Film and the Offensive Line

[Bolt-O]

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-chargers/post/_/id/22909/film-junkies-chargers-offensive-line-keep-philip-rivers-upright

COSTA MESA, Calif. -- Russell Okung spent most of his offseason work watching film of himself with new Los Angeles ChargersPhilip Rivers has been sacked just 13 times in 12 games. The fewest times Rivers has been sacked in a full, 16-game season is 22 times in 2007.

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Not bad... are there 8 sacks from the upcoming 4 games? Barksdale still barks, but at least he isn't as noticeable.

[Coachmarkos]

Okung has been pretty solid all year. He's given up a few sacks, but who doesn't?

Very few false start penalties on the line this year too. They used to have those happen all the time, usually Barksdale or Dunlap.

Seems like this season, most of the false starts have been from WR's. Been very impressed with the line play, outside of the fact that they stink at run blocking up the middle. But I guess, what can we expect with two undrafted (and young, 2nd year and 4th year) guys and and a rookie manning those spots. Bring back Lamp and hope that Pulley can continue to develop.

[blueman]

Hasn't Pulley been playing injured all season?

[Formula 21]

[vinabolt]

Seems like Telesco is really good at researching and finding out why did a player suck or couldn't make it at his previous team, at a previous situation, bring them here and they blossom. Casey Hayward probably one of the best finds in this category. Okung was really inconsistent at SEA and totally flopped at DEN. Hayward was a decent contributor at GB, how he's an all-pro in this system, actually, both systems with us (Pagano and Bradley). Hayward has been excelled in 2 different defenses with us.

Travis Coons the Kicker also in this category. He had a good season in CLE and get complacement, he thought for sure that he's going to make the team the next year and got lazy, ended up getting cut. He learned his lesson the hard way. He couldn't make it with the Rams, simple, Greg Zuerlein arguablely the best active kicker, among the best of all time at the position.

Now Coons get a new chance with us. If he continue to kick accurately on those short kicks and improve his long range kicks, he can develop into a long term answer here.

[Bolt-O]

I posted the article mostly to point out that simple things, like film study, is helping. Because the interior line is young, this will help in building good habits, but it also changed the way veterans are doing their job. Injuries in the OL are down (except the loss of Slauson and Lamp in preseason), and maybe because they are prepared, rather than overreacting which may have caused injuries. Still, this line needs to get lots better in run blocking, which might improve Gordon's production in interior runs as he needs more of a hole than Ekeler.

[Steve]

Overall the reason for the fewer sacks is Rivers, not the OL. Rivers was getting rid of the ball quickly, minimizing the chances other teams had.

Now that the OL is giving him time, we are making plays downfield, and it is like night and day.

If you want to be successful, you have to be able to block well. That is the most important part of any play.

[Bolt-O]

I agree that Rivers gets the ball out fast... But at least he has time.

[bonehead]

[Fleet]

Rivers has dropped back on average over a full yard per pass in the last 5 games than he did all games prior. I cant remember who figured this stat out but it would seem to have really helped Allen.

[Bearded14YourPleasure]

In the full article they also point out that we have only had 3 different starting line combinations this year. When was the last time we could say that?

[bonehead]

In the full article they also point out that we have only had 3 different starting line combinations this year. When was the last time we could say that?

I remember having 3 different Oline combos in one game