Intrasquad Scrimmage Question

[NoVaDMak]

From what I heard earlier, the Packers o-line hasn't done any live cut blocks for fear of injuring one of our own players. With the intrasquad scrimmage coming up, are we going to see any live blocking ie. cut blocks or anything along those lines?

[pittstang5]

I doubt it, maybe preseason games.

[Badgepack]

They are going to be using cut-blocking in the scrimmage I read.

[woodbuck27]

Uhhh??

HOPE . . . NOT !!!!

Yet weird things happen - history has a way of repeating itself.

Cut blocks against their OWN - Nooooooooooo !

[HarveyWallbangers]

They are going to be using cut-blocking in the scrimmage I read.

As did I. McCarthy said the OL needs to practice it, and the DL needs to practice against it since they'll be playing Atlanta in a couple of weeks.

[Badgepack]

Packers notes: Cut-block makes cut
JASON WILDE
608-252-6176
jwilde@madison.com
GREEN BAY - Although the cut-block is a controversial-but-necessary staple of the Green Bay Packers' new zone-blocking run scheme, the offensive linemen have yet to actually execute one through the first six days of training camp.

That will all change Saturday, when they'll use the cut-block during live portions of the team's Family Night Scrimmage at Lambeau Field.

Asked Thursday if he was concerned about his offensive linemen using the potentially dangerous technique on their own teammates on the other side of the ball, coach Mike McCarthy said, "Not really, because it's no different than tackling. Defensive people are going to tackle, offensive people are going to cut. A, the offense needs to do it, and B, the defense needs to defend it.

"It's a part of the game; it's not an illegal act or anything like that. But it's a part of the way we're going to play and part of the way we're going to play against. We're going to play Atlanta in the second week of the preseason, so we need to get ready for it."

The technique, which is legal as long as it is done within a prescribed area and the defender isn't engaged with another blocker, entails aiming low to "cut" his legs out from underneath him. Alex Gibbs, the former offensive line coach in Denver and Atlanta, made it a staple of those teams' offenses, and Packers offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski learned the scheme from Gibbs with the Falcons the last two years.

Gibbs' zone-blocking scheme is predicated on the back making only one move. The cut-blocking not only slows the pursuit of back-side defenders, it also clears the running back's vision if he has nowhere to go on the play-side and needs to go back against the grain.

NFL referee Bill Carollo, a Shorewood native who is in town to give a presentation to the players today and officiate Saturday night's scrimmage, said Thursday that the legal cut-block zone is a 6 yard-by-10 yard box around the ball: 3 yards beyond the line of scrimmage, 3 yards behind the line of scrimmage and 5 yards on either side of the ball.

"We have a legal clipping zone. It's legal to block low in there," Carollo said. "The knee or below is the danger area. If it's a cheap shot away from the play, we're going to (flag) that. It's going to be a (15-yard) foul."

The league has made penalizing players for cut-blocking away from the play a point of emphasis this year, and the crackdown is designed to reduce injuries.

Last season, Carolina defensive ends Julius Peppers and Mike Rucker each suffered sprained ankles on cut-blocks by Atlanta linemen. Two years ago, Cincinnati defensive tackle Tony Williams and Jacksonville defensive end Paul Spicer suffered season-ending leg injuries on back-side cut-blocks by Denver linemen.

"As a former defensive player, I'm totally against cut-blocking of any sort," Packers general manager Ted Thompson, who played 10 years in the NFL, said with a smile. "Every offense in the league, whether we call this a zone-blocking team or a man-blocking team, these cut-blocks occur in every game with every offensive line.

"You wouldn't want it to happen to your son. But, it's not going to change the way we go about it, because you can still do a lot of other things that we need to do."

[ND72]

They will use cut blocking in the scrimmage...both the OL, and the Defense need to be used to the cut blocks. Again, it's not a dangerous block...it's not. it's done all the time by everyone, our OL did it from time to time in sherman's offense as well, but nobody complained then. AND, Driver cuts all the time. We need to all get over the cut block thing...it's legal, and not dangerous. CHOP blocks are dangerous.

[GBRulz]

I'm actually glad to see them doing this instead of waiting until game time. Sure, none of us want to see any injuries, but that's the nature of the beast I guess.

[woodbuck27]

Yea !

Maybe they could as well organize ala, one of Mike Sherman's famous Off Field activities . . but this time not Dodge Ball or Bowling but rather . .

Pick up sides - and have an Organized ROCK FIGHT?

[the_idle_threat]

Cinder blocks are dangerous too if they hit you on the fly.