Our OLine = Over Rated?

[CRA]

I would say we just have some great overall guys in Gross, Wharton, and Kalil. They don't dominate in any aspect but are just solid across the board. Those type guys are what build fantastic OLs. Otah imo is the only guy who can dominate in a specific area.

[mj4life]

we have a above average o line who can be great when they play as a unit, gross is probably the best all around and otah is probably the most physical, kalil is a good center who is getting betterand wharton brings versatility. most of our problems last year were injuries and poor qb play for most of the year. teams could just load up on us cause we couldn't throw the ball to OUR team

[mr beauxjangles]

well...combine this with the fact that our two backs both average 5.1 and 5.2 yards per carry and you can see that o-line also does a great job creating holes to break long runs.

[Jcdawg23]

The Panthers OL is awesome! It doesn't help when no one is afraid of your QB all season, and loads the box to stop the run. Everyone knew last season if you want to beat the Panthers, put the ball in Jakes hands. Make him be your defensive MVP.

[pantherclaw]

Stuffed runs on a run heavy team? Say it ain't so!

We have a very good oline. I really don't care what the site says. You what the game tape, and you see how well our line plays. Do they get beat at times? Well, yes...they are not perfect. Take into account gross missed half a season, otah missed a few games, yet the team still ran well, and moore had time to throw. That is still pretty good considering everybody was scared cause our lack of veteran depth.

Do we have the greatest oline? Nope.

We do have a good group, that will continue to get better the longer they play together.

[faultlessjoint]

A couple things to consider.

1. It's a lot easier to stuff a run play for 0 yards when the other team knows you are going to be running it. We had a very predictable offense last year and teams really stacked the box against us.

2. A lot of those 0 yard runs were because Williams was dancing around back and forth in the backfield trying to break a big one or find a hole. If he had just ran forward in the first place it probably would have been a 1-4 yard gain. (I'm not knocking Williams for doing this, it's the same thing Barry Sanders did. And so far it's worked out pretty well for both of them.)

[Mr. Scot]

Football Outsiders has us at 17th: http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/ol

Last year we lost Gross for 7 games, and Otah for 3. We were also playing some of the better defenses in the league. That isn't going to help your stats.

The year before, when we were healthy most of the year, we finished 8th.

Heck, even Williams wasn't healthy all year, and Stewart never practiced.

Throw in that for the better half of the year, no one was worried about the passing game. Pretty much all they did was key on the run.

By contrast, look at the running stats once Matt Moore got going, and even that was with backups on the line.

You can't have stats without perspective and expect to come to a real understanding.

[Neylus]

You need a good passing game to have a good running game. We had Jake last year and because of that teams lined up 8 in the box most of the year against us.

Not to mention blitzing Jake was almost a guaranteed pick. He rarely (if ever) made teams pay for blitzing.

[SorthNarolina]

We were 2nd in the league on rushing attempts, yet we were also 2nd in the league in rushing avg. Pretty impressive.

Even with Moore's nice play towards the end of the season we're the bottom of the barrel in nearly every passing category. So it's pretty impressive to keep the run game up throughout all of that.

Then you add in the injuries along the line. Doesn't really speak for the line more than what it says about Magazu.

We have an excellent O-line. I don't think it's overrated at all to consider them top 5 at all.

[Future of the Funchise]

I'm afraid...

I'm very afraid...

afraid there won't be anyway to stop us with a fresh start and a fully healthy team.

[koolkatluke]

Man we are going too make alot of people look like asshole this year. Everybody seem too be dogging us more then ever. WHOOOOO!!! We are going too be so far under the rader this year.

[SCP]

Personally I think this is more an indication that teams know we are going to run the ball. The LBers are alot closer to the LoS meaning they get there that little bit quicker than against a team like the Colts who are alot more likely to pass so the LBers will sit off the LoS.

This. It's not like opposing defenses were on their heels waiting on Jake to burn them with the passing game. The fact that we had two 1100+ yard rushers and were "stuffed" more than most says a whole lot about our backs and o-line.

[koolkatluke]

Seriously does anybody feel like this article has any merits?????

2 1,100 yards rbacks when everybody knew what we were going too do.

2 probowlers on the oline (Gross, kali) and 2 who should be (Oath, Warton).

And for the people who talk about our pass blocking. I would like too know how many of the 33 sacks were on Jake and how many on Moore? Moore atleast got rid of the ball if no one was open jake took alot of sacks. Plus didn't we have like 6-7 sacks in the 1st game against Philly.

[SCP]

I think Phily had 31 sacks against us that game.