Offensive Line

[ThunderDan]

After last nights game I feel a lot better about our O-Line than what I had seen in the preseason.

Many posters were saying the low sack totals from last year were due to Favre's quick release.

The Packers O-Line allowed zero sacks to what many sports writers/idiots said would be the top of the charts D-Line.

Farve with his quick release was sacked 3 times by Miami. Of course he isn't as familiar with his check downs in NY. But the Jets O-Line is pretty good in my opinion (at least the left side is).

[sheepshead]

This is a good group and has been for sometime. You cant argue with the results year in and year out. Also..anyone that just watches on TV doesnt get the whole story--no way.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Let's give it up for Daryn Colledge.

Chad just did what he does.


No wonder Allen was calling his performance the least productive of his career.

“Clifton is a good player,” Allen said. “He has good hands and good feet. It always seemed like his middle was in front of me.”

[Tony Oday]

All I have to say is STOP HOLDING! :)

[boiga]

Agreed, I've bashed Colledge before, but he was positively studly last night. He even made the big push in the middle that allowed for Rodgers QB sneak.

Moll... I'm less certain about. Now if wells and sitton both get healthy, it'll be an interesting question who ends up holding those positions. If Daryn proves he can handle the job, would they still move spitz over to RG to give Sitton a shot? I don't really trust Sitton's experience level at this point. Then again, if we certainly have options if someone gets injured down the line.

[The Leaper]

Personally, I'm going to keep bashing the OL...as long as it fires them up to play like this.

Those OL clowns are worthless.

[Noodle]

First, it really is hard to judge how well the line is playing from the TV.

BUT, A-Rod seemed to have plenty of time to throw most of the time, and Colledge did seem to be getting some push and was pretty solid in pass pro. I've been a consistent basher of the guy as an interior lineman, but he showed up big against a seriously good DL.

I'd love to see how all the OL graded out after film study.

I also agree that OLs play best when they feel disrespected. When they start patting themselves on the back, like they used to do sometimes during the Green years, that's when you can count on a ass-poor performance.

[3irty1]

I'd love to see College solidify himself at Guard. It'll be nice to get Wells back.

[boiga]

From PFW (http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/The+Way+We+Hear+It/Whispers/2008/wrapup090708.htm)
The consensus among our Packers sources is that, after he returns from his sprained medial collateral ligament in about 2-3 weeks, rookie OG Josh Sitton is going to have a hard time working his way back into competition for a starting job.

I suppose it depends who gets healthy first. If Sitton recovers before Wells, he might be able to out compete Moll for the RG position. Otherwise, I don't see him pushing Colledge or Spitz out of the OL.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I hope Wells stays on the bench. I think C is Spitz's best postion.

I thought Moll played well, and he has a shot to hold-down the RG position. More likely Sitton will replace him when he gets back.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I hope Wells stays on the bench. I think C is Spitz's best postion.

I thought Moll played well, and he has a shot to hold-down the RG position. More likely Sitton will replace him when he gets back.

That's because that is what you thought before the game. Wells is tons better than Moll. I suspect the coaches agree, and Wells will go back to starting when he's healthy.

[Zool]

Maybe Sitton comes back strong again and its Colledge, Spitz and Sitton. Maybe Moll removes his head from his anus and plays well this weak against the Lions.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Maybe Sitton comes back strong again and its Colledge, Spitz and Sitton. Maybe Moll removes his head from his anus and plays well this weak against the Lions.

As soon as Wells is healthy, there's ZERO doubt he'll be starting.

[mraynrand]

Maybe Sitton comes back strong again and its Colledge, Spitz and Sitton. Maybe Moll removes his head from his anus and plays well this weak against the Lions.

As soon as Wells is healthy, there's ZERO doubt he'll be starting.

What if Sitton is healthy first. He goes in for Moll and perhaps Spitz stays at center? Something seems fishy about Wells - like he won't be able to go at all for a long time.

[mission]

Maybe Sitton comes back strong again and its Colledge, Spitz and Sitton. Maybe Moll removes his head from his anus and plays well this weak against the Lions.

As soon as Wells is healthy, there's ZERO doubt he'll be starting.

What if Sitton is healthy first. He goes in for Moll and perhaps Spitz stays at center? Something seems fishy about Wells - like he won't be able to go at all for a long time.

ya cuz he was "basically better" and then the injury re-occurred recently didnt it?

[Zool]

Maybe Sitton comes back strong again and its Colledge, Spitz and Sitton. Maybe Moll removes his head from his anus and plays well this weak against the Lions.

As soon as Wells is healthy, there's ZERO doubt he'll be starting.

I cant say that with any certainty. If Wells is out until the 5th or 6th game and the line is playing well, do they shuffle the whole thing?

[HarveyWallbangers]

I cant say that with any certainty. If Wells is out until the 5th or 6th game and the line is playing well, do they shuffle the whole thing?

We'll see. I think Wells has more security than many thing. If Donald Lee was injured for a handful of games and Tory Humphrey tore it up, I'm sure he'd still get his starting spot back when he got healthy. I think Wells is in the same spot.

[Zool]

Ha

[mraynrand]

I cant say that with any certainty. If Wells is out until the 5th or 6th game and the line is playing well, do they shuffle the whole thing?

We'll see.

Partial?

[HarveyWallbangers]

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=792946


If Wells comes back, the coaches will have to decide where to play his replacement, Jason Spitz. More than likely it would be at right guard in place of Tony Moll. But they might also want to pave the way for Sitton's return and move Spitz to left guard.

[mraynrand]

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=792946


If Wells comes back, the coaches will have to decide where to play his replacement, Jason Spitz. More than likely it would be at right guard in place of Tony Moll. But they might also want to pave the way for Sitton's return and move Spitz to left guard.

Spitz looked pretty bad at LG in preseason - but it was preseason. The coaches seem to want him on the field ahead of Colledge.

[Noodle]

I'm telling ya, I think an injury like the one Wells has is going to be a constantly re-occurring nightmare for the guy. Friggin lower backs are just a bitch, and unlike a joint problem, there's no sure-fire surgical fix. There's just no way an OLineman can play through the kind of pain and muscle locking that occurrs with a lower back injury.

I'm not trying to be a little black raincloud, I'm just saying we better get used to Wells being in and out of the lineup all year.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I hope Wells stays on the bench. I think C is Spitz's best postion.

I thought Moll played well, and he has a shot to hold-down the RG position. More likely Sitton will replace him when he gets back.

That's because that is what you thought before the game. Wells is tons better than Moll. I suspect the coaches agree, and Wells will go back to starting when he's healthy.

I did not have an opinion about Moll, but he is big and he played well. My opinion on Wells is he gets blown-out too much. I hope Spitz replaces him, maybe it is wishful thinking. I'd like to see Colledge-Spitz-Sitton, I think they could go the furtherst.

[Gunakor]

I'd like to see the line that dominated the Vikings front 4 continue to dominate everyone else. If that can't happen then I'd like to see the line that dominated mostly everybody at the end of last season. Sitton might be good, but it makes no sense rushing him into the starting lineup if the guys playing now are getting the job done. If it ain't broke, why fix it?

[texaspackerbacker]

The way the commentators explained it, Moll was SUPPOSED TO BE firing out across the line as if the QB hits the quick pass. That would inevitably leave him down field illegally on the other option--the pump and go like Rodgers threw to Driver. If that's the case, then there really is no second option--the kind of pass Driver caught.

That says to me that the commentators are idiots, and Moll should NOT have been down field.

Does anybody know for sure what is supposed to trigger the guard to move out down field--seeing the ball in the air or whatever?

[Harlan Huckleby]

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=792946

Not his fault

Moll appeared to have made a boneheaded mistake in the third quarter when he was flagged for illegally being downfield on a play in which quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed a 68-yard touchdown pass to receiver Donald Driver.

There was no apparent reason for Moll to be downfield.

It turns out, it was a play in which Rodgers signaled an audible to Driver on a called running play, so neither Moll nor any of his other linemates knew a pass was coming. Moll was out trying to block the middle linebacker when he was penalized.

"We'll absolve him," McCarthy said.

[Lurker64]

Well, as I understand it this play is a sort of run/pass option. Everybody but Rodgers and Driver are supposed to play as though it's a running play, and when the ball is snapped Rodgers instantly looks to see if the coverage on Driver is favorable, and if not he hands the ball off, if it is he throws a quick pass to Driver.

Moll was just going downfield looking for a LB to block, which is what he should have done if Rodgers handed the ball off (as was the call as far as Moll is concerned.)

At least part of the blame here has to go to Rodgers for not getting the ball to Driver quick enough, but you can't ask the kid to be 100% perfect.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Moll had two penalties for being downfield on passes. Larry McCerran remarked that neither of them were his fault. But even if they were partially his fault, I don't give a flying fig. It is an easily correctable mistake.

The main takeaway is that Moll played very well, he looks like a quality backup for three positions on the line, and maybe even has a shot to keep the starting job at RG. Hip-hip-horay.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I'm guessing privately Moll was given some heat by McCarthy. Publicly, McCarthy took the heat off him. Maybe not. Seems strange that in McCarthy's initial comments he said that based on the design of the play that it shouldn't have been a problem. He would have known at that time it was a run/pass option play, so that part shouldn't have surprised him and made him change his mind.

[Harlan Huckleby]

there was at least one other lineman downfield besides Moll on the TD throw.

[pbmax]

Colledge did the exact same thing last year and got away with it 5 yards down the field, covered in a thread quite well. And somewhere on the first two pages of Packers Threads currently is a new O Line thread referencing the play.

It got a mention in Easterbrook's column on ESPN last year and that triggered the thread.

[pbmax]

I see the logic here, but we have all been wrong on their OLine preferences this year. My best guess is Silverstein is right, Wells goes back in and Spitz to RG. When Sitton comes back, then I think Wells or Colledge might find a seat.


http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=792946


If Wells comes back, the coaches will have to decide where to play his replacement, Jason Spitz. More than likely it would be at right guard in place of Tony Moll. But they might also want to pave the way for Sitton's return and move Spitz to left guard.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I see the logic here, but we have all been wrong on their OLine preferences this year. My best guess is Silverstein is right, Wells goes back in and Spitz to RG. When Sitton comes back, then I think Wells or Colledge might find a seat.


http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=792946


If Wells comes back, the coaches will have to decide where to play his replacement, Jason Spitz. More than likely it would be at right guard in place of Tony Moll. But they might also want to pave the way for Sitton's return and move Spitz to left guard.

Wells isn't immune. I just think he's a lot safer than Colledge, Moll, and Sitton. It's likely going to be Colledge-Wells-Spitz again--unless Sitton can show the coaches he deserves a shot. Looks like Barbre will have to wait until next year. I think they like Moll as the super sub. He's the backup for Tauscher at RT also.