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Denver Offense 101

The one cut and go mantra for the runningbacks is telling. I think this is the problem Morency is having from what I have read.
 
excellent as ussual, TC. You have a promising future as a sports journalist. I have enjoted your articles far more than those of justice or McClain. kudos
 
Thanks, TC! That certainly makes the draft and fa moves crystal clear. I can't wait for the season to start.
Go Texans!
 
Seems pretty clear the coaches will evaluate run blocking skills in their lineman as well as pass blocking, which has been the main focus on this board.
 
I've been saying we'll avg between 25 & 30 points......

This "blog" gives me evidence to support this gut feeling.

Thanks TC....
 
thunderkyss said:
I've been saying we'll avg between 25 & 30 points......

This "blog" gives me evidence to support this gut feeling.

Thanks TC....
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If your gut feeling is right we're going to win a lot of games this year :redtowel:
 
I wonder how the sports editor feels after having a fan waltz in to the room to provide the best Texans coverage the chronicle has had to date. Focusing on a how a new Texans' offense and defense may look instead of having an unhealthy obsession with local college players and former NFL organizations--Texans_Chick you are a genius! Love the column, keep up the good work.
 
clandestin said:
I wonder how the sports editor feels after having a fan waltz in to the room to provide the best Texans coverage the chronicle has had to date. Focusing on a how a new Texans' offense and defense may look instead of having an unhealthy obsession with local college players and former NFL organizations--Texans_Chick you are a genius! Love the column, keep up the good work.
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Great column TC. Fact and humor in one big gulp. Excellent idea....maybe while you're holding Jr. for ransom you can get a raise from the Chronicle. I think they should double your salary!
 
clandestin said:
I wonder how the sports editor feels after having a fan waltz in to the room to provide the best Texans coverage the chronicle has had to date. Focusing on a how a new Texans' offense and defense may look instead of having an unhealthy obsession with local college players and former NFL organizations--Texans_Chick you are a genius! Love the column, keep up the good work.
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bayoudreamn said:
Great column TC. Fact and humor in one big gulp. Excellent idea....maybe while you're holding Jr. for ransom you can get a raise from the Chronicle. I think they should double your salary!
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I am guessing that there isn't much noticing by the big boss sports editors of what I'm writing. There was actually a bigtime delay in posting my last post because the online editor was bombarded with all things Roger Clemens and Rice University baseball. Maybe that will change some come football season.

As for "doubling my salary," one of the first things that really stuck with me about learning multiplication as a kid is that if you take zero, and you multiply it with anything else, you always end up with zero. :cool:
 
Good article. Bronco Tim qualified his statement about not relying on the long ball, but to give an idea, here is a comparison of long gains:

The 1st number is 20+ yd receptions and the 2nd is 40+ yds. The order is by total passing yards.

Tom Brady 59/9
Trent Green 51/11
Brett Favre 40/7
Carson Palmer 43/9
Eli Manning 49/8
Kerry Collins 49/6
Peyton Manning 45/6
Drew Bledsoe 42/9
Drew Brees 46/4
Matt Hasselbeck 41/7
Jake Delhomme 44/13
Jake Plummer 44/8
Steve McNair 29/7
Mark Brunnell 36/9

Rather than having a noticeably absent long game--the Broncos were right in line with other teams with only NE standing out in the long ball category.
 
infantrycak said:
Rather than having a noticeably absent long game--the Broncos were right in line with other teams with only NE standing out in the long ball category.
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Kind of interesting about NE. Personally, they never come to mind if I were thinking about teams that go long a lot. Manning, Farve and maybe Cullpepper are the guys/teams that would be the one that one would expect, but not Brady and NE.
 
edo783 said:
Kind of interesting about NE. Personally, they never come to mind if I were thinking about teams that go long a lot. Manning, Farve and maybe Cullpepper are the guys/teams that would be the one that one would expect, but not Brady and NE.
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Despite what some think, may be Houston this year. We have the receivers to do it.....
 
Article said:
The philosophy of the offense is to use SHORT, SAFE passing routes and balance these with a strong running game. The object is to control the ball for long periods of time and march methodically down the field. It doesn't rely on deep passing routes or Hall of Fame runners who can bust out for 40, 50, 60 yards at a clip. It's the SCHEME, not the personnel, that has made the Broncos successful.
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Thank you. I've been trying to stress that fundamentals - ie. ball control with a strong running attack coupled with a consistent passing game - are the cornerstones of Denver's (and Kubiak's) gameplan.

Which leads me to a point about David Carr's role on the offense. We don't need him to be a superstar - one that is making huge passes and amazing runs. We need him to manage games, to read defenses and make the proper adjustment at the line, to see pressure and react accordingly. And I think DC is fully capable of playing that role on this team, and if anyone can teach him, it'll be Coach Kubiak.

But the running game is the first aspect, followed closely about protecting the pocket. Without that one-two tandem, the full effectiveness of this scheme falls apart.

Thanks, TC! Another excellent article on your part. :thumbup
 
clandestin said:
I wonder how the sports editor feels after having a fan waltz in to the room to provide the best Texans coverage the chronicle has had to date. Focusing on a how a new Texans' offense and defense may look instead of having an unhealthy obsession with local college players and former NFL organizations--Texans_Chick you are a genius! Love the column, keep up the good work.
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It's because she loves the Texans, and those other guys seem to be writing about the Texans because they "have to" in order to get a paycheck.

It's beyond me why a newspaper bankrolls guys like McClain who honestly offer less about our team than what one of our own fans has been able to piece together. Keep it up, TC.
 
Texans_Chick said:
Fanblog: Texans "Changing the color of the Bronco playbook"
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I'll grant you its basically the West Coast offense. But I think your article misses an important element of what makes the Broncos offensive system work.

As you can see by my Avatar, I am a Chargers (and Texans) fan and have first hand knowledge of what makes the Broncos system work. If I were writing your article I would rewrite this line:

The Broncos-style offense is merely a modification of the so- called "West Coast Offense," popularized by Bill Walsh's San Francisco 49ers in the Nineties.
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With this

The Broncos-style offense is merely a crossof the so- called "West Coast Offense," popularized by Bill Walsh's San Francisco 49ers in the Nineties and dirty play of the Oakland Raiders.

At the heart of the Broncos offensive system is the "cut-block" and "chop-block." The Broncos offensive line strikes fear in the hearts and minds of opposing defensive lineman due to their penchant to cut-block when defensive players are not looking. By teaching their offensive linement to hit defensive players below the knee "...opposing defensive players start worrying about their knees and ankles. They lose a bit of their aggression and speed since they’re paranoid that some lineman is going to creep up on them and take out their legs. This has the benefit of slowing down the entire defense." (source)
​

I hope the Texans are successful and Carr stops setting records for most sacks against. The one area the Texans can improve is the o-line play and Kubiak will certainly help. Just be prepared for longer games do to injury time-outs when the Texans offense is on the field.
 
TemeculaMike said:
The Broncos-style offense is merely a crossof the so- called "West Coast Offense," popularized by Bill Walsh's San Francisco 49ers in the Nineties and dirty play of the Oakland Raiders.

At the heart of the Broncos offensive system is the "cut-block" and "chop-block." The Broncos offensive line strikes fear in the hearts and minds of opposing defensive lineman due to their penchant to cut-block when defensive players are not looking. By teaching their offensive linement to hit defensive players below the knee "...opposing defensive players start worrying about their knees and ankles. They lose a bit of their aggression and speed since they’re paranoid that some lineman is going to creep up on them and take out their legs. This has the benefit of slowing down the entire defense." (source)
[/INDENT]

I hope the Texans are successful and Carr stops setting records for most sacks against. The one area the Texans can improve is the o-line play and Kubiak will certainly help. Just be prepared for longer games do to injury time-outs when the Texans offense is on the field.
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The Raiders aren't known for cut blocking, so I fail to see how The Broncos scheme is a cross between the West Coast Offense and the Raiders. If you would like to say that it is the west coast offense with a different blocking scheme then that would be a "modified west coast offense" just like TC said. The ZBS isn't meant to be cut blocks and it certainly isn't dirty play.
 
AFD1717 said:
The Raiders aren't known for cut blocking, so I fail to see how The Broncos scheme is a cross between the West Coast Offense and the Raiders. If you would like to say that it is the west coast offense with a different blocking scheme then that would be a "modified west coast offense" just like TC said. The ZBS isn't meant to be cut blocks and it certainly isn't dirty play.
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My statement was "dirty play of the Raiders" not cut-blocks of the Raiders. You are right, the Raiders are not known for cut-blocking per se. The Raiders are legendary for "dirty play." The Broncos have taken the cut block to a whole new level. The "zone blocking" scheme employed by the Broncos uses the cut and chop block to knock defenders to the ground. 95% of the time the cut-blocks used by the Broncos are legal and the defender sees it coming and can protect himself accordingly. Its the other 5% that borders on dirty and/or illegal play.

The Broncos came under withering criticism from coaches, players and ABC announcers Al Michaels and John Madden after offensive lineman George Foster broke Cincinnati defensive lineman Tony Williams' ankle Monday night by diving at his lower legs. Williams had surgery Wednesday and is expected to take six months to recover.

Technically, the cut block — a block below an opponent's waist — was legal because Foster's helmet was in front of Williams at contact. But it was vicious, too, in part because Williams didn't see it coming. It also looked unnecessary given that the play was moving away from the spot where the block was made.

"Although people may say it's not illegal, it doesn't necessarily have to be a part of the game," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. "There was no reason to block a man low like that when he has his back basically turned to you. There is no reason to chop the guy like that." (source)
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According to a December 1, 2004, San Diego Union Tribune article called "Cutting careers":

A list compiled by the Denver Post blamed cut blocks for at least five significant injuries to Broncos opponents since 2001:

  • Oct. 21, 2001: Chargers defensive lineman Maa Tanuvasa suffers a broken ankle on a cut block by left tackle Matt Lepsis.
  • Oct. 28, 2001: New England linebacker Bryan Cox blames a broken leg on a clip by right guard Dan Neil, who denies hitting Cox.
  • Dec. 1, 2002: Chargers defensive tackle Jamal Williams suffers a dislocated ankle when blocked from behind by guard Steve Herndon.
  • Sept. 19, 2004: Jacksonville defensive end Paul Spicer's leg is broken on a low block by Lepsis.
  • Oct. 25, 2004: Cincinnati defensive tackle Tony Williams suffers a broken ankle after a cut block by right tackle George Foster.
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Here are some of the Broncos' "cut block" victims:

2004-12-01cutblock.jpg

September 19, 2004 victim (see list above)

injuredbolt.jpg

December 1, 2002 victim (see list above)

injuredbolt2.jpg

October 21, 2001 victim (see list above and note M. Tanuvasa career was ended on this Bronco dirty play -
Lepsis was fined $15,000)​

My point here is just to point out that the Broncos offensive play depends heavily on zone blocking which requires cut-blocks to be effective. Cut-blocks are dirty (but not illegal). If the NFL makes the cut-block illegal, as Gene Upshaw (NFLPA President) has urged, the Broncos and all other teams using zone blocking will be in trouble.
 
Cut blocks are legal as long as the defender is within the 3 yard blocking zone and not engaged. Chop blocks (the same block from the side with the helmet behind the leg, or from the rear) are not.
 
I am with Lewis, Upshaw, and the myriad of other guys in the NFL. The cut block is not necessary in the NFL. It's like the head slap and stick'um to me. Sure they help you out, but you don't need to do it and it doesn't add to the game.

It's not like I don't like all the extra dirty stuff that went on in the past, but I like it like that... in the past. The game is still fairly tough without the cheap shots.

---

I don't agree that we will be in trouble if the cut block rule is ever modified. It's not the only way to get things done, and Denver didn't win a Super Bowl almost ten years ago now just because of a cut block.

---

The Packers are inserting it into their scheme now. They don't practice it on their own players though!

http://www.packersnews.com/archives/news/pack_26416899.shtml
 
TwinSisters said:
I don't agree that we will be in trouble if the cut block rule is ever modified. It's not the only way to get things done, and Denver didn't win a Super Bowl almost ten years ago now just because of a cut block.
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Cut-blocks weren't necessary because they were cheating on a much grander scale by illegally defering compensation to Elway and T.Davis at the time. The illegal deferals allowed the team to keep Elway and T. Davis and/or sign additional players during their Superbowl seasons.

On September 16, 2004, the NFL stripped the Denver Broncos of their third round draft pick in the 2005 NFL Draft and fined the team $1,000,000.00 as a punishment for circumventing the salary cap in 1996-1998.

The Broncos won the following Superbowls:

XXXIII Jan. 31, 1999 Denver 34, Atlanta 19 (1998 Season)
XXXII Jan. 25, 1998 Denver 31, Green Bay 24 (1997 Season)

I wonder how they would have done if their starting QB and RB were not paid in violation of the salary cap (he said rhetorically)?
 
The thing with the cap violation is that Taglibue ruled it as nothing that gave the Broncos an unfair advantage or "competitive advantage"... I think that is the words he used.

I do know that the Raiders, Seahawks, Broncos have all done some tricky stuff to massage the cap for extra benefits in the past too. However none of them have resulted in a really big deal ( yet ).

I wouldn't be surprised if I found something going on in San Diego though too.
 
edo783 said:
Kind of interesting about NE. Personally, they never come to mind if I were thinking about teams that go long a lot. Manning, Farve and maybe Cullpepper are the guys/teams that would be the one that one would expect, but not Brady and NE.
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I think teams that exercise exceptional ball control have a tendency to be highly successful with the long ball because I don't think it's part of the gameplanning. Defenses have to be so aggressive in trying to limit the short game that they often get burned by these teams and it often ends up being a really disastrous play for them. So it doesn't surprise me that NE would be a leader in this category without people really noticing them getting there.
 
TemeculaMike said:
My statement was "dirty play of the Raiders" not cut-blocks of the Raiders. You are right, the Raiders are not known for cut-blocking per se. The Raiders are legendary for "dirty play." The Broncos have taken the cut block to a whole new level. The "zone blocking" scheme employed by the Broncos uses the cut and chop block to knock defenders to the ground. 95% of the time the cut-blocks used by the Broncos are legal and the defender sees it coming and can protect himself accordingly. Its the other 5% that borders on dirty and/or illegal play.
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I guess we have different definitions of "dirty play." I consider dirty play to be intentionally trying to injure another player. I don't think anyone in the Broncos or Texans organization would do anything like that. I am curious where you got your statistics from. I'd be very suprised if the Broncos were called for chop blocks on 5% of their plays.
 
AFD1717 said:
The Raiders aren't known for cut blocking, so I fail to see how The Broncos scheme is a cross between the West Coast Offense and the Raiders. If you would like to say that it is the west coast offense with a different blocking scheme then that would be a "modified west coast offense" just like TC said. The ZBS isn't meant to be cut blocks and it certainly isn't dirty play.
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This has been discussed alot in the NFL by different players, coaches, and media. Nothing has been done about it because even though there has been some vocal complaining, there hasn't been any compelling evidence to support the argument that Broncos' personal promote illegal blocking.
 
bayoudreamn said:
I think teams that exercise exceptional ball control have a tendency to be highly successful with the long ball because I don't think it's part of the gameplanning. Defenses have to be so aggressive in trying to limit the short game that they often get burned by these teams and it often ends up being a really disastrous play for them. So it doesn't surprise me that NE would be a leader in this category without people really noticing them getting there.
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Very good point. I whole heartedly agree.
 
AFD1717 said:
I guess we have different definitions of "dirty play." I consider dirty play to be intentionally trying to injure another player. I don't think anyone in the Broncos or Texans organization would do anything like that. I am curious where you got your statistics from. I'd be very suprised if the Broncos were called for chop blocks on 5% of their plays.
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Dirty play in my book is conduct that (1) is illegal, or (2) violates the spirit of the rules (even though it may not be technically legal). The spirit of the rules are designed to prevent serious injury. With zone blocking the offensive players are taught to cut-block (aim for the knees or ankles). I contend (as does Gene Upshaw) that cut-blocking violates the spirit of the rules because it creates a significant risk of injury to the defensive players - especially when the cut-blocks are practiced against defenders who can't see the career ending move coming.

My off-the-top-of-my-head statistic did not claim 5% of the plays, rather of those plays where the Broncos cut-block (note, not all plays call for cut-blocks (i.e. pass plays)) a large percentage of the blocks border on illegal. I came up with these estimated statistics based on the trail of injured players that lay in the wake of Broncos games.

Because my favorite team plays the Broncos twice every year, I see the dirty (and often uncalled penalties) through my "blue and gold" colored glasses.

Let me bottom line it, the Bronco's zone blocking scheme requires cut-blocks to be effective. Rather than engaging defenders above the waist, the goal is to take the defender out of the play by using cut-blocks whenever necessary. A defender has a much greater chance of serious season or career ending injury when a cut-block is applied for the simple fact the knees and ankles are not designed to give way when a 300+ pound offensive lineman drives his weight on a defenders knee/ankle.
 
Before the draft, people were discussing if Bush was going to be taken, I told them no way. They'll model the team after Denver. Denver doesn't use premium running backs. They use 3 or 4 decent backs and platoon them.
They also play run and dink.

It's really a cross by the way between the 49 West Coast Offense and the scheme used by the late 80's Giants....
 
TemeculaMike said:
Let me bottom line it, the Bronco's zone blocking scheme requires cut-blocks to be effective. Rather than engaging defenders above the waist, the goal is to take the defender out of the play by using cut-blocks whenever necessary.
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Whether the success of the Denver scheme REQUIRES the use of Cut Blocks is still up for debate. You'd be hard-pressed (even w/ the blue/gold tinted glasses) to show that it CAN'T be effective without their use. :crutch:

Don't get me wrong, this isn't a NEW subject in the NFL (the Denver O-Line causing serious injury), but who says it HAS to be that way to work? I tend to think the Broncos can still be quite successful a good percentage of the time without having to resort to this.

Besides, this is HOUSTON, and what better notion for Kubiak to hang his hat on than a 'cleaner' variation of the same blocking scheme? :texans:
 
infantrycak said:
Good article. Bronco Tim qualified his statement about not relying on the long ball, but to give an idea, here is a comparison of long gains:

The 1st number is 20+ yd receptions and the 2nd is 40+ yds. The order is by total passing yards.

Tom Brady 59/9
Trent Green 51/11
Jake Delhomme 44/13
Jake Plummer 44/8

Rather than having a noticeably absent long game--the Broncos were right in line with other teams with only NE standing out in the long ball category.
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Actually, it looks to me like the Panthers and Chiefs are the ones that really stand out with Denver in line with NE.
 
The Pencil Neck said:
Actually, it looks to me like the Panthers and Chiefs are the ones that really stand out with Denver in line with NE.
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How do you figure? In total NE had more 20/40 yd+ plays than the others did. Plus NE had more total passing yards than everyone else. Which was the original point of the post.
 
TemeculaMike said:
Dirty play in my book is conduct that (1) is illegal, or (2) violates the spirit of the rules (even though it may not be technically legal). The spirit of the rules are designed to prevent serious injury. With zone blocking the offensive players are taught to cut-block (aim for the knees or ankles). I contend (as does Gene Upshaw) that cut-blocking violates the spirit of the rules because it creates a significant risk of injury to the defensive players - especially when the cut-blocks are practiced against defenders who can't see the career ending move coming.

My off-the-top-of-my-head statistic did not claim 5% of the plays, rather of those plays where the Broncos cut-block (note, not all plays call for cut-blocks (i.e. pass plays)) a large percentage of the blocks border on illegal. I came up with these estimated statistics based on the trail of injured players that lay in the wake of Broncos games.

Because my favorite team plays the Broncos twice every year, I see the dirty (and often uncalled penalties) through my "blue and gold" colored glasses.

Let me bottom line it, the Bronco's zone blocking scheme requires cut-blocks to be effective. Rather than engaging defenders above the waist, the goal is to take the defender out of the play by using cut-blocks whenever necessary. A defender has a much greater chance of serious season or career ending injury when a cut-block is applied for the simple fact the knees and ankles are not designed to give way when a 300+ pound offensive lineman drives his weight on a defenders knee/ankle.
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I though Shanahan had a problem with disclosing injuries or the extent of injuries to the NFL office..

as far as the cut block.. if the NFL thought this was really bad, rule changes would be in effect pretty quick.. I mean look at Roy Williams and his horse collar tackle.. didn't take long to outlaw that.
 
TemeculaMike said:
Dirty play in my book is conduct that (1) is illegal, or (2) violates the spirit of the rules (even though it may not be technically legal). The spirit of the rules are designed to prevent serious injury. With zone blocking the offensive players are taught to cut-block (aim for the knees or ankles). I contend (as does Gene Upshaw) that cut-blocking violates the spirit of the rules because it creates a significant risk of injury to the defensive players - especially when the cut-blocks are practiced against defenders who can't see the career ending move coming.

My off-the-top-of-my-head statistic did not claim 5% of the plays, rather of those plays where the Broncos cut-block (note, not all plays call for cut-blocks (i.e. pass plays)) a large percentage of the blocks border on illegal. I came up with these estimated statistics based on the trail of injured players that lay in the wake of Broncos games.
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*************************

Cut blocking is not only used in running situations. It is also incorporated in pass blocking to open up passing lanes. I feel that this technique, intentionally or unintentionally does significantly contribute to injury statistics. Unfortunately, if you watch enough games carefully, you realize that even though many teams complain about it, most all of them utilize it.........and that may very well be why the subject recurrently crops in at the NFL meetings without any action.
 
Dec. 1, 2002: Chargers defensive tackle Jamal Williams suffers a dislocated ankle when blocked from behind by guard Steve Herndon.
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I saw this play, and it had nothing to do with cut blocking. Herndon chased Williams 10 yards down the field, and clipped him from behind. After the game, Shanahan ripped Herndon in his press conference, saying that there is no room in the NFL for that type of play. To toss this play into a discussion on cut blocking is completely extraneous. And it makes me question whether cut blocking really played a role in the other injuries.

Plus, where is the data on defensive line injuries caused by the other NFL teams? Is 5 injuries over a 4 season span a huge amount in regards to the rest of the NFL? Without supporting data, I don't think there is a real case to be made against the Broncos' blocking scheme.
 
bigbrewster2000 said:
How do you figure? In total NE had more 20/40 yd+ plays than the others did. Plus NE had more total passing yards than everyone else. Which was the original point of the post.
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Carolina and KC had more 40+ plays than anyone else did. NE had significantly more 20+ plays but when it came to 40+, they were average.
 
Lucky said:
I saw this play, and it had nothing to do with cut blocking. Herndon chased Williams 10 yards down the field, and clipped him from behind. After the game, Shanahan ripped Herndon in his press conference, saying that there is no room in the NFL for that type of play. To toss this play into a discussion on cut blocking is completely extraneous. And it makes me question whether cut blocking really played a role in the other injuries.

Plus, where is the data on defensive line injuries caused by the other NFL teams? Is 5 injuries over a 4 season span a huge amount in regards to the rest of the NFL? Without supporting data, I don't think there is a real case to be made against the Broncos' blocking scheme.
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I agree that what happened to Williams was a clip because it was from behind. The same block from the side or the front would have been a legal cut-block.

This is precisely the problem in my book. Players that are taught the cut-block, sometimes use it when they shouldn't. While the Williams injury was a clear violation of the rules, a number of defense players will be injured every season because they didn't see the cut-block coming.

Given the speed of the game, its only natural for a player to mess-up (once and a while) and use a technique incorrectly. Heck, we see it all the time on Special Teams - how many great returns have been wiped from the record book because some idiot special teamer held or blocked somebody in the back. Mistakes happen and when a cut-block is improperly used, a defensive players season ends.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
*************************

Cut blocking is not only used in running situations. It is also incorporated in pass blocking to open up passing lanes. I feel that this technique, intentionally or unintentionally does significantly contribute to injury statistics. Unfortunately, if you watch enough games carefully, you realize that even though many teams complain about it, most all of them utilize it.........and that may very well be why the subject recurrently crops in at the NFL meetings without any action.
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Presently, there are only two teams that employ the zone blocking scheme almost exclusively. Denver and Atlanta. Next season, Green Bay and the Texans will also adopt the scheme. (Note, just about every NFL team will use a zone blocking scheme along with man) Cut-blocking is much more prevelant in a zone blocking scheme Denver and the Falcons use, therefore, we can expect more injuries next year due to cut-blocks with Houston and GB using it. I imagine, the NFL will have to take a serious look at the practice now that more teams will be employing the technique.
 
TemeculaMike said:
...we can expect more injuries next year due to cut-blocks with Houston and GB using it. I imagine, the NFL will have to take a serious look at the practice now that more teams will be employing the technique.
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Do you have any statistics to back this up? What's the average number of injuries to d-linemen when playing the Broncos or Falcons as opposed to the league average? Just saying it's so doesn't make it true.
 
TemeculaMike said:
Presently, there are only two teams that employ the zone blocking scheme almost exclusively. Denver and Atlanta.
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Houston has been a primary zone blocking team for 2 years already.
 
TemeculaMike said:
I agree that what happened to Williams was a clip because it was from behind. The same block from the side or the front would have been a legal cut-block.
This is precisely the problem in my book. Players that are taught the cut-block, sometimes use it when they shouldn't. While the Williams injury was a clear violation of the rules, a number of defense players will be injured every season because they didn't see the cut-block coming.
Given the speed of the game, its only natural for a player to mess-up (once and a while) and use a technique incorrectly. Heck, we see it all the time on Special Teams - how many great returns have been wiped from the record book because some idiot special teamer held or blocked somebody in the back. Mistakes happen and when a cut-block is improperly used, a defensive players season ends.
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A block behind the offensive player is always a clip whether below the knees, or in the shoulder blades, wherever. There's a clear distinction between a
clip and a cut-block. Some cut'blocks are legal, clips never are.
 
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