Imagine if you took away...

[Mr. Scot]

Aaron Rodgers' accuracy...

 

Peyton Manning's pre-snap reads...

 

Drew Brees' ability to find open lanes...

 

Tom Brady's command of his system...

 

Philip Rivers pocket awareness...

 

Ben Roethlisberger's ability to break tackles...

 

Russell Wilson's ability to throw on the run...

 

Basically, take any good to great quarterback in the NFL and remove from their skill set one of the best parts of their game, then throw them back into it and watch the results.

 

Obviously, those aren't their only skills, but it'd be a major adjustment and, most likely, a decline in their overall performance level.

 

So with that in mind, now take away Cam Newton's ability to extend a play and/or be a run threat.  Remove something that he's counted on and been used to having pretty much ever since he started playing football.  Force hm to adjust to playing without something that he's always had.

 

What do you think would happen?

 

Sad to say that last situation is the only one in this post that isn't a hypothetical.

 

We're watching it.

[Cary Kollins]

I'd say put any of those QBs behind this Oline and it'd still be a disaster.

[Darth Biscuit]

...but he's not hurt.

 

[Mr. Scot]

I'd say put any of those QBs behind this Oline and it'd still be a disaster.

 

Might not be this much of a disaster if he wasn't hurt.

 

Outside of Jordan Gross, was last year's O-Line really that much better, or did a healthier Newton just help give that illusion?

[TheRed]

Last years OL was at least manageable.

 

This years OL is arguably one of the worst the league has ever seen. Let's not lie to ourselves.

[Darth Biscuit]

I think not having a good LT is huge...  Cam's athleticism got him away from rushers he could see... Gross kept the ones off him that he couldn't see.

 

This year he has neither.

[Mr. Scot]

I think not having a good LT is huge...  Cam's athleticism got him away from rushers he could see... Gross kept the ones off him that he couldn't see.

 

This year he has neither.

 

Exactly.

[*FreeFua*]

Might not be this much of a disaster if he wasn't hurt.

Outside of Jordan Gross, was last year's O-Line really that much better, or did a healthier Newton just help give that illusion?

Amini is just as bad as Bell. Amini going down last season was a blessing in disguise.

We keep making this about Cam when really it has little do to with him. The media and everyone else should be discussing those 5 useless bodies we call a OL

[TheRed]

I think not having a good LT is huge...  Cam's athleticism got him away from rushers he could see... Gross kept the ones off him that he couldn't see.

 

This year he has neither.

 

Not just that, but think about the veteran presence and familiarity/chemistry between Gross, Wharton, and Kalil last year.

[Lumps]

Aaron Rodgers' accuracy...

Peyton Manning's pre-snap reads...

Drew Brees' ability to find open lanes...

Tom Brady's command of his system...

Philip Rivers pocket awareness...

Ben Roethlisberger's ability to break tackles...

Russell Wilson's ability to throw on the run...

Basically, take any good to great quarterback in the NFL and remove from their skill set one of the best parts of their game, then throw them back into it and watch the results.

Obviously, those aren't their only skills, but it'd be a major adjustment and, most likely, a decline in their overall performance level.

So with that in mind, now take away Cam Newton's ability to extend a play and/or be a run threat. Remove something that he's counted on and been used to having pretty much ever since he started playing football. Force hm to adjust to playing without something that he's always had.

What do you think would happen?

Sad to say that last situation is the only one in this post that isn't a hypothetical.

We're watching it.

I disagree with run threat but I do agree with extending the play. His ability as a run threat was taken away by injury at the beginning of the season when he played his best. Cam should not rely on running like he has. I think he should go back to his pocket passing form where he showed so much potential. I'm not talking about extending the play or scrambling. I'm talking about the read option and run threat crap. That stuff is nice to sprinkle in but it is being abused to the point of being predictable. Cam needs an oline that will let him sit in the pocket and grow there without being discouraged from sitting back there. Being a run threat should be a plus or bonus not a basis for his play.

[Darth Biscuit]

Not just that, but think about the veteran presence and familiarity/chemistry between Gross, Wharton, and Kalil last year.

 

Definitely a factor with communication and being able to pick up stunts and shifts.

[Mr. Scot]

Amini is just as bad as Bell. Amini going down last season was a blessing in disguise.

We keep making this about Cam when really it has little do to with him. The media and everyone else should be discussing those 5 useless bodies we call a OL

It's not only that they're bad, though.

It's the timing.

We're dealing with two major issues at once right now. On the one hand, we have a bad O-Line. On the other, a quarterback with an injury that limits his mobility.

Now, if we had only one or the other of those problems to deal with, the season might still have been bad, but I'm not so sure it would have been the utter disaster that it is now.

But we do have both at the same time, and here we are.

All speculation of course, but I think it's a valid question.

[ThinkAboutIt]

All you have to do is take away their Offensive Line.

It's that simple.

[Peppers90 NC]

Amini is just as bad as Bell. Amini going down last season was a blessing in disguise.

We keep making this about Cam when really it has little do to with him. The media and everyone else should be discussing those 5 useless bodies we call a OL

Amini is worse than Bell, as hard as it is to believe. There are a couple things I've noticed the last two games and how defenses are attacking us. They put heavy pressure up the middle with four guys, which forces a further drop back, and the edge rushers go really wide. That wide pass rush would be easy to avoid if we could step up in the pocket, but with the middle pressure, that is very difficult. Most tackles, even the good ones would struggle when speed rushers can go that wide. Ive noticed Bell getting beat(if you can fairly call it that) on the outside, way outside while our middle guys get ran over or miss blocks completely. Chandler just gets bull rushed constantly, I have nothing there for that other than he isnt an NFL caliber tackle. Then, when they show that same attack style, they dont blitz up the middle, we assume a wide rush and they can stunt on the inside of Bell and of course Amini is standing there looking for daisy's in the grass. No chemistry exists on this line.