in your opinion, does the running back make a good o-line or vice-versa | Page 2 | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

in your opinion, does the running back make a good o-line or vice-versa

Originally posted by Barbarian


Were talking about mortals, so Barry doesn't really count in the conversation. ;)
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Ok..then i don't think 2,000 yards is easy for anyone...behind any line. There are so many factors that come into play...tough run defenses, injuries, having to pass alot.
 
A great run blocking will basicly allow any RB move the chains and vice versa.I would like to see Holmes run behind medicore oline and see how he performs.Any one can run behind that oline.How about they start giving more credit to KC offensive line than priest.
 
Originally posted by minus
A great run blocking will basicly allow any RB move the chains and vice versa.I would like to see Holmes run behind medicore oline and see how he performs.Any one can run behind that oline.How about they start giving more credit to KC offensive line than priest.
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Holmes runs behind an extremely good offensive line...but he is a great runningback. He ran well in baltimore before coming to KC....he led the league in rushing before KC had roaf. He's probably the best in the league when it comes to following his blockers. You ever watched him follow his fullback? Sometimes he'll even grab onto the fullbacks jersey as he runs.
 
Originally posted by Z28&dolfan


Actually those Lion O-lines were not so shabby as they certainly produced their fare share of pro bowlers. They were never as good as the lines Emmitt ran behind in Dallas but were never that bad.
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Exactly, the Bobby Ross days in Detroit ruined Barry, what I meen by that is Bobby Ross's OLines were designed for power RBs, if the hole wasn't there the power back would make one. Barry wasn't built that way. He needed the hole to be there or he would improvise, the last year he played it was under Ross and Sanders lost yardage 90+ times on first downs. In prior years the Lions Oline was pretty good, they were designed fo a small quick RB. Neither Oline was bad, it's just that Ross's wasn't the right one for Barry. So this myth about Detroits Olines being bad is from people who didn't follow the team close enough.

As far as which one makes the other better goes, I say it depends on who your RB is and what kinda Oline you have. it's a combination of the two, they need cohesion to be good.
 
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Originally posted by Hellion


Exactly, the Bobby Ross days in Detroit ruined Barry, what I meen by that is Bobby Ross's OLines were designed for power RBs, if the hole wasn't there the power back would make one. Barry wasn't built that way. He needed the hole to be there or he would improvise, the last year he played it was under Ross and Sanders lost yardage 90+ times on first downs. In prior years the Lions Oline was pretty good, they were designed fo a small quick RB. Neither Oline was bad, it's just that Ross's wasn't the right one for Barry. So this myth about Detroits Olines being bad is from people who didn't follow the team close enough.

As far as which one makes the other better goes, I say it depends on who your RB is and what kinda Oline you have. it's a combination of the two, they need cohesion to be good.
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An offensive line built for a "power RB" vs an offensive line built for a "speed RB"...That's a bunch of nonsense. Either you can run block, or you can't. "If there isnt' a hole, make a hole"? that's your description of a line built for a "power RB"? Sounds like a line that can't runblock to me. Are you saying that ricky should be making holes? since he's a "power RB"? I guess miamis offensive line is built for a power RB....that's a bunch of nonsense.
 
No, let me clarify, an Oline that is used to a slower power back has to hold their blocks longer, when they can't and the hole closes on them they tend to plow into the line to "push" the line so the momentum gets them at least a few yards. I wasn't saying that that's how they block by design.
The Lions Olinemen were basically the same from Fontes to Ross, they tended to be more athletic and dealt more with stunts, pulling and such, then Ross had them come in and try and bully or power block and it wasn't working,.
The change wasn't so much in players but in scheme. Now if the linemen Ross had were bigger or more capable of blocking for that kind of running game then Sanders would have done even better than he did. The problem was Ross was having him plow into the line all the time, The linemen couldn't block and create the holes so Barry being Barry would bounce outside or do something amazing to gain yards. It wasn't the players themselves that were bad as much as the wrong players for the scheme that was being run, because they didn't have a problem prior to Ross's arrival. This was something that Barry, Bobby Ross and the linemen had stated in the local papers as being a problem. It would be like having Marino rollout or run designed bootlegs, wrong QB for that system.

From the time Ross was a Georgia Tech to San Diego, he ran a power back with huge Olinemen and rammed it down your throat, in Detriot he didn't have a power back, huge Olinemen or the right scheme or the ability to change to what he DID have, THAT's why Barry left, THAT's why Bobby Ross was fired (or quit) and that's what I was trying to say in the original post.
And no it isn't "either you can run block or not" it isn't that simple, Ross had some of the most vannillia blocking schemes ever seen in the league, it may have worked in college and one or two years at SD with huge 300lbs linemen and Natron Means, but there's a reason he doesn't coach in the NFL anymore.
Plus I was talking about the Detroit/Barry Sanders situation not run blocking schemes as a whole.

So take your "nonsense" and well i won't stoop to that level.
 
Seriously though... Barry Sanders was purely AWESOME... but I don't think he had the ability to run into a linebacker and knock him square on his *** when necessary, and there are times when it's necessary to do that, not just run right by him, which Ricky also seems to be able to do. If we put Ricky behind an O-line like Dallas' or KC, or even St Louis in 99, then I think 2000 yards would be an easy goal for the power / speed combination that Ricky Williams has.
 
Originally posted by Saint Greg


Holmes runs behind an extremely good offensive line...but he is a great runningback. He ran well in baltimore before coming to KC....he led the league in rushing before KC had roaf. He's probably the best in the league when it comes to following his blockers. You ever watched him follow his fullback? Sometimes he'll even grab onto the fullbacks jersey as he runs.
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Holmes was no where the player he has become in KC but he was a good back.Holmes owes that offensive line all his success.The guy has a nose for the endzone but that oline deserves alot credit.Now Barry Sanders was unreal running behind that oline and doing the things he did.The best running back ever in my opinion has to be Barry Sanders and who knows what he could done behind oline like Smith had or Holmes has.
 
Originally posted by minus


Holmes was no where the player he has become in KC but he was a good back.Holmes owes that offensive line all his success.The guy has a nose for the endzone but that oline deserves alot credit.Now Barry Sanders was unreal running behind that oline and doing the things he did.The best running back ever in my opinion has to be Barry Sanders and who knows what he could done behind oline like Smith had or Holmes has.
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He was a very good back in baltimore...Just not a full-time starter. He averaged 4.57 yards per carry in baltimore....4.87 in KC. The best backs in the league average 4.5 or better.
 
Originally posted by Saint Greg


He was a very good back in baltimore...Just not a full-time starter. He averaged 4.57 yards per carry in baltimore....4.87 in KC. The best backs in the league average 4.5 or better.
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Actually he was starter just lost his job due to inury and Ravens coaching staff thought Lewis was the better back.
 
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The bottom line is that it can go either way.

Look at Barry Sanders. RB made the line
Look at Priest Holmes. O-Line has made him...
Emmitt Smith.... Many say he made Cowboy OL ProBowlers
Lamar Smith. Dolphins line made him a few years back

So again IMO it goes either way.

However, it is MORE OL that will affect this situation.
If the OL isn't at least competitive then it dosen't matter who you have back there.

See Ricky Williams......
 
Smith made Dallas oline probowlers?I really disagree with that statement.The Dalass offensive line is the best offensive line in those day is by far best oline I've ever seen.
 
What about the FB? Sanders ran most of time time out of the 1 back set while other RB's like Smith had Pro Bowl FB's to lead block.
 
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