03 Oline better than average? Say it ain't so...

[Disnardo]

The Dolphins' sacks allowed rank doesn't tells us much about their o-line last year. There are too many factors that can skew that statistic. Here is a statistic that speaks volumes about the o-line. Ricky was #10 in rushing yards last year. All 9 RBs ahead of him averaged at least 4.4 ypc. Ricky averaged 3.5 ypc. Of the 18 RBs that rushed for 1000 yards in 2003, only Eddie George had a lower ypc (3.3). Ricky and Eddie were the only two with ypc's less than 4.0.
I don't believe Ricky can be blamed for that at all. He did more with less than any RB in the NFL in 2003. If they had a stat for most-times-hit-in-the-backfield I'm sure Ricky would have been the league leader. When you have a stud RB constantly getting hit in the backfield that has to say something about the o-line.
Here's hoping that the 2004 line is significantly better than the 2003 line.

Just for the record, Ricky and Priest Holmes lead the league and shared STUFFS at 43...

Also, stuffs/carry, Ricky = 11% (43/392). He's is tied with S Alexander (Sea), and those worst than them are Q Griffith (Den), W Green (Clev), E George (Ten), B Westbrook (Phi), W Dunn (Atl), and E Smith (Ariz)...

Also got the link to this great stat site:

Sports MY Way

 

[New England Fin]

Just for the record, Ricky and Priest Holmes lead the league and shared STUFFS at 43...

Also, stuffs/carry, Ricky = 11% (43/392). He's is tied with S Alexander (Sea), and those worst than them are Q Griffith (Den), W Green (Clev), E George (Ten), B Westbrook (Phi), W Dunn (Atl), and E Smith (Ariz)...

Also got the link to this great stat site:

Sports MY Way

Thanks for the info. Is it safe to assume that "stuffs" do not include all the times he eluded or plowed through defenders in the backfield and managed to get past the line of scrimmage?

 

[Sherif]

Good post. I agree. Jay often made it harder on the team than it should be. But it's hard to get a good qb these days. Jay is adequate. The past two season's we have not had a back up who could run the team and Jay always gets hurt. Lucas and Greise's losses in addition to Mare's poor kicking kept us out of the playoffs. But I agree with Offerdall's overall accessment . Jay is not a strong enough of a QB to get us past the first or second round of the playoffs.

 

[Dajesus]

I didn't have the paitence to read more than the 3 of the posts on the thread, so if I am making points that others made I apologize.

I saw all 16 games(a few i was blitzed for) but think I can put our o-line in perspective. Stats don't mean Sh** in this topic. Stats only are creditable when all things are equal. You can't look at the Bills and Dolphins and compare o-lines. They are at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to offensive schemes. I will break this point down in sections.

a) Defenses were not game planing thinking if they got preasure on the QB they would win. They needed to stop Ricky to have a chance.

b) The Miami Dolphins don't game plan more than 3 7 step drops a game. Meaning the o-line didn't have the preasure that a team like Buffalo did going in to a game to protect the QB. The majority of our passing plays were 3 steps, and hit. Our o-line didn't give us a chance to do that. If you drop three steps and have a WR picked out, but that side of the line collapesed the play is dead.

c) In clutch moments when we needed to pass we couldn't give our QB time. IE if Griese didn't have Freeny in his face 2 steps in his drop back, on a roll out mind you, we might have won that game, and gone to the playoffs.

d) Ricky went from a 1800 yard back to a 1200 yard back. I didn't see anything differint in RW, but I did see him getting hit 2 yards pre LOS.

My point is for 50 years the cigarette companies could find stats that kep the government off their back from causeing cancer. If you smoke or watched the Dolphins games last year you would know that smokeing is bad for you and the Dolphins o-line was horrible last year. Lets hope I can quit smoking, and the o-line can improve this season.

 

[Dajesus]

PS

One more point on all things being equal. Every team in our division had to see JT and O-Gun twice and see the Jets front four twice a year. The only true pass rushing teams we had to see twice was the Jets front four, and they obviusly weren't concerned with rushing the passer.

 

[dolfanreal69]

Good article and as always good conflicting veiws for and against it.

 

[yankeehillbilly]

d) Ricky went from a 1800 yard back to a 1200 yard back. I didn't see anything differint in RW, but I did see him getting hit 2 yards pre LOS.

actually he went from a 1800yd back (1853) to a 1300 yd back (1372). And I did see something different in Ricky. He didnt seem to be running with the same power he did in '02 even when he got past the LOS without being hit. He just wasnt running over people like he used to. Of course the reason he wasn't may have been that since the OL was allowing him to get mauled nearly every play anyway he was trying to avoid as many collisions as possible so that he could make it thru the season. But for whatever his reasons, he wasnt the same. At least in my eyes.

 

[CrunchTime]

Interesting post and great food for thought.I would add to your post that our conservative predictable playcalling added to our offensive woes.

However you main premice on Jay is right on.We need a more accurate QB.

 

[islandah]

actually he went from a 1800yd back (1853) to a 1300 yd back (1372). And I did see something different in Ricky. He didnt seem to be running with the same power he did in '02 even when he got past the LOS without being hit. He just wasnt running over people like he used to. Of course the reason he wasn't may have been that since the OL was allowing him to get mauled nearly every play anyway he was trying to avoid as many collisions as possible so that he could make it thru the season. But for whatever his reasons, he wasnt the same. At least in my eyes.

In my eyes, too. As I said earlier, he lost virtually every one on one confrontation he had and always seemed to go down at first contact. Contrast from the year before when he would power through, give a little move, or simply run away from them. Definitely not running with the same confidence. Aqain, MOST of it was the line and him getting hit in the backfield, but I'm talking the few holes he did see. It's something worth watching this year, considering our offense is built around him.

 

[RUDEbyallMEANS]

Just for the record, Ricky and Priest Holmes lead the league and shared STUFFS at 43...

Also, stuffs/carry, Ricky = 11% (43/392). He's is tied with S Alexander (Sea), and those worst than them are Q Griffith (Den), W Green (Clev), E George (Ten), B Westbrook (Phi), W Dunn (Atl), and E Smith (Ariz)...

Also got the link to this great stat site:

Sports MY Way

Priest Holmes was stuffed as many times as Ricky last year?? Wow..

Priest had many more long runs than ricky did.. Chiefs o-line had sporatic bad run plays while Miami run game was consistently bad.

Surprising stats on that site.

 

[RUDEbyallMEANS]

Another interesting stat..

The TOP 9 QB's with the most "Big passes" made the playoffs

Rank Name Team Games BigPasses
1 Peyton Manning IND 16 37
2 Trent Green KC 16 35
3 Matt Hasselbeck SEA 16 32
4 Marc Bulger STL 15 31
5 Tom Brady NE 16 30
6 Donovan McNabb PHI 16 28
7 Steve McNair TEN 14 27
T-8 Daunte Culpepper MIN 14 26
T-8 Jake Delhomme CAR 16 26
10 Jon Kitna CIN 16 23
T-11 Aaron Brooks NO 16 22
T-11 Quincy Carter DAL 16 22
T-11 Jeff Garcia CLE 13 22
14 Brett Favre GB 16 21
T-15 Tommy Maddox PIT 16 20
T-15 Patrick Ramsey WAS 11 20
17 Brad Johnson TB 16 19
18 Byron Leftwich JAC 15 18
T-19 Jeff Blake PHI 13 16
T-19 Jay Fiedler MIA 12 16

 

[Ross]

What's does "big pass" mean?

--Ross

 

[dreday]

Ok

actually he went from a 1800yd back (1853) to a 1300 yd back (1372). And I did see something different in Ricky. He didnt seem to be running with the same power he did in '02 even when he got past the LOS without being hit. He just wasnt running over people like he used to. Of course the reason he wasn't may have been that since the OL was allowing him to get mauled nearly every play anyway he was trying to avoid as many collisions as possible so that he could make it thru the season. But for whatever his reasons, he wasnt the same. At least in my eyes.

How can you run when youve got four bodies on you every play?Put any rb in that situation and I gaurantee it will be hard for them to run no matter how strong they are.

 

[R_t_Kraken]

The offense was geared towards running the ball. You have provided support for their pass blocking ability. How about researching their ability to run block?

Isn't that like putting Marino behind a line that run blocks like hell but keeps getting Marino killed?

So what!

Good point.. This is Ricky's offense. Why don't you take the time now, to bring up the run-blocking stats. Wouldn't that be far more important, when evaluating an O-line on a "run first" team?