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(09-19-2019 07:32 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(09-18-2019 08:22 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Rewatching the game tonight...oh man, Ferguson just plain whiffs and blocks nothing but air about 6 times so far in the first 3 drives alone. It’s uncanny how often he ends up on the ground after diving without touching anyone. There has got to be somebody who can play LT at even a serviceable G5 level on this roster.

Cooper is making my eyes bleed, too..

All the talk about how great it is that we have all these OL starters together for years to come...yeesh.

Ferguson has looked incredible rough on the left side...though that's to be expected from a guy who has spent his entire life learning a drop or kick step with a right foot lead, now has to swap it out. Now that he is driving with his right and dropping with his left (at LT) he's a step slower because it isn't natural; that's one of the primary reasons why you see people move inside out on their own side of the line before you see them swap sides entirely.

As for the youngins...Cooper looked like he is relying on strength far more than technique, which is what has been causing the holding calls. I think that'll get ironed out, but it's a learning experience, as he probably wasn't called for many holding penalties in high school since refs tend to lean on the "he's bigger" mantra when they see two guys going to ground in HS ball. Metz on the other hand, shows genuine promise. Put on the UCLA tape to see what I'm talking about...his wingspan is going to help him be a great edge blocker in pass pro when it's all said and done. He stymied the edge rushers from UCLA all day because he was able to keep their arms out of contact in a way that they couldn't create any separation using arm moves.
The issue with him is his quick twitch ability at the moment (probably because he's still learning the position at a fundamental level and thinking too much), as he looked terrible against Chase Young because he couldn't get his hands into the frame of Young before Young was basically into his jock...losing leverage is never kind to anyone, let alone to someone who is trying to block the potential #1 pick in the NFL draft.

Excellent, analysis. I think we're all frustrated watching what is happening right now on the O line but your comments support the narrative that youth and inexperience are more to blame than talent. As fans, many of us probably overestimated this team's ability to "plug and play" after an 11-2 season. The 'Cats are young still but did lose some big contributors on the O and D lines this year.

With that said, how much progress do you think we'll see during the season on the O line? Will the coaches just have to work around these issues all season?