Is the O-line overrated?

Originally posted by SFVNiner:
Yes, analysts calling Niner games were always quick to say "...one of the best in the league..." but we had our share of problems.

I for one believe they should be able to do everything well; not be the best, but for the love of football gods- we can't even run screens cause they apparently can't screen block...?!?

the "analyst" that called our o line the best in the nfl also thinks justin smith is called country( f**king stupid aikman) they still run block very well, i think we need a younger center and they are below average in pass protection

Originally posted by threelittlebirds:
Well, the thing is that they didn't crown themselves.. their reputation is built solely on what they have done at their best and how often they have flat out dominated the opponents. That 49er record setting day of 621 yards in a single game with Alex Smith at QB did a lot to build them up... 300 yards passing and 300 yards rushing is directly tied to how well the oline played.

Staley, Iupati, Boone, and Davis are all grading out very highly. They aren't run-away best at their position but they are all near the top and that is pretty impressive. The weakest link has been Badwin over the last season... re-watching the game on coaches film is downright annoying because you'll see Badwin standing around doing nothing or doubling a guy who doesn't need to get doubled on nearly every play that the defense got a free rusher up the gut to either sack Kap or force something bad to happen. I'm just an outsider but I'm shocked he kept his job this season with how often he was doing that s**t

Yeah I see that too. Also, I really think that Iupati's deficiencies in pass blocking can be masked with a better Center. I hope the 49ers significantly upgrade the Center position, whether it's Kilgore or someone that isn't currently on the roster. I don't want Kilgore to be just adequate. The new Center has to be a clear cut upgrade in order to shore up the interior Oline. I realize there isn't going to be much turnover along the Oline, so it's up to the new Center and self improvement from the other 3 guys (Staley a bonafide stud). I hate when Kap gets the snap, looks up and there's immediate pressure in his face. Then analysts say "See...one read QB. So eager to run".

Originally posted by LasVegasWally:
Depends who you ask - the Niner TV commentators over-rate them.

Many in the Zone under-rate them.

IMO, it's a very good OLine in need of some replacements and in desperate need of quality back-ups.

Goodwin is gone. I think Kilgore will be the guy and not a rookie.

Iupati is in his last season and the injuries are starting to add up.

ADavis is not elite by any means but still very good. I like many have mentioned the possibility of him moving to LG. I really don't know if he could improve the position but it's a thought.

Staley is rock solid. One of the best in the game.

Booone just keeps getting better.

Many people raved about Looney coming in at RG when Boone moved over to fill n for Staley.

IMO, we have a top 5 Oline but must improve to win it all.

I was watching some of that game the other night and Looney looked good in pass pro, but not in run blocking. I am not sure if he looked good in pass pro because the Rams wanted to stay very disciplined in their rush lanes or what, but Looney was consistently standing up his man, completely neutralizing the pass rusher's momentum. It's hard for me to say more about Looney though. I only watched the first half and he was still "cold" after coming off the bench when Staley got injured. Obviously he didn't get first string reps in practice that week.

threelittlebirds, if you can, give some thoughts on what you thought of Looney since you happen to be watching the Oline.

One of the best 5 in the LG no denying it.

its a good line but its not the cowboys of the early to mid 90's. very predictable playing calling, especially on the road can make them look even worse too.

Originally posted by 99problems:
One of the best 5 in the LG no denying it.

one of the lowest in pass protection over the last two plus years

I thought Looney was tough and fought to the whistle.

There wasn't a whole lot to see, I can't recall if he made any mental errors. He knew the plays seemed to fit in w/out any disruptions.

Originally posted by LasVegasWally:
I thought Looney was tough and fought to the whistle.

There wasn't a whole lot to see, I can't recall if he made any mental errors. He knew the plays seemed to fit in w/out any disruptions.

He definitely has some ornery in him. Like you said, fights to the whistle and annoys his opponent. I saw him miss several run blocks, but I am giving him a bit of a pass because he just came off the bench. I'll try to check out his 2nd half performance tonight or something. Staley was injured very early in that game so Looney got a good chunk of playing time.

Originally posted by LasVegasWally:
I thought Looney was tough and fought to the whistle.

There wasn't a whole lot to see, I can't recall if he made any mental errors. He knew the plays seemed to fit in w/out any disruptions.

I want to see Looney in against the Seahawks. I want to see him "Ian Williams" one of their starting DT's at the beginning of their season.

Originally posted by Geeked:
I want to see Looney in against the Seahawks. I want to see him "Ian Williams" one of their starting DT's at the beginning of their season.

You mean you want him to go Sleezy Sweezy on a SEA DLman. Eh, Looney almost ended Kevin Williams (MIN) season when he went below the knees in the preseason.

Originally posted by thl408:

Originally posted by Geeked:
I want to see Looney in against the Seahawks. I want to see him "Ian Williams" one of their starting DT's at the beginning of their season.

You mean you want him to go Sleezy Sweezy on a SEA DLman. Eh, Looney almost ended Kevin Williams (MIN) season when he went below the knees in the preseason.

that picture doesnt even do it justice, that was an insanely dirty play on a really respected player.

Originally posted by crabman82:

Originally posted by thl408:

Originally posted by Geeked:
I want to see Looney in against the Seahawks. I want to see him "Ian Williams" one of their starting DT's at the beginning of their season.

You mean you want him to go Sleezy Sweezy on a SEA DLman. Eh, Looney almost ended Kevin Williams (MIN) season when he went below the knees in the preseason.

that picture doesnt even do it justice, that was an insanely dirty play on a really respected player.

I'm not wishing upon a Vik. Give me a little context credit for the comment. I know we don't like dirty players but watching a team intentionally take out 49ers starting DT kinda opens the book on a fair response.

Didn't mean to offend.

Originally posted by Geeked:

Originally posted by crabman82:

Originally posted by thl408:

Originally posted by Geeked:
I want to see Looney in against the Seahawks. I want to see him "Ian Williams" one of their starting DT's at the beginning of their season.

You mean you want him to go Sleezy Sweezy on a SEA DLman. Eh, Looney almost ended Kevin Williams (MIN) season when he went below the knees in the preseason.

that picture doesnt even do it justice, that was an insanely dirty play on a really respected player.

I'm not wishing upon a Vik. Give me a little context credit for the comment. I know we don't like dirty players but watching a team intentionally take out 49ers starting DT kinda opens the book on a fair response.

Didn't mean to offend.

i'm not offended, if you want a dirty play on a seahawks, looney is probably the man for the job

It is actually a strength of the team. The weakest link being Iupati in pass blocking because he had such heavy feet. This last year I think there was more of a learning curve because they were so used to being a primary run blocking. Kap also tends to hold the ball a little to long which doesn't help

all i know is that they need to bring back the joe show but he probably wouldnt have fun doing it without alex or shaun hill.

This kind of topic just has me venting again... long off-season ... as been stated before, i think Goodwin is gone and in comes Kilgore, which could be an upgrade? We shall see, maybe he injects some new fire into it... pass pro must improve though.