Post by whoskmoon on Aug 20, 2023 10:44:46 GMT -6
There is no question that the Vikings' interior offensive line has given up a lot of pressures (compared to other guards and centers) since Cousins joined the team. It is also no question that the Vikings have spent a lot of draft capital to improve that group, from the 18th overall pick on a center, to multiple 2nd and 3rds on guards. Yet despite that investment, the number of pressures given up by the interior just continues to rise, not go down. Are these players that bad? Is the coaching to blame? Or could be something else entirely?
If we go back to 2017, the most recent season Vikings fans seemingly had no gripe with the interior of the Oline, the combined centers and guards gave up 78 pressures and only 7 sacks on the season. Not with a star studded cast of future Hall of Fame candidates or even high end starters, but with the likes of Jeremiah Sirles, rookie Pat Elflein, Nick Easton, and the only truly quality member of that group, Joe Berger. Fast forward to the following year, and a new group took over, giving up 120 pressures and 20 sacks. This 2018 group was relatively healthy, and was made up of a similarly quality level of player, but gave up significantly more sacks and pressures. Why? One reason for sure was the number of drop backs backs by the QB jumping by nearly 100 from 2017 to 2018. With that amount of increase the Vikings should have only given up 90 pressures and 8 sacks though, not 120 and 20. The Vikings also lost their offensive line coach prior to the season, so coaching could have played a role. Something else changed as well though, perhaps the biggest change an offense can make: they signed a new QB.
While talent of the players and coaching certainly plays a role in how well an Oline performs pass blocking, there is a growing number of analysts who see sacks and pressures almost as much of a responsibility on the QB as on the Oline itself. The QB after all dictates how long an Oline has to block, whether the pocket remains static or moves with the QB, and whether defensive linemen need to focus on contain or can just pin their ears back and go after the QB. In 2017, defensive linemen were focussed on containing Case Keenum. Not because he was a great runner, but because he was more dangerous outside of the pocket than within it. He moved more within the pocket as well, shifting around to give his blockers a better angle and making their lives easier. In come Kirk Cousins and every defensive lineman knows exactly where he will be at the end of his drop. They don't care about contain, they can just get up the field and force a throw or get a sack. On top of that, Kirk loves to hold the ball until the last possible second, taking hits to deliver a strike or more often, a check down on 4th and 8.
Do the numbers back this up though? After all, there was a change in the talent on Oline from 2017 to 2018, and there was a shift in coaching. Fortunately we can look at what happened when Kirk joined and left Washington as well to see if this shift occurred there.
2014
Pressures: 68
Sacks: 8
Kirk takes over
2015
Pressures: 107
Sacks: 6
2016
Pressures: 97
Sacks: 5
2017
Pressures: 105
Sacks: 14
Kirk leaves
2018
Pressures: 90
Sacks: 14
For context, Mahomes' interior in 17 games versus 16 gave up 75 and 3 this year.
A pattern emerges...
One thing to note here, Kirk's interior Olines in Washington did give up less pressures than they did here even if it was still a lot in Washington. So while even though All Pro Brandon Scherff wasn't good enough to keep Kirk from getting pressured from the interior, he was better at it than anything we have had. So not all of Kirk's fault, but if fans think improving the interior talent will stop the interior from giving up a lot of pressures and sacks, it is unlikely with Kirk at QB.
If we go back to 2017, the most recent season Vikings fans seemingly had no gripe with the interior of the Oline, the combined centers and guards gave up 78 pressures and only 7 sacks on the season. Not with a star studded cast of future Hall of Fame candidates or even high end starters, but with the likes of Jeremiah Sirles, rookie Pat Elflein, Nick Easton, and the only truly quality member of that group, Joe Berger. Fast forward to the following year, and a new group took over, giving up 120 pressures and 20 sacks. This 2018 group was relatively healthy, and was made up of a similarly quality level of player, but gave up significantly more sacks and pressures. Why? One reason for sure was the number of drop backs backs by the QB jumping by nearly 100 from 2017 to 2018. With that amount of increase the Vikings should have only given up 90 pressures and 8 sacks though, not 120 and 20. The Vikings also lost their offensive line coach prior to the season, so coaching could have played a role. Something else changed as well though, perhaps the biggest change an offense can make: they signed a new QB.
While talent of the players and coaching certainly plays a role in how well an Oline performs pass blocking, there is a growing number of analysts who see sacks and pressures almost as much of a responsibility on the QB as on the Oline itself. The QB after all dictates how long an Oline has to block, whether the pocket remains static or moves with the QB, and whether defensive linemen need to focus on contain or can just pin their ears back and go after the QB. In 2017, defensive linemen were focussed on containing Case Keenum. Not because he was a great runner, but because he was more dangerous outside of the pocket than within it. He moved more within the pocket as well, shifting around to give his blockers a better angle and making their lives easier. In come Kirk Cousins and every defensive lineman knows exactly where he will be at the end of his drop. They don't care about contain, they can just get up the field and force a throw or get a sack. On top of that, Kirk loves to hold the ball until the last possible second, taking hits to deliver a strike or more often, a check down on 4th and 8.
Do the numbers back this up though? After all, there was a change in the talent on Oline from 2017 to 2018, and there was a shift in coaching. Fortunately we can look at what happened when Kirk joined and left Washington as well to see if this shift occurred there.
2014
Pressures: 68
Sacks: 8
Kirk takes over
2015
Pressures: 107
Sacks: 6
2016
Pressures: 97
Sacks: 5
2017
Pressures: 105
Sacks: 14
Kirk leaves
2018
Pressures: 90
Sacks: 14
For context, Mahomes' interior in 17 games versus 16 gave up 75 and 3 this year.
A pattern emerges...
One thing to note here, Kirk's interior Olines in Washington did give up less pressures than they did here even if it was still a lot in Washington. So while even though All Pro Brandon Scherff wasn't good enough to keep Kirk from getting pressured from the interior, he was better at it than anything we have had. So not all of Kirk's fault, but if fans think improving the interior talent will stop the interior from giving up a lot of pressures and sacks, it is unlikely with Kirk at QB.
... and neither is this Chris guy.