Cut out ZONE BLOCKING? - The Orange Mane

CDizMYname · 08-18-2006, 06:06 PM

http://cbs.sportsline.com/nfl/story/9606522/1

Is this the beginning of the end?

Cut out zone blocking? Not in points-crazy NFL

Aug. 17, 2006
By Pete Prisco
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer

Reggie Hayward spent his first four seasons in the league watching the Denver Broncos offensive line work every day in practice, a teammate on the other side of the ball. He saw the way they perfected their zone-blocking schemes, those dastardly cut-blocks repped over and over again.

Fair or not, George Foster has been the poster child for cut-blocking. (Getty Images)

Back then, Hayward didn't have to worry about the perils of the system. He was a teammate, a friend, a player those offensive linemen wanted to avoid cutting. So they practiced on dummies, rarely, if ever, cutting Hayward and his defensive line mates for fear of injury. There was too much risk, too much investment.

"There's no way it would have been live," Hayward said. "They had to protect the defensive linemen."

Those four years gave Hayward a real understanding of the system, even if he didn't face it in live work. Now as a defensive end for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Hayward is more than qualified to talk about that controversial style of line play, a style that is becoming and more prevalent in the NFL. What he has to say isn't very nice.

"It's dirty, there's no question about it," Hayward said. "It's a dirty way to play. But they use it because it works. That's why you're seeing more teams use it. It works. That doesn't make it right. The league has tried to do stuff to make it safer, but they haven't done enough. It's a way a guy can get seriously hurt. It's a dirty system."

The Broncos have used the zone-blocking system for years, leading a running game that is always among the league's best. It is a system based on smaller, athletic linemen who reach on the front side of the play in zone blocking and then cut on the back side. The idea behind the style is for the back to take a handoff, pick a hole, with the option of cutting it off to the backside of the play where defenders have been chopped down like pine tress at Christmas.

In addition to the Broncos, the Atlanta Falcons have used the system the past couple of years, brought to them by line coach Alex Gibbs, who perfected it when he was the line coach in Denver. This season, we have two more teams going to the system.

The Houston Texans, now coached by former Broncos offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, will employ the style. So will the Green Bay Packers, whose offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski came over from Atlanta, where he served as the team's line coach last season, learning the tricks of the trade from Gibbs.

That's four primary zone-blocking, cut-blocking teams, which doesn't make defensive players all that happy.

"Last year, I got caught on one and had a sprained ankle and slowed me down the last couple of game," Carolina Panthers defensive end Mike Rucker said. "What's the need for it? There are so many rules out there to protect players. What about us? One of our assets is our knees. This is a system that goes right after those. It's dangerous. It's one thing to slow a guy down, but to go at his knees and ankles. That's too much."

follow link for rest of article....

Taco John · 08-18-2006, 06:12 PM

It's a joke that they say only four teams are using the technique...

OrangeShadow · 08-18-2006, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taco John

It's a joke that they say only four teams are using the technique...

Agreed,denver using it gets so much more attention because of the success of the run game. 4 teams is blasphemy

Taco John · 08-18-2006, 06:23 PM

Also, a further joke that he acts like the Packers are barely instituting it into their game plan. They've been using it for like 5 years now...

Clockwork Orange · 08-18-2006, 06:24 PM

Those are four teams who use the zone blocking scheme. There are 32 teams in the league that use cut blocks. Anyone who says that their team doesn't do it is a damn liar.

Taco John · 08-18-2006, 06:24 PM

If Denver was the only team using this technique, it would have been voted out of the league a loooooooong time ago.

Taco John · 08-18-2006, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clockwork Orange

Those are four teams who use the zone blocking scheme. There are 32 teams in the league that use cut blocks. Anyone who says that their team doesn't do it is a damn liar.

That's good clarification.

elsid13 · 08-18-2006, 06:29 PM

The annual the Denver Offense Line is evil media story

Bob's your Information Minister · 08-18-2006, 06:31 PM

When was the last time someone even got hurt?

OrangeShadow · 08-18-2006, 06:33 PM

the bengals,george foster incident was 04 if my memory serves me correct(dont bank on that

)

elsid13 · 08-18-2006, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrangeShadow

the bengals,george foster incident was 04 if my memory serves me correct(dont bank on that

)

Plus the DE Spincer (sp?) from Jax that same year.

BigPlayShay · 08-18-2006, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrangeShadow

the bengals,george foster incident was 04 if my memory serves me correct(dont bank on that

)

And that was a pass play.

The time before that was 04 @ Jacksonville... And that was a Reuben Droughns block that injured the guy.

footstepsfrom#27 · 08-18-2006, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CDizMYname

http://cbs.sportsline.com/nfl/story/9606522/1

Is this the beginning of the end?

Cut out zone blocking? Not in points-crazy NFL

Hey CD...are you a Cal fan? How's my boy Justin Forsett from Grace Prep Arlington (TX) doing...starting this year?

Garcia Bronco · 08-18-2006, 06:56 PM

Hey Reggie...a good dlinemen doesn't get cut blocked.

elsid13 · 08-18-2006, 06:58 PM

Ok here are the injuries that I remember in the last 10 years running the zone scheme. Anyone else have remember any

2003 Carlisle on Mario Fatafehi
2004 Lepsis on Spicer
2004 Foster on Williams

MechanicalBull · 08-18-2006, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrangeShadow

the bengals,george foster incident was 04 if my memory serves me correct(dont bank on that

)

Could be wrong but I believe it was after that play and the media going nuts about it, Shanny wanted to(or did) take the media on a nice field trip and show them how so many teams use that type of blocking.

12th man · 08-18-2006, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MechanicalBull

Could be wrong but I believe it was after that play and the media going nuts about it, Shanny wanted to(or did) take the media on a nice field trip and show them how so many teams use that type of blocking.

Yeah, cause I think out of no where, Bill Cowher staring b1tching about our blocking, then shanny got pissed cause the media made a big deal out of it, and he showed them whats up.

snowspot66 · 08-18-2006, 07:45 PM

Champ and Clinton Portis both dislocated shoulders tackling. TIME TO BAN TACKLING! Can't have those stars being hurt now.

CDizMYname · 08-18-2006, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by footstepsfrom#27

Hey CD...are you a Cal fan? How's my boy Justin Forsett from Grace Prep Arlington (TX) doing...starting this year?

no lynch is our starter, as he's the best all-around rb in the nation.

BigPlayShay · 08-18-2006, 08:09 PM

Quote:

2004 Lepsis on Spicer

That was Droughns and Lepsis on Spicer

Quote:

2004 Foster on Williams

This happened on a pass play.

rovolution · 08-18-2006, 08:12 PM

Sounds like a bash the Broncos Article. Prisco is notorious for those. He rated the Miami Dolphins ahead of us for his 2006-07 Preseason rankings. What a nutjob.

Garcia Bronco · 08-18-2006, 08:22 PM

...the cut blocks....it just dawned on me...you can set your calendar to this...every year in August this garbage comes out

The Dread Pirate Roberts · 08-18-2006, 08:31 PM

Cut blocks are already illegal, no? If teams are routinely cut-blocking the league has a mechanism for penalizing them.

Clockwork Orange · 08-18-2006, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Dread Pirate Roberts

Cut blocks are already illegal, no? If teams are routinely cut-blocking the league has a mechanism for penalizing them.

Chop blocks are illegal, cut blocks are not.

kappys · 08-18-2006, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Dread Pirate Roberts

Cut blocks are already illegal, no? If teams are routinely cut-blocking the league has a mechanism for penalizing them.

You're thinking of chop blocks. Cut blocks are legal.

08-18-2006, 06:06 PM	#1
CDizMYname Just Drafted New to the Forum Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 19 Adopt-a-Bronco: None	Cut out ZONE BLOCKING? http://cbs.sportsline.com/nfl/story/9606522/1 Is this the beginning of the end? Cut out zone blocking? Not in points-crazy NFL Aug. 17, 2006 By Pete Prisco CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer Reggie Hayward spent his first four seasons in the league watching the Denver Broncos offensive line work every day in practice, a teammate on the other side of the ball. He saw the way they perfected their zone-blocking schemes, those dastardly cut-blocks repped over and over again. Fair or not, George Foster has been the poster child for cut-blocking. (Getty Images) Back then, Hayward didn't have to worry about the perils of the system. He was a teammate, a friend, a player those offensive linemen wanted to avoid cutting. So they practiced on dummies, rarely, if ever, cutting Hayward and his defensive line mates for fear of injury. There was too much risk, too much investment. "There's no way it would have been live," Hayward said. "They had to protect the defensive linemen." Those four years gave Hayward a real understanding of the system, even if he didn't face it in live work. Now as a defensive end for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Hayward is more than qualified to talk about that controversial style of line play, a style that is becoming and more prevalent in the NFL. What he has to say isn't very nice. "It's dirty, there's no question about it," Hayward said. "It's a dirty way to play. But they use it because it works. That's why you're seeing more teams use it. It works. That doesn't make it right. The league has tried to do stuff to make it safer, but they haven't done enough. It's a way a guy can get seriously hurt. It's a dirty system." The Broncos have used the zone-blocking system for years, leading a running game that is always among the league's best. It is a system based on smaller, athletic linemen who reach on the front side of the play in zone blocking and then cut on the back side. The idea behind the style is for the back to take a handoff, pick a hole, with the option of cutting it off to the backside of the play where defenders have been chopped down like pine tress at Christmas. In addition to the Broncos, the Atlanta Falcons have used the system the past couple of years, brought to them by line coach Alex Gibbs, who perfected it when he was the line coach in Denver. This season, we have two more teams going to the system. The Houston Texans, now coached by former Broncos offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, will employ the style. So will the Green Bay Packers, whose offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski came over from Atlanta, where he served as the team's line coach last season, learning the tricks of the trade from Gibbs. That's four primary zone-blocking, cut-blocking teams, which doesn't make defensive players all that happy. "Last year, I got caught on one and had a sprained ankle and slowed me down the last couple of game," Carolina Panthers defensive end Mike Rucker said. "What's the need for it? There are so many rules out there to protect players. What about us? One of our assets is our knees. This is a system that goes right after those. It's dangerous. It's one thing to slow a guy down, but to go at his knees and ankles. That's too much." follow link for rest of article....

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08-18-2006, 06:12 PM	#2
Taco John 24/7 Broncos In Elway I Trust Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 49,742 Adopt-a-Bronco: Peyton Manning	It's a joke that they say only four teams are using the technique...

08-18-2006, 06:23 PM	#4
Taco John 24/7 Broncos In Elway I Trust Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 49,742 Adopt-a-Bronco: Peyton Manning	Also, a further joke that he acts like the Packers are barely instituting it into their game plan. They've been using it for like 5 years now...

08-18-2006, 06:24 PM	#5
Clockwork Orange Persona Non Grata I seen him! Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 21,438	Those are four teams who use the zone blocking scheme. There are 32 teams in the league that use cut blocks. Anyone who says that their team doesn't do it is a damn liar.

08-18-2006, 06:29 PM	#8
elsid13 Lost In Space Bóg, Honor, Ojczyzna Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: DC Posts: 19,139	The annual the Denver Offense Line is evil media story

08-18-2006, 06:31 PM	#9
Bob's your Information Minister Chiefs > Broncos Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 25,931 Adopt-a-Bronco: CHRIS KUPER!!!	When was the last time someone even got hurt?

08-18-2006, 06:33 PM	#10
OrangeShadow armed and dangerous Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 6,771	the bengals,george foster incident was 04 if my memory serves me correct(dont bank on that )

08-18-2006, 06:56 PM	#14
Garcia Bronco Hokie since 1993 Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 46,001 Adopt-a-Bronco: Tom Jackson	Hey Reggie...a good dlinemen doesn't get cut blocked.

08-18-2006, 06:58 PM	#15
elsid13 Lost In Space Bóg, Honor, Ojczyzna Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: DC Posts: 19,139	Ok here are the injuries that I remember in the last 10 years running the zone scheme. Anyone else have remember any 2003 Carlisle on Mario Fatafehi 2004 Lepsis on Spicer 2004 Foster on Williams

08-18-2006, 07:45 PM	#18
snowspot66 Ring of Famer Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 4,643	Champ and Clinton Portis both dislocated shoulders tackling. TIME TO BAN TACKLING! Can't have those stars being hurt now.

08-18-2006, 08:12 PM	#21
rovolution Ring of Famer Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Posts: 2,949 Adopt-a-Bronco: None	Sounds like a bash the Broncos Article. Prisco is notorious for those. He rated the Miami Dolphins ahead of us for his 2006-07 Preseason rankings. What a nutjob.

08-18-2006, 08:22 PM	#22
Garcia Bronco Hokie since 1993 Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 46,001 Adopt-a-Bronco: Tom Jackson	...the cut blocks....it just dawned on me...you can set your calendar to this...every year in August this garbage comes out

08-18-2006, 08:31 PM	#23
The Dread Pirate Roberts Rookie New to the Forum Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 57 Adopt-a-Bronco: None	Cut blocks are already illegal, no? If teams are routinely cut-blocking the league has a mechanism for penalizing them.