To those who question the ZBS and why Kubiak stresses commitedness to the running game, here's a great explanation by Brian Billick as to why it works, why Denver was the best at it under Shanahan (and Kubiak), and why it's important to stay committed to the run. Enjoy. Billick on Denver's ZBS
If it's so simple to explain why is it so hard to run? In know those are highlight clips but it looked like a better OL blocking than what we have. I think we've got a decent tackle pair that still has some upside but the interior seems to get eaten alive by almost anything the D's are doing this year. I know they need quick guys but it seems like one big monster OG would do the running game a big favor. Instead we got Hill in the 4th who has yet to make any sort of impact other than spreading the flu. Is it possible to demote Kubiak to OC, K-Shan back to QB coach and hire Poppa Shanahan? I could live with that.
When you watch the video, you see the Broncos linemen maintaining the opponent well on the defensive side of the LOS. Our centers and guards are commonly on the offensive side of the LOS (not by choice) by the time the RB is looking for the cutback lane. Gibbs teaches the ZBS lineman, once he "handles" his man (gets him out of the play), he should release him and go on into the defensive backfield to take on the next level defensive player. I've watched too many times when our lineman hasn't "blocked out" his man, and yet is standing up there in the defensive back field looking for someone to hit while our RB gets a nasty reception. Whether it's OL weight/strength ratio or poor execution or both, our ZBS play does not closely resemble the look of the successful Broncos teams of the past.
It's hard to tell but the Denver broncos seem to do a much better job of getting off the ball and lateral movement. We seem to fire downfield more instead of stretching the field to create gaps.
