FanPost

Tattoo artists VS Pin cushions

I'm Israeli and my country is at war. Thinking and writing Seahawks stuff today is a way to get my mind off the grueling reality around me.

Reading some impressions form training camp raised a question that has been troubling me for a long time so here it is for you all to comment.

Yes, we have won the SB with the PC & TC offense. Run first, physical, smash you in the face first and ask questions later and all that. It's a big part of PC's football philosophy and TC is the undisputed guru of ZBS running as the base for all good things to come.

It did win us our first ever SB so it can't be all wrong but is it the best we could be?

When PC states that we are a physical run fist offense I usually smile. When TC states that the offensive line would rather "tattoo people" then act as "Pin cushions" I lose half of the smile. Those Pin cushions are there to prevent RW from being "pinned" to the ground. I like this RW dude. I think that keeping him pin free is not a bad idea.

OK, those are just cool macho catch phrases by TC and they do not mean he doesn't care about pass protection right?

This is the place where I'm losing faith.

  • ZBS (according to Gibbs) should be practiced continuously (Gibbs – 100% of the time) to be effective. This must have some effect on pass protection.
  • Our Pass protection last year was one of the worst in the league. (Even when healthy…)
  • Draft picks on the OL seem to favor tough run graders over agile pass protectors.
  • Bailey, a pretty impressive pass protector, is ranked way below the likes of Britt and Bowie as a candidate for a starting RT position while being the superior pass protector of the 3.
  • Run first ZBS takes the load of the QB and the passing game but is it what we need when we do have a more experienced RW and what looks like pretty impressive array of targets?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not here to advocate a shift to an all out air attack, far from it. I get the value of a physical "run first" offense. I'm just wondering how far back should our "pass second" be when building our OL?

When I read that Bailey seems to be holding his own rather nicely as a pass protecting LT in training camp and Britt does poorly at it while doing much better at run blocking I wonder if we shouldn't have our best 2 pass protecting Tackles on the field rather then our best 2 run blockers?

This is the NFC west. Some of the league's best pass rushers are lining up to send our scrambling franchise QB into RGIII heaven. Where are those great Pin cushions when we need them?

RW is no longer a rookie. He is a top 10, 3rd year, SB winning QB. He should be leading a balanced offense. I like a "run first" offense but I have a problem with a "pass protection - dead last" offensive line.

Anybody else feels the same way?