.

 

[ilovetheoption]

I will note that I won't be covering Play-Action passing in this one. Play action passing involves the OL doing the same thing they'd do on a run play, only not really crossing the line of scrimmage far. The blocking on those is going to look exactly like a run play. (example, on your 2nd interception, this is a play action off of the counter play (note the pulling guard across the formation):



Here's the exact same play, only it works:



Here is one off of split zone action:
(remember the play action I told you about that was possible off of split zone in my "Zone Running" Post? Where the "blocker" responsible for the backside end just runs right past him out into the flat? This is it)

 

[ilovetheoption]

And, really, that's what you guys do. I watched 2 games for examples, and that's all that I saw. (it's possible I missed something, in fairness) So, that's your pass protection game.
BOB, Slide, Half-Slide, PA.

 

[Tech93]

Thanks for this synopsis. I was not an OL when I played and the packages were simpler so good stuff to learn.

 

[Em_Jae20]

Thank you so much for the breakdown @ilovetheoption. It's much appreciated

 

[slugboy]

The QB tries to get rid of the ball just as the LG figures out what's going on
View attachment 11344
The result? Interception, Pitt:

Thanks, I watched that one myself, and was trying to figure out who needed to make that block.

On the twist, you have to decide REALLY quickly to change your block, or you're too late

 

[iceeater1969]

Thanks.
I watched our DL verses their Ol.
We never did stunt or twist. We just straight up brut strength. Sophomores verses Seniors. Pittcdid this a lot at start if game.
To me this was stupid but it could be that we had a plan i could not see.
Any of your comments would be appreciated

Imo, We looked like bend but dont break Gt verses Duke where Qb gets 7 seconds . We got that guy drafted!

 

[ilovetheoption]

Thanks, I watched that one myself, and was trying to figure out who needed to make that block.

On the twist, you have to decide REALLY quickly to change your block, or you're too late

Well, so, this was an even front, and the guy was aligned in the guard's inside gap. For the defensive tackle to come all the way across his face and engage the tackle, the guard should have expected something coming back inside.

If that wasn't the case, and they were just heavily pressuring outside, then that's a pretty easy block for the guard to make, actually, because the Dtackle would have largely taken himself out of the pass rush.

A good rule of line play, is if it seems too easy, it probably is. I think that's just a pretty cruddy play by your left guard

 

[slugboy]

Well, so, this was an even front, and the guy was aligned in the guard's inside gap. For the defensive tackle to come all the way across his face and engage the tackle, the guard should have expected something coming back inside.

If that wasn't the case, and they were just heavily pressuring outside, then that's a pretty easy block for the guard to make, actually, because the Dtackle would have largely taken himself out of the pass rush.

A good rule of line play, is if it seems too easy, it probably is. I think that's just a pretty cruddy play by your left guard

That really makes me wonder how we're practicing, or how many reps he was getting before Saturday. That's much more reaction speed and habit than "thinking".

Thanks.
I watched our DL verses their Ol.
We never did stunt or twist. We just straight up brut strength. Sophomores verses Seniors. Pittcdid this a lot at start if game.
To me this was stupid but it could be that we had a plan i could not see.
Any of your comments would be appreciated

Imo, We looked like bend but dont break Gt verses Duke where Qb gets 7 seconds . We got that guy drafted!

We do have 3 down linemen. We have three LBs who can rush, but that's not the same kind of move.

I either saw us bring 0 or 1 LB--I'm not sure if we ever brought more than that on Saturday.

 

[Yaller Jacket]

Interesting stuff. Let me add my thanks.

This may be a leap based on little info, but based on what I see here, it would seem that a big part of our line's poor play was failure to be clear on who was to block which defender. Something I would assume would be common for guys who hadn't played many live game snaps. Plus I would think continuity of linemen playing together would help them collectively to know what everyone is doing. If true, it doesn't make me smile, but still, players can learn and improve. In other words, it's better than thinking they just aren't good enough to make the blocks.

 

[LongforDodd]

And, really, that's what you guys do. I watched 2 games for examples, and that's all that I saw. (it's possible I missed something, in fairness) So, that's your pass protection game.
BOB, Slide, Half-Slide, PA.

Thanks for all of this each week. It's interesting to learn this stuff.

 

[alagold]

Watching these plays is almost a clinic in what not to do. hmmm

 

[albanyjacket]

So who was playing left guard Saturday?

 

[SOWEGA Jacket]

All of this begs the question - what do we do in practice? If Pitt can run simple twists and our OLine can’t see it and react then why? Do our players not take pride in their position? Do our coaches not care? We had an entire off season and they still don’t recognize a twist? There are fields all over Atlanta for the players to jump in a couple of cars and get in some extra work without coaches. Baseball players don’t just wait until baseball season to hit. Pitchers don’t not work on stuff in the off season. Hoopsters don't work on their handles only during the winter. OLinemen have one freaking job - block someone. How hard is it to learn about the few tricks like twists that a defensive lineman may use? That‘s literally their only job. They don’t have to learn a route tree or learn to pick a hole or learn where everyone else is on the field. OLinemen only need to know where the play is going and then block someone. These video clips of our OLinemen just flailing because a defender plays peek a boo is more depressing than anything else I’ve seen and I loathe the OP for pointing it out (not really). It’s almost like they have no pride. And if they simply can’t react then why are they getting a $80,000 to $100,000 scholarship? Do they close their eyes when blocking? Gibbs and Mason can see a guy coming from the opposite side and can get there to make a block, but an OLineman can’t see the 2 fat guys in front of him are switching spots? I hope our RB’s don’t see this or they may all pull a hammy in practice. Rant over.

 

[Techster]

Great stuff as always, @ilovetheoption . Always dropping knowledge on us GT heathens!

I read a while ago about David Cutcliffe's training QBs. He spends the first month (roughly) with QBs just going over coverages and protections. QBs don't touch the ball or go over the offensive playbook. Just strictly how to read/recognize defenses. Obviously it works because a high percentage of his QBs go on to the NFL and play multiple years, and his QBs always play well.

I wonder if we do something similar with our players. Get them versed in reading defenses, and with the OL, recognizing how defenses can attack our protections and how our OL can neutralize them. I can't fathom why our OLs, with someone coaching them with Key's reputation, are still constantly befuddled by stunts and twists.

 

[ilovetheoption]

All of this begs the question - what do we do in practice? If Pitt can run simple twists and our OLine can’t see it and react then why? Do our players not take pride in their position? Do our coaches not care? We had an entire off season and they still don’t recognize a twist? There are fields all over Atlanta for the players to jump in a couple of cars and get in some extra work without coaches. Baseball players don’t just wait until baseball season to hit. Pitchers don’t not work on stuff in the off season. Hoopsters don't work on their handles only during the winter. OLinemen have one freaking job - block someone. How hard is it to learn about the few tricks like twists that a defensive lineman may use? That‘s literally their only job. They don’t have to learn a route tree or learn to pick a hole or learn where everyone else is on the field. OLinemen only need to know where the play is going and then block someone. These video clips of our OLinemen just flailing because a defender plays peek a boo is more depressing than anything else I’ve seen and I loathe the OP for pointing it out (not really). It’s almost like they have no pride. And if they simply can’t react then why are they getting a $80,000 to $100,000 scholarship? Do they close their eyes when blocking? Gibbs and Mason can see a guy coming from the opposite side and can get there to make a block, but an OLineman can’t see the 2 fat guys in front of him are switching spots? I hope our RB’s don’t see this or they may all pull a hammy in practice. Rant over.

Well, to be fair, I used examples from the most recent game, and most recent game your team didn't play well. Had I used examples from later in the game, OR from another game, or just simply from different plays, it may have been much smoother.

That said, it's always easier to point things out on a low light than it is on a highlight.

Had I done this after the Kennesaw game, it may have looked far different

 

[Ibeeballin]

Thanks.
I watched our DL verses their Ol.
We never did stunt or twist. We just straight up brut strength. Sophomores verses Seniors. Pittcdid this a lot at start if game.
To me this was stupid but it could be that we had a plan i could not see.
Any of your comments would be appreciated

Imo, We looked like bend but dont break Gt verses Duke where Qb gets 7 seconds . We got that guy drafted!

We did we just screwed it up terribly

 

[Lotta Booze]

Not meaning to hijack ilovetheoption's wonderful thread here but it seems related

This play is a 3rd and 8 right after the long TD Pass and I think is a decent example of what Pitt's O Line was successful at and in turn GT's pass rush fell short

We rush 5 on the play to bring pressure in an obvious passing down. We've got 6 guys close to the line and one of the LB's drops into coverage and Charlie Thomas (close to bottom of screen) rushes

#42 is pulling inside of the other 2 rushers and CT comes up on the outside. But even at this early stage you can see the LG for Pitt eyeing #42 coming around and is prepared

In part the angle #42 took was too close to the other guys and also the Pitt OL anticipated it and stuffed him into the others so that 3 rushers are all within a 1 yard radius. With those guys being in a jumbled mess it allowed the tackle to peel off and find Charlie who could've other wise had a free shot at Pickett.

Pickett of course threw a strike and converted. And it wasn't even terrible coverage, just a great throw. This just seemed to happen all game long.