Ray Roberts interview on the OL, Cable, Bevell, and Ifedi

Really great interview with former Seahawks OT Ray Roberts and his thoughts on the offense:

[youtube]H96UR9W3IEk[/youtube]

Few notes from it (shout out Seahawks reddit) -

How the Seahawks run their ZBS is a problem because once they take a step to the right and Russell puts the ball out, it's gonna be a run. The linebackers and defenders know exactly where it's going and they come right downhill and defend it. When you look at some of the stuff Kansas City was doing, having motions in the backfield and they run the zone with it. So they have more things for defenders to look at and read.


Thought of Ifedi to the inside:
When they do pass protection, Ifedi does the same angle, the same set, every single time. If you're a defensive linemen, you can game-plan that. You can setup every move you have because you know every single drop back pass he's going to go to the same exact spot, every single time. So then as a offensive linemen you aren't dictating to the defense at all in that situation, they are dictating to you. You have to react to what they're going to do. I think it would be better to give him more tools in his toolbox, so he can go after dudes a little sooner and get to the intersect point a lot faster.


When Duane Brown came, as his tenure here got longer, with Cable, you could see some of his play deteriorating. I thought man, the technique here is messing him up. When he first came here he blocked the way he always has and was doing great. Then all of a sudden you could start to see the Tom Cable influences. That's the technique that jacked up Duane Brown and that's the technique that I think has really affected Ifedi's ability to get to the outside on an edge rusher because you're giving so much attention to the inside and you only have one arm to stop a dude on the edge.

mistaowen":525pdf0d said:

When Duane Brown came, as his tenure here got longer, with Cable, you could see some of his play deteriorating. I thought man, the technique here is messing him up. When he first came here he blocked the way he always has and was doing great. Then all of a sudden you could start to see the Tom Cable influences. That's the technique that jacked up Duane Brown and that's the technique that I think has really affected Ifedi's ability to get to the outside on an edge rusher because you're giving so much attention to the inside and you only have one arm to stop a dude on the edge.

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I commented previously on Brown's rapid decline in effectiveness, assuming it must have had something to do with Cable's coaching. It was a microcosm of the anti-coaching of Cable.

To have my supposition confirmed by a professional who knows what's what - just one more reason to be ecstatic that Cabevell is finally history.

Fantastic interview. Great share mistaowen.

Yeah Ray went on to discuss how Cable has his tackles open their torsos to the inside, which caused 2 problems:

1 - It leaves them only one hand with any leverage to stop a guy on the outside instead of being more square and having both hands in a position where they can fully retract and expand and engage defenders.

2 - Defenders can just target the inside shoulder since the posture is essentially opening this path to them.

Honestly the way Ray described it makes you wonder WTF the rationale is for how Cable coaches it. I assume that there is a functional reason for the techniques in the ZBS, but it seems that pass protection at the tackle position is just offered up on the sacrificial alter to serve some other end.

Great analysis by Ray. He is very well spoken and everything he laid out I too have observed over the Cable years and it makes complete sense. Especially on Ifedi, always going to retreat mode and hitting the same spot. I've bitched about that since early season (at tackle) and you can see that he immediately puts himself at a disadvantage and is easy to counter and setup.

Again on the decline of Brown and split duties between Cabvell, same called out here as well.

Everyone should listen to this.

Too bad we didn't have more of this 2 years ago, but now that they are gone, people don't need to tip toe around "Cable the genius" and are calling this out. Kind of irritating in that sense.

hawk45":3tls870l said:

Honestly the way Ray described it makes you wonder WTF the rationale is for how Cable coaches it. I assume that there is a functional reason for the techniques in the ZBS, but it seems that pass protection at the tackle position is just offered up on the sacrificial alter to serve some other end.

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And what is that "other end"? I can't recall seeing benefits for run-blocking, so there really aren't any benefits to Cable's system.

I'm grateful we'll see a change (fingers crossed, I guess).

With the high draft picks we've put into this line, it makes me wonder if they'll actually explode into the top ten in blocking under another coach.

Can you imagine Chris Carson behind a good line?

WindCityHawk":3g31xhra said:

Can you imagine Chris Carson behind a good line?

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:kool-aid: :kool-aid: :kool-aid:

WindCityHawk":3aams4gv said:

With the high draft picks we've put into this line, it makes me wonder if they'll actually explode into the top ten in blocking under another coach.

Can you imagine Chris Carson behind a good line?

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Duane Brown was improving the lines pass blocking stats before he changed his technique to Cable's. I was blown away the first game how he actively engaged and moved defenders while pass blocking. I think with a new line coach and Duane coaching up guys like Ifedi in the offseason, there should be a significant improvement. Ray's point to the talent being right on par with most other teams makes me believe it's more technique and scheme than anything.

So glad cable the fable is gone. Dude is O line cancer.

Wow. Even an average, boring OL coach would probably be better than Cable.

I heard a portion of this yesterday and on one hand it pissed me off because it sounded like Cable was so incompetent that he was basically coaching guys to fail, even 10 year veterans who are perennially Pro Bowl caliber. On the other hand, it got me excited that even an average OL coach could get something out of Ifedi.

Jeez Cable. What a boob.

Ray Roberts and Walter Jones should seriously be considered for the o line coach position

Seanhawk":1sohi3t1 said:

I heard a portion of this yesterday and on one hand it pissed me off because it sounded like Cable was so incompetent that he was basically coaching guys to fail, even 10 year veterans who are perennially Pro Bowl caliber. On the other hand, it got me excited that even an average OL coach could get something out of Ifedi.

Jeez Cable. What a boob.

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Agree.
Problem is, our head coach was unable to see the obvious also (this has gone on for years), and our GM called Cable the best oline coach in the NFL just this spring. My point is, they are still here, and we are not out of this yet (shit oline syndrome).

I watched Duane his first game with the Hawks, he was great.
Then the next games, he looked more and more like the other guys and I started wondering as well.
Seriously, who nick-named Cable "a Guru"?

Seymour":3td6m087 said:

Seanhawk":3td6m087 said:

I heard a portion of this yesterday and on one hand it pissed me off because it sounded like Cable was so incompetent that he was basically coaching guys to fail, even 10 year veterans who are perennially Pro Bowl caliber. On the other hand, it got me excited that even an average OL coach could get something out of Ifedi.

Jeez Cable. What a boob.

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Agree.
Problem is, our head coach was unable to see the obvious also (this has gone on for years), and our GM called Cable the best oline coach in the NFL just this spring. My point is, they are still here, and we are not out of this yet (shit oline syndrome).

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I guess, but it's hard to move away from the status quo when you are still having success. Yes, most could see the trend was pointing downward, but they still won the division and a playoff game with Russ injured basically all year and Earl missing time in the stretch run. There was still reason for optimism there because of those injuries.

It's even more evident that there should be a statue of Blair Walsh outside the stadium because if he is competent, we would have made the playoffs with at least two more wins and nothing would have changed.

Was Pete so in love with the "toughness and attitude" that Cable brought (allegedly) he couldn't see the technical weakness in his style? The Duane Brown comments by another lineman is very telling.

joeseahawks":76cim4jz said:

I watched Duane his first game with the Hawks, he was great.
Then the next games, he looked more and more like the other guys and I started wondering as well.
Seriously, who nick-named Cable "a Guru"?

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I think his last great game was against the Jags. He was locking down their pass rushers all game. After that, there was a discernable drop-off. It was so confusing and frustrating to watch.

What it shows me is this. Pete is an excellent defensive minded coach that put way too much faith into his "guys" on the offensive side of the ball. Pete's obsession with the run game, completely blinded him to the fact Cable is, was, and always has been very poor in pass protecting his QB.

Even in 2013 when we won it all, we had the highest paid line in football (with yes a great run game much thanks to Russ to keeping D from keying 100% on Lynch), and yet with all that $$ spent, we were dead last in the NFL in pass protection. How can our coach be so blind and not be more concerned about our #1 asset?

Pete's obsession with defense, and his willingness to put all that $$ on that side of the ball, then just play hands off on offense and preach "don't screw it up" is basically most of what he asks. That very formula is a large part of the problem. He needs to balance things better if we are to succeed IMO. Changing the assistants alone will not be enough.

I hope Ray gets a coaching gig or a tv analyst job.
I love listening to him explain O line and football in general from his experience.
So entertaining and so insightful!