[CTcard]

[quote author=OutsiderFan link=topic=17218.msg197823#msg197823 date=1503682438]
After observing football for nearly 40 years, it is my opinion that the whole "offensive line gelling" thing is an excuse for poor performance more than a meaningful reality.  The best players play the best.

Given the options the QB has at the line I believe jelling like in the NFL is very important

Of course agree so is skill

I think you are both correct. It depends on the situation. ...
[/quote]

One thing to remember that "jelling" isn't just some mystical feat of oneness. There are some very specific issues here.

Go watch a bad offensive line pass block. There are roughly two ways they get beat. Sometimes, one on one, the offensive guy gets beat.
But perhaps more often, it's more complicated. You often see two OL easily holding off one pass rusher at the same time another guy goes unimpeded at the QB. This is more common after a stunt of some sort, but happens on straight rushes as well.

In the former case, one way or the other, the individual OL guy simply wasn't good enough. In the latter, the OL as a unit fails even if each individual is much better than the opponent across the line. It's a bigger effect in pass blocking, but occurs in run blocking as well - particularly in zone schemes where somebody doesn't get to the proper zone.

A good example from Stanford is 2014. That OL was: Peat, Garnett, Shuler, Caspers, Murphy. No problem with talent there, but four of the five were first year starters. That OL struggled - sacks were up, our run game yds/play was down, etc.
At the end of the season, the OL performance picked up. The next year, four of the five were back. The one guy gone was Peat - so that definitely didn't indicate an increase in talent in 2015. Yet the line was much better. yds/carry great, sacks down (but still a bit high vs glory years).
It's not a perfect illustration, because individuals got better over the year as well, but I think about as good a case as you can find.

My fear for this year is that compared to 2014, more of the problems in pass blocking in 2016 looked like individual failings. Whoever was at either OT position got run around repeatedly. The center got bull rushed often. The guards were individually the best players, but one of those is gone.

[CTcard]

[quote author=OutsiderFan link=topic=17218.msg197823#msg197823 date=1503682438]
After observing football for nearly 40 years, it is my opinion that the whole "offensive line gelling" thing is an excuse for poor performance more than a meaningful reality.  The best players play the best.

Given the options the QB has at the line I believe jelling like in the NFL is very important

Of course agree so is skill

I think you are both correct. It depends on the situation. ...
[/quote]

One thing to remember that "jelling" isn't just some mystical feat of oneness. There are some very specific issues here.

Go watch a bad offensive line pass block. There are roughly two ways they get beat. Sometimes, one on one, the offensive guy gets beat.
But perhaps more often, it's more complicated. You often see two OL easily holding off one pass rusher at the same time another guy goes unimpeded at the QB. This is more common after a stunt of some sort, but happens on straight rushes as well.

In the former case, one way or the other, the individual OL guy simply wasn't good enough. In the latter, the OL as a unit fails even if each individual is much better than the opponent across the line. It's a bigger effect in pass blocking, but occurs in run blocking as well - particularly in zone schemes where somebody doesn't get to the proper zone.

A good example from Stanford is 2014. That OL was: Peat, Garnett, Shuler, Caspers, Murphy. No problem with talent there, but four of the five were first year starters. That OL struggled - sacks were up, our run game yds/play was down, etc.
At the end of the season, the OL performance picked up. The next year, four of the five were back. The one guy gone was Peat - so that definitely didn't indicate an increase in talent in 2015. Yet the line was much better. yds/carry great, sacks down (but still a bit high vs glory years).
It's not a perfect illustration, because individuals got better over the year as well, but I think about as good a case as you can find.

My fear for this year is that compared to 2014, more of the problems in pass blocking in 2016 looked like individual failings. Whoever was at either OT position got run around repeatedly. The center got bull rushed often. The guards were individually the best players, but one of those is gone.