So, How Did The Offensive Line Do?
August 15th, 2022
Video breakdown.
Alright, Joe is not and never will be the PFF tribe, perhaps the worst hocus pocus outfit in the western world when it comes to judging offensive lines.
Joe is not like them because Joe isn’t going to pretend he knows what’s fully going on with an offensive line. Other areas of football, you can get a good idea and feel with the naked eye what’s going on. Not so much an offensive line.
(Yeah, Joe played some offensive line too long ago. The only thing he really remembers, when in doubt, if you adhere to “in, on, linebacker” then you are generally going to be OK. NFL offensive lines in 2022? Joe’s not even going to try to guess because that is super complex.)
So Joe usually relies on guys that played the game in college or the NFL for offensive line analysis. (Brandon Thorn is an exception.)
Yesterday, NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger, a former offensive lineman with the Colts, put out some video on Twitter about the Bucs offensive line. It seems there was more to like than to not like. The video is below. At least, Baldinger’s breakdown let Joe relax a little bit.
One thing that Baldinger did not point out but Joe will: On the second play in the video, Ko Kieft, playing fullback, shoots through the one-hole and just totally wipes out a Dolphins linebacker on a run play. That got Joe jacked up.
Also, let this become a Bucs tradition: Joe thinks we all want to see, when he makes his appearances this fall at Big Storm Brewing, Ira Kaufman do “The Nick Leverett Skip” whenever the Bucs score a touchdown.
https://twitter.com/baldynfl/status/1558936230313738246?s=27&t=FPX5TNVSSoPlL1LnArteUw
August 15th, 2022 at 12:10 am
I isolated Kieft on my obsessive re-watching of the game. He is such a beast BEAST. He could probably fill in on run blocking assignments at guard. He reminded me of Jensen the way he just wanted to kill the poor bastage he was running over.
Love that dude.
August 15th, 2022 at 12:25 am
Love KoKo Keift
August 15th, 2022 at 1:09 am
Hope we see Ko Kieft playing some fullback in the regular season. Will definitely make things fun.
August 15th, 2022 at 1:40 am
Baldinger is awesome and our offensive line is going to be a major strength by mid season.
August 15th, 2022 at 2:05 am
Kieft remains the star of the season.
Mixed bag performance for the OL. They certainly didn’t dominate.
August 15th, 2022 at 3:37 am
OL is my biggest worry. Just don’t feel confident with what we got right now. Losing Jensen was a crushing blow. Wish we’d gone after Tretter at least.
August 15th, 2022 at 3:45 am
lol PFF is further proof that even “bengal tiger stripes kind of Hocus Pocus” lol in its various forms, still sells in 2022. Just ask Chris lol. He is laughing all the way to the bank lol
Here is a couple of good stats:
Brady clean jersey= Legitimate Super Bowl Contender
Brady Dirty Jersey = Watching another Team hoist the Lombardi in Feb 2023
GO BUCS!!!!
August 15th, 2022 at 7:21 am
It’s too bad we don’t get to see Kieft and Jensen playing their style of nasty blocking and finishing together….d@mn that be some beautiful stuff too watch!
August 15th, 2022 at 7:28 am
The o-line will get better as the season goes on. There are just too many new guys in new positions right now for them to be totally in sync.
It still kind of amazes me that Jason Licht and this coaching staff haven’t earned any kind of trust by the fans yet when it comes to scouting and developing offensive linemen.
Like Joe said, it’s easy for the average fan to develop an opinion on certain positions on the field. Offensive line play is a totally different animal. It’s five guys that essentially have to move as one. It takes time when new guys are inserted into the machine.
August 15th, 2022 at 7:45 am
4 wr sets with Kieft.
Suh.
August 15th, 2022 at 7:51 am
Ko is a really fun player to watch. Every run play is a mission to flatten someone.
Nice to see Otten blocking too.
August 15th, 2022 at 7:58 am
All I have to say is, if we could win a Super Bowl with Kenyatta Walker and Cosey Coleman, we should be fine in 2022.
Live it up Bucs fans. We pretty much KNOW were going to the playoffs. did you hear that? let that sink in. just 3 years ago Jameis threw that pick 6 to end 2019 and 12 straight years of playoff less football, with only 2 winning seasons in there to give us some kind of hope, and here we are, pretty much saying we KNOW were going to make the playoffs. These are glory days for our .400 lifetime franchise people. Center, Schmenter. well be ok. And while Cubs were cursing the curse of the goat, we have one at QB! FOREVER when clips of Brady are shown on football shows, well see the pewter and red to remind us of our glory days.
August 15th, 2022 at 8:09 am
Leverette will be next to hainsey to start the year. I dont dislike either player but ouch.
August 15th, 2022 at 8:23 am
I missed most of the game. Work related.
And, of course, I forgot about the replay.
I really need NFL+
August 15th, 2022 at 9:33 am
J Gothier,
Watching 2 big guys “finish together…..is beautiful?”
Ummm…..ok.
August 15th, 2022 at 10:03 am
@DooshLarue
Firstly, that’s how you took and where your mind reads into things. That sentence can definitely be taken as a double-entendre (and you chose your option). That’s on you Mr. All-Knowing/All-Approving Cool 😎 One
Secondly, that mindset and thinking (and then having to comment on it…and in the fashion you did) is part of the promblem. Grow up!
p.s. in your defense though and I’m not too immature to admit it, but would the sentence meet your internet football criteria talk better if I had used “blocks” after finishing? For an internet world where we don’t like to read comments past a few words or as few words as is possible, I think we all knew what kind of “finishing” was talked about there, that is on a football article, that deals w/ a bada$$ blocker who always finishes (his blocks 😂) AND that me using as few words as possible would meet your hefty Internet comment criteria that you have
Hope you have a swell rest of your day and go Bucs
August 15th, 2022 at 10:25 am
JG,
Just messing around man.
😀
August 15th, 2022 at 10:54 am
Baldy’s analysis is always informative and spot-on. Thanks, Joes.
More Baldy please.
August 15th, 2022 at 12:47 pm
I watched the replay for free on nfl-video and was fairly impressed. I thought Trask did a good job of getting us down to win the game. I thought we gave effort the entire 4 quarters. I just hope our starters do as well, or better. These backup players are pretty darn good.
August 15th, 2022 at 1:17 pm
Put Kieft in on 3rd down as a fullback once in awhile. Especially on 3rd and long. He can be an extra blocker or sneak out for a pass. Use him kinda like the 49ers use Kyle what’s his name.
August 15th, 2022 at 2:23 pm
Jensen is a guy that will be missed for his play and leadership, however; I think we will be pretty good in the interior line positions. What troubles me is if Smith or Wirfs goes go down for any length time we are in major trouble unless some of the backups are able to up their game.