Daniels Showing Great Improvement......

[soulman]

James Daniels showing improvement in Chicago Bears new run game

 

by Parker Hurley 1 hour ago Follow @parkerhurley   https://beargoggleson.com/2020/09/22/james-daniels-showing-improvement-chicago-bears-new-run-game/?utm_campaign=FanSided+Daily&utm_source=FanSided+Daily&utm_medium=email

The Chicago Bears change in run scheme has benefited James Daniels

It is early, and the New York Giants and Detroit Lions are not winning games with their defense in 2020. However, a commitment from Matt Nagy as well as timely calls, and crafty designs has helped aid a running game that is the best it has looked since Nagy became the head coach of the Chicago Bears.

The Bears offensive line was one of the best run blocking units in Week One, and between David Montgomery, Cordarrelle Patterson and Tarik Cohen, the Bears put up 28 rushes for 119 yards against the Giants.

Germain Ifedi has done a great job, and the new scheme fits him well. The upgrade over Rashaad Coward is noticeable. However, more important than that is James Daniels taking a jump as a run blocker. According to PFF, he has been the Bears top run blocker in 2020, and it is warranted.

Besides Daniels switching back and forth from center to guard, one of the biggest differences between 2019 and 2020 is the difference between power and outside zone.

Next: Darnell Mooney ascends to WR 2

The Bears ran more power in 2019, which is hat on hat, down hill blocking. Daniels is an athletic guard who can move well, but strength is something he is working on.

When running the outside zone there is much more lateral movement expected from offensive lineman, and this suits Daniels much better. Take a look at the 23 yard run Montgomery ripped off. Daniels seals this block off by not only getting lateral, but getting to the second level with speed.

This is how James Daniels won in college and this is how the Bears should expect him to succeed in the NFL. He is not going to over power men, at least not yet. He can pull, and climb into the second level to create extra lanes. The switch to outside has benefited Daniels more than anyone else, and Daniels has thanked the Bears for playing to his strengths.

Edited September 22, 2020 by soulman

[Madmike90]

Helps when you ask your players to do what they were drafted for...none of the 4 guys who started last year were a fit for a power scheme...in this blocking scheme Daniels will be a star.

[soulman]

8 minutes ago, Madmike90 said:

Helps when you ask your players to do what they were drafted for...none of the 4 guys who started last year were a fit for a power scheme...in this blocking scheme Daniels will be a star.

Bingo Mike.

Leno, Daniels, and Whitehair are all zone scheme blockers and despite being much bigger Massie and Ifedi seemed better suited to it as well.

Besides Daniels block something else caught my eye as well.

Watch how Ifedi with a brief assist from Whitehair takes his man completely out of the play to create the initial gap Montgomery hits then squeezes through the second level off the tail of Daniels block on the LB.  That was near perfect coordination between the 3 interior OL and Ifedi is a beast.  Once he latches on he just walks the DL right outta the play.

I think we found ourselves a good RG.

[G08]

We're not only running zone, we are running power, counter, pin-and-pull, trap, etc. It's been a blast to watch.

[dll2000]

28 minutes ago, G08 said:

We're not only running zone, we are running power, counter, pin-and-pull, trap, etc. It's been a blast to watch.

We ran veer too!  Veer!

Which was basically power except we skipped a guy in the count.  And it was open!  Whitehair just got whooped by a monster of a man.  I posted it somewhere.  

Maybe its too much.   But these guys should be able to handle it.  Seem to handling it fine. 

Most FL HS's run all those same concepts.  If they can do it, Bears should be able to do it.

I think Daniels needs to be better on his traps.   Ex Denver player, forgetting his name ... . Mark Schlereth, had an excellent teaching video on various blocking techniques.  He did it perfect.   You can see when players aren't using great technique by comparing to that video.

Should be partially on YouTube somewhere.  

 

 

[dll2000]

2 minutes ago, dll2000 said:

We ran veer too!  Veer!

Which was basically power except we skipped a guy in the count.  And it was open!  Whitehair just got whooped by a monster of a man.  I posted it somewhere.  

Maybe its too much.   But these guys should be able to handle it.  Seem to handling it fine. 

Most FL HS's run all those same concepts.  If they can do it, Bears should be able to do it.

I think Daniels needs to be better on his traps.   Ex Denver player, forgetting his name ... . Mark Schlereth, had an excellent teaching video on various blocking techniques.  He did it perfect.   You can see when players aren't using great technique by comparing to that video.

Should be partially on YouTube somewhere.  

 

 

A coaching trick for if you guys ever get into coaching. 

You are going to run into guys you simply don't have the talent to block.  In this case a guy like Dexter Lawerence is simply bigger and stronger than Whitehair or Daniels. 

Most of time the answer is to double him or block down on him so you have advantage of angle.   But Dexter beat Whitehair on a down block too.

Another answer is to simply not block him.   You can call Veer or a shovel pass against any down DL.  The option man doesn't have to be EMLOS.  You just take the guy you can't block and make him the option or read man.  Then you don't have to block him.  You let him go.  

You can't do it every time.  But it works like a charm in spots and you get them thinking and playing slower.  DL don't like to think.  If they were thinkers they would be OL. 

What you want to do with those guys is change angles and blocks on them.  One play you zone doubling them.  Next play your are down blocking on them.  Next play your are trapping them.  Next play you are optioning them.   Throw a screen and make them run all the way to sideline.  

 It drives them nuts.  

If you let them get comfortable they will hurt you.   

 

 

[soulman]

1 hour ago, dll2000 said:

Another answer is to simply not block him.   You can call Veer or a shovel pass against any down DL.  The option man doesn't have to be EMLOS.  You just take the guy you can't block and make him the option or read man.  Then you don't have to block him.  You let him go.  

We ran those shovel passes to Dennis Gentry back in the '80s and they were often very effective against hard charging DL.

Maybe Nagy should dust that idea off using Cohen as the recipient.

[Sugashane]

10 hours ago, Madmike90 said:

Helps when you ask your players to do what they were drafted for...none of the 4 guys who started last year were a fit for a power scheme...in this blocking scheme Daniels will be a star.

This was what I argued over with a few posters when HH was hired. We didn't have powerful guys (Long aside, but his athleticism was what really made him special).  This isn't the 2005 Bears OL and shouldn't have assumed they would be able to play the same style. We have athletes out there, and aside from Ifedi there won't be a lot of plays where they dig people out or drive them out. But they can get into position quickly, have a hell of a lot of range they can make blocks in (versatility and wrinkles for playcalling) and allow the RBs to cut off their blocks immediately. 

Edited September 23, 2020 by Sugashane

[soulman]

10 hours ago, Sugashane said:

This was what I argued over with a few posters when HH was hired. We didn't have powerful guys (Long aside, but his athleticism was what really made him special).  This isn't the 2005 Bears OL and shouldn't have assumed they would be able to play the same style. We have athletes out there, and aside from Ifedi there won't be a lot of plays where they dig people out or drive them out. But they can get into position quickly, have a hell of a lot of range they can make blocks in (versatility and wrinkles for playcalling) and allow the RBs to cut off their blocks immediately. 

As good an OL Coach as HH is I never understood why he was the wrong OL Coach as much as I do now after having watched more highlights of run plays.

Daniels and Whithair handle quickness well (remember how Daniels handled Aaron Donald as a rookie) but size and strength coupled with some quickness can overwhelm them so any blocking scheme needs to address that with pulls and traps those two can make while on the move. 

Whitehair is especially effective at setting up combo blocks he can then shed and attack the second level LB and SS. Daniels is bigger and stronger but he still relies on quickness and finesse.  Ifedi is more the "road grader" type when he needs to be but still fairly athletic for his size.

This is a key in any zone scheme.  The idea is to use quick OL to create a wall with a gap behind it the RB must quickly identify and take that route without hesitation. In the GIF posted in the OP we can see just how well this works when executed well.

Massie and Ifedi have to clear their guys out to create the running lane.  Leno's quickness allows him to prevent Lawrence from scraping downline to make a stop and Daniels and Whitehair simply extend the "wall" Ifedi and Massie created into the second level and Montgomery wastes no time getting through it for a big gain.

It was actually Leno's quickness and ability hamper Lawrence that helped the play succeed.  If he doesn't get position and hamper Lawrence then Lawrence gets to the gap and takes Montgomery down after a short gain.  This is where Leno can often make an impact as a run blocker.  He's 300+ lbs of just get in someone's way.

That was a really well executed play by everyone.

Edited September 24, 2020 by soulman