I'm usually one to point out the holes in the OL, so this is a little bit of uncharted territory for me, but I have more faith in this OL than in the past. Personnel wise we still have holes. I like Michael Deiter and think he can be a great LG and complement Laremy Tunsil as well. Is he Josh Sitton? No, of course not, but we only had Josh for 1 game, and Deiter is an iron-man having played the most games (54 in a row) of any offensive lineman at OL-U (Wisconsin). That grinding style is not easy on a player, so durability looks to be a strong suit of his … and that's a welcome change from the OL we've had in the past who are always injured, like Sitton, Albert, Pouncey, and James. All of those guys were good OL, but they kept missing too many games, and our off-the-street patchwork replacements simply weren't ever good enough. Deiter should be there, and he will be a solid LG.
Kilgore is a prime example. Our OL looked good when Sitton and Kilgore were healthy, then they got injured and it sucked again. Well, Kilgore is back … I had hoped we would upgrade from him, but we haven't yet, so we need to hope he stays healthy. Jesse Davis looks to be a year more seasoned and back to his better position, RT, where he has had some solid games. Hopefully he's better than last year … but that's only hope. RG is wide open, and the kid from Jacksonville looks to have promise … and would be an upgrade from the weakest member of our OL last year … but we'll have to wait and see on that one as well. Not ideal personnel, but I'd say improved over us last year and over Arizona's last year.
Scheme. This is where we improved! The Patriots system is HARD. It requires precision like we used to have from Arnsparger's defenses. But when all of the players are smart and on the same page, it just works. First, it requires the ability to run against pass-stacked defenses, such as 6 DB's. That means our OL all need to be able to open running lanes, every one of them. We need to temporarily become a dominant running team against those 6 DB defenses and effective running against 5 DB's. Force them out of their speed-coverage packages and back into a base defense, or they will be dominated by us. We're bringing in guys who can run block, with power, leverage and some technique … this can work. And for when we face short yardage and need to run, our offense includes a FB to help blow open holes for the RB. We also employ TE's who can block, like Dwayne Allen. Running the ball will be a real aspect of this offense, and we will force defenses to stop our running game first.
Then, we can pass against defenses that are not stacked against the pass. Sure, 3rd and long we can't manipulate that way, but this offense is built to avoid getting into 3rd and longs. With our quick WR's, we can get the ball out of the QB's hands quickly and don't need to sustain pass protection for too long. By keeping defenses out of those pass-stacked packages, the QB should have more options and the WR's/TE's/RB's more space to get open quickly. This opens up the short passing game, which is the bread and butter of this offense. If they clamp down on it, we need to revert to the running offense and show them that they're going to lose if they don't stop the run.
But ultimately, this is a _very_ QB-driven offense. All of the crucial decision making resides with the QB, including making hot reads, calling the defense, audibles, pace, etc. If Josh Rosen is as smart as we all believe he is, this requires that intelligence. If he desires mental challenges, this is it. The reasons why our front office wanted him are clear … he has the arm talent, he has the ability to make progression reads, and most importantly, he's highly intelligent and eager to use it to rise to the challenge mentally. This offense was built for Tom Brady, and it places more control in the QB's hands than any other current NFL offense. If Rosen is up to the challenge, he can control his own destiny. We believe he has the tools to do so, and we hope he rises to the challenge.
The OL will be put in great positions because of this offensive scheme. They will have to prove they can effectively run block. But once they've done that, they should be in a good spot as pass protectors because the receivers will not be smothered by 6 DB's … there will be open guys for Rosen to hit, and usually hit quickly. The OL will not have to hold their pass blocks too long. Delays and long-developing stunts will not be as effective against us, because the ball should be out of Rosen's hands quickly. This scheme will make pass protection easier, and establish a running game. OL love run blocking, and every OL loves the idea of not having to hold their pass protection for too long. Our stats should improve.