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The Often Overbearing, But Otherwise Ordinary Offensive Line


SemperFeist

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10 minutes ago, SemperFeist said:

I’ll be interested to see if they leave them at their current positions, or if the teams flips them. 

I don't know if it would or wouldn't make sense but I'd prefer O'Neill get comfortable at RT first, he appears to be on his way. Once Reiff's contract is up or his play severely declines would I look at making the switch. However, you need 2 good tackles in today's game and if O'Neill stays and blossoms at RT I'm more than OK with that.

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27 minutes ago, SemperFeist said:

I’ll be interested to see if they leave them at their current positions, or if the teams flips them. 

Don't think there's a great benefit from flipping them. Best edge rusher in the division is Khalil Mack who's going to be on O'Neill's side. There are just as many big guns in the NFC facing the RT (Cam Jordan, Demarcus Lawrence, Brandon Graham, Ryan Kerrigan) as the LT (Chandler Jones, Frank Clark, Preston Smith, Derek Barnett). 

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29 minutes ago, HitStickAllDay said:

ROFL. And here I thought Elflein was one of our better linemen. Man I wish we had an elite line. Would be interesting to see what this is capable of if it weren’t for the consistent pressure and lack of consistent running game. 

Our best OL has been out for a number of weeks. Hopefully Reiff gets healthy.

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1 hour ago, HitStickAllDay said:

ROFL. And here I thought Elflein was one of our better linemen. Man I wish we had an elite line. Would be interesting to see what this is capable of if it weren’t for the consistent pressure and lack of consistent running game. 

If they could get consistent health from their first string players, maybe it would be different.  As much as people blasted Easton for his faults, the line was better with him than it is without him.

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2 hours ago, vikingsrule said:

Our best OL has been out for a number of weeks. Hopefully Reiff gets healthy.

And sadly, our best OL is only maybe average. We have seen bad offensive line play for so long watching the Vikings that people get excited about average. When Vikings fans see average they start feeling like they are seeing a top 10 in the league at the position player.

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1 hour ago, Cearbhall said:

And sadly, our best OL is only maybe average. We have seen bad offensive line play for so long watching the Vikings that people get excited about average. When Vikings fans see average they start feeling like they are seeing a top 10 in the league at the position player.

I agree.  I really covet the Saints starting tackles!!  They are outstanding.  Yet, if the Vikings line could achieve mediocrity, I think they beat the Packers and the Rams.  I think the theme for the remainder of the season should be "Make the O-Line Mediocre Again!!"  :D

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Dalvin Cook’s career-long 70-yard run began to unfold well before Vikings center Pat Elflein snapped the ball late in the first half of Sunday’s 24-9 win over the Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium.

“They gave us a unique look on that play,” right guard Mike Remmers said. “So I tip my hat to Pat for seeing it and making the blocking adjustment. We all just adjusted off his call.”

Offensive coordinator John DeFilippo had dialed up an outside zone run to the left on the first play after a Lions field goal made it a 7-6 game. It was the right call at the right time because the Lions had all three linebackers to the other side of the ball.

“And then we saw the safety on that side [Quandre Diggs] drop down off the edge and show blitz,” Elflein said. “With the ‘will’ linebacker [Jarrad Davis] shaded to the right of the ball, we were all kind of on the same page with what we were seeing.”

Left tackle Riley Reiff alerted Elflein that Diggs was going to blitz.

“And we just echoed that down the line,” Elflein said.

Now came the execution part. At the snap, Elflein drove nose tackle A’Shawn Robinson far to the left and out of the play. Left guard Danny Isadora took care of end Romeo Okwara, while Reiff kicked aside Diggs like a bouncer at closing time. The front side of the play was clean. Cook blasted through the hole. But the backside blockers still had roles to play. Remmers had to reach Davis in time to keep him from sliding over to make the tackle. Mission accomplished. Backside tight end Kyle Rudolph took care of middle linebacker Christian Jones. And, last but certainly not least, front-side receiver Laquon Treadwell blocked cornerback DeShawn Shead.

http://www.startribune.com/great-blocking-made-dalvin-cook-s-70-yard-run-a-thing-of-beauty/499582901/

Edited by vike daddy
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They could still end up with a half decent OL this year: 

LT: Reiff stays healthy. He allowed 12 pressures in the Bills game, the only game where he had less than a good pass blocking grade from PFF. Reiff must've been playing hurt vs Buffalo. He's only allowed 9 pressures (0 sacks, 1 hit, 8 hurries) in his other 5 games combined. PFF grades him 22nd out of 59 qualifying tackles

LG: Compton comes back. He's been a good run blocker (PFF's 8th highest run blocking grade for guards) but mediocre in pass protection (3 sacks allowed, 50th best grade). Overall, PFF have him 22nd in the league of 78 qualifying guards. He's been considerably better than Isidora (77th of 78 for pass blocking grade, 22nd for run blocking, 50th overall). 

C: Elflein improves. The unwritten story of the Vikings offensive struggles this year is that Elflein has been pretty bad. PFF grade him 29th of 32 qualifying C for run blocking, 31st for pass blocking and 31st overall. 

RG: Remmers maintains his recent level of play. His PFF overall grade is up to 49th of 78 qualifying guards. After allowing 3 sacks, 3 hits and 18 hurries in his first 5 games, Remmers has allowed only 6 hurries (no sacks or hits) in the last 4 games. 

RT: O'Neill continues to develop. Still hasn't allowed a sack. Struggled pass blocking against the Eagles (Graham, Long) and Saints (Jordan) but has played well otherwise. PFF grades him 41st of 59 qualifying tackles. 

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22 minutes ago, Krauser said:

but mediocre in pass protection (3 sacks allowed, 50th best grade).

And most of that (2 sacks and 5 pressures) is a result of just one game, against the Rams. 

In Compton’s other 6 games he’s not only been good in pass protection, per PFF, but he’s been very consistent. 

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It seems clear, at least based on PFFs grades, that Isidora and Elflein have no business starting.

Compton is surprisingly our best interior OL. Remmers looks more competent than Elflein and Isidora but is also a lower level starter.

O'Neill has a ways to go but like Elflein, you've got to stick with them because they are young players.

The OL will be much better off once Compton returns and Reiff is fully recovered.

Edited by vikingsrule
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