Shanahan bets on superior athletes
By: Turner Sports Desk
When Mike Shanahan adopted a system that favored smaller but more athletic offensive lineman I thought this tactic took good advantage of
the thin air in Denver. I also thought it would not work anywhere else but Denver. I was pretty comfy with that conclusion until I watched this year’s
playoffs. I watched Baltimore’s huge offensive tackles get whipped on the regular by Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. I watched the Cowboys huge
offensive tackles be made to look like statues while Jared Allen and Ray
Edwards beat Tony Romo to a pulp. What
did I learn? I learned that the better the athlete, the better your chance of
success.
I can see why Shanahan took his chances with guys that were more
mobile and in better overall condition. Right now pass rushers dominate the league. The evolution of offensive football will require faster lineman to block the pass rushers.
The Denver teams that dominated the league during their
super bowl runs were very athletic. They used a zone blocking scheme that
required the offensive lineman not to destroy the other guy at the point of
attack but to simply get a hat on a hat long enough for the running back to get
by. That is why it seemed like Denver grew 1000 yard backs in a garden
somewhere on their property. That is why Mike Shanahan did not hesitate to
trade Clinton Portis because he knew a large portion of Portis success was due
to the athletes in front of him. Given the speed of pass rushers today it only
makes sense that your offensive line be equipped to handle them.
The same principle applies for defense. For example, Albert
Haynesworth has freakish strength and cannot be blocked by anyone consistently.
The problem is he is so poorly conditioned that he has to leave the game almost
every other play. Haynesworth is a $100
million dollar, zero-sum player unless coaches can find a way to maximize his
value every play. I have no doubt Coach Shanahan is going to shoot very
straight with Haynesworth. They will either come to an agreement to improve his
fitness/endurance levels or Haynesworth will be wearing another jersey.
For all of the schemes and matchups football still requires
you to put a hat on a hat. Coach Shanahan understands this theory better than
most. To his credit he builds his offenses from an athletic offensive line out
to the skill positions. What does that mean for some of the Redskin O-line holdovers?
It means they better commit to being in the best shape of their lives by the
time they get back to work.