? For you OL watchers

How much better has Britt been?

seems like the Hawks run right a lot over Sweezy and Britt and Britt has been good at run blocking this year.

But i haven't noticed him getting beat on passing downs like he was regulary through 2/3 of the season. Seems last few weeks RW has had cleaner pockets allowing him to play in rhythm.

Britt has really stepped up his pass pro game as the season wound down. Over the last few games, they have left him on an island without additional tight end help. The first game they did this, he really struggled and, somewhere on here, I remarked on it as I couldn't figure out why they weren't giving him the help they had previously.

I am guessing that the point was to get the tight end into space to give Wilson an additional threat as we have seen drastically increased production from the tight end spot in the last few games.

Britt is still playing like a rook. Still struggles with the edge pass rush as he doesn't move laterally quickly enough and his arms are short.

I'll be interested in the all 22 to see how much Carolina tested him on the edge this game. I kind of have the feeling they were bringing more interior pressure. That would make Britt look better this game than he really is because he is so much better against inside pressure.

I suppose I should put in a disclaimer after the last O-line thread I commented on. The fact that I say that he is playing better does not mean I think that he is playing awesome or great or top 10 or anything of the sort. Changing your play from sub-par to average is an improvement.

- bsd

bigskydoc":1h2gjurj said:

Britt has really stepped up his pass pro game as the season wound down. Over the last few games, they have left him on an island without additional tight end help. The first game they did this, he really struggled and, somewhere on here, I remarked on it as I couldn't figure out why they weren't giving him the help they had previously.

I am guessing that the point was to get the tight end into space to give Wilson an additional threat as we have seen drastically increased production from the tight end spot in the last few games.

Britt is still playing like a rook. Still struggles with the edge pass rush as he doesn't move laterally quickly enough and his arms are short.

- bsd

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I'd say he's still got a ways to go

[vine]ODuKbqL2qvl[/vine]

Dizzlepdx":11573g8z said:

bigskydoc":11573g8z said:

Britt has really stepped up his pass pro game as the season wound down. Over the last few games, they have left him on an island without additional tight end help. The first game they did this, he really struggled and, somewhere on here, I remarked on it as I couldn't figure out why they weren't giving him the help they had previously.

I am guessing that the point was to get the tight end into space to give Wilson an additional threat as we have seen drastically increased production from the tight end spot in the last few games.

Britt is still playing like a rook. Still struggles with the edge pass rush as he doesn't move laterally quickly enough and his arms are short.

- bsd

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I'd say he's still got a ways to go

[vine]ODuKbqL2qvl[/vine]

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1 play does not describe a player. Nice to use a gif where they scored a TD.

Basis4day":1idgfzms said:

1 play does not describe a player. Nice to use a gif where they scored a TD.

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I didn't want the whole post to be a downer. And you are correct, one play can't represent the whole of a player, but you don't see really good players look this bad.

Yikes. It ended up being a very good thing Carolina blitzed on that down and showed it pre-snap so Wilson could get ready to get rid of it. If Britt got worked like that without a blitz on, with Wilson thinking he might have a chance back there, that's one busted play. Instead it's six points.

Britt wasn't the only one, seems to me Sweezy got just dusted, man I cannot remember what play that was but he basically offered no resistance he was worked so hard.

And yet with Bevell actually running blitz-beaters and Russell executing like a champ, we've gone from inept to dangerous in blitz situations.

And despite an obvious screw up or two, most of the game I felt Russell had all damn day back there. My guess is, when not blitzing, Carolina was doing what we did and that was putting a premium on containment, and perhaps missing Star out there also being able to distort the middle of the pocket all on his own. That and the Unger factor.

Who knows what Capers will do, but if he sacrifices contain for the sake of pressure then we may see worse pass protection but we'll also see Russell just destroy them by escaping the pocket. They've been playing Matthews inside is my understanding, if I were them this would be the game to line him up opposite Britt so we should be ready to either audible to a run or always have an outlet or hot route ready when we see it. Or chip I suppose.

Dizzlepdx":3sc62e8h said:

I'd say he's still got a ways to go

[vine]ODuKbqL2qvl[/vine]

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I'd say look at it again.

Here is another perspective.....What I find interesting is I thought it was by design! by them sending 2 on the c gap, we feigned blocking them and allowed them to rush freely which would have set up lynch nicely for the screen style dump off to the outside. however...since the corner picked up on lynch (Seeing lynch free) he picks up lynch and leaves willson alone, Willson was read 1 i'm guessing and since the corner bit, and the 2 linemen crashed in so fast it was perfect...... I'm sure that wasn't by design, but it may have been...

hawks4thewin":dam3oyu2 said:

Here is another perspective.....What I find interesting is I thought it was by design! by them sending 2 on the c gap, we feigned blocking them and allowed them to rush freely which would have set up lynch nicely for the screen style dump off to the outside. however...since the corner picked up on lynch (Seeing lynch free) he picks up lynch and leaves willson alone, Willson was read 1 i'm guessing and since the corner bit, and the 2 linemen crashed in so fast it was perfect...... I'm sure that wasn't by design, but it may have been...

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Not this time. Britt doesn't look like a guy who let the guy go to pull off a screen.

hawk45":3mhq5luf said:

Britt wasn't the only one, seems to me Sweezy got just dusted, man I cannot remember what play that was but he basically offered no resistance he was worked so hard.

.

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The guy head up over Sweezy dropped into coverage. Can you quantify your statement?

Jville":al6qztmb said:

Dizzlepdx":al6qztmb said:

I'd say he's still got a ways to go

[vine]ODuKbqL2qvl[/vine]

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I'd say look at it again.

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What am I looking at specifically?

Dizzlepdx":2382purk said:

Basis4day":2382purk said:

1 play does not describe a player. Nice to use a gif where they scored a TD.

Click to expand...

I didn't want the whole post to be a downer. And you are correct, one play can't represent the whole of a player, but you don't see really good players look this bad.

Click to expand...

Looked like they were setting up a screen to Marshawn, so he may have let them go by.

rideaducati":2cb5382w said:

Dizzlepdx":2cb5382w said:

Basis4day":2cb5382w said:

1 play does not describe a player. Nice to use a gif where they scored a TD.

Click to expand...

I didn't want the whole post to be a downer. And you are correct, one play can't represent the whole of a player, but you don't see really good players look this bad.

Click to expand...

Looked like they were setting up a screen to Marshawn, so he may have let them go by.

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Three things that run counter to this theory:

1)No o-line coach would ever teach technique for blocking on a screen, even if you're not releasing
2)No linemen release like they would on a screen
3)RW talked about this in the post game and said that play was going to Willson the whole time, he looked to Marshawn to hold the corner as wide as possible

http://www.seahawks.com/videos-phot...Panthers/5abdcc0f-d7db-4498-a959-79dda4c200c1 starts about 5:10

Britt got beat on the play, pure and simple. No screen setup, just a veteran move by Johnson to get around Britt.

Britt's biggest weakness is the outside rush. Carolina knows this and is looking to take advantage of it toward the end of the game by lining up two vets outside Britt and bringing both of them as part of a five man rush (showed 6 man but pulled one out into coverage).

Britt, as he is coached, picks up the inside guy, Johnson, and leaves Davis uncovered. That is fine, take the inside guy solid and leave the outside guy for Russ to worry about. Earlier in the year, you could confuse Britt with this rush. He would try to take both, and would end up blocking neither. Now, he has fundamentally improved and takes the inside guy straight up like he should.

However, the vet has a surprise for our rookie friend.

Johnson sells a fake inside rush perfectly with a double move and Britt buys it. Johnson comes of the edge and sets the outside (left foot) for a cut to the inside. Britt reacts and positions himself perfectly to cut off this angle of attack, but Johnson has a surprise and cuts back to the outside after he gets Britt's momentum working to the inside and he gives Britt a little aikido style shove with the outside (left) arm to keep Britt off balance and propel Johnson past him. A great move by a wily vet.

You could chalk this up to Britt setting up the screen. More than once I have seen the Hawks pull that. The tell here is that instead of Britt looking for the pass so he can run downfield to block, he stumbles back to his right trying to get back into the backfield for some sort of block. Also, the other linemen stay engaged.

There is no surprise here. Britt is going to give up a play like this once in a while. He's a rookie and he has a well-know, exploitable weakness that teams are taking advantage of with vets. Johnson is in his 8th year and Davis his 10th. Any surprise they are lining those guys up over Britt?

Earlier in the season the Hawks would give Britt some support with the tight end, but in the last few games they are leaving him on an island and focusing on quick plays when the pressure comes from that side. It seems to be working nicely.

- bsd

A better gif of what I was talking about.



- bsd

bigskydoc":21p99hls said:

A better gif of what I was talking about.

- bsd

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Holy crap that's terrible on both sides. Unger and Sweeney are solid but the left side is a s#!t show. Good thing RW got the ball out quick.

Just as a counterpoint to the example posted above, here is a sequence of 6 sequential pass plays from the 1st quarter. I have removed a punt, the Wilson fumble, and the one run by Lynch that occurred during this sequence.

Pay special attention to Britt who is mostly working against Johnson, the same guy who beat him to the QB in the previously posted play.

[vimeo]116627338[/vimeo]

He was an absolute beast in pass pro here and the rest of the line looks pretty good too.

Note that on the last play (the "goggles" touchdown to Baldwin), the pressure coming from the right by Davis is not a blown block by Britt, he has a great block on Johnson. It is Willson who completely blows his coverage leaving Davis with a free lane to the QB.


- bsd RPA