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http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll ... 328/SPORTS

Long article short, Fisher thought that Falcons crossed the line with some of their cut blocks. None particularly stood out to me when I reviewed my tape the first time, but sometime in the next day or so, I'll probably re-watch the game and keep an eye on those things. This line seemed to say it all:



That's pointing the finger squarely at Gibbs, Jagz, and Chris Dalman the 3 guys that handle the O-linemen.

Gibbs tactics have come under fire in the past, particularly last season after a game I can't recall off the top of my head (Chiefs game?).

I personally think that the cut blocking heavy scheme that Gibbs employs is dirty. Now that doesn't mean I disapprove of it, but anything that purposefully straddles or pushes the line between legal/illegal is dirty to me, even if it doesn't cross that line most times. Dirty to me is something that may give you an edge that may not be that honorable. I think the blocking scheme we use is dirty. But I'm sure other minds have much differing opinions.

I agree. I couldn't (and can't) stand the Broncos for years because of it. Lots and lots of injuries caused by it....I guess it's a tactic needed when you don't have the talent of an o-line like say Kansas City's.

Or 5 lineman the size of a Buick LeSabre. The scheme is dirty but the NFL hasn't banned Gibbs from coaching in the NFL. Until they decide that Gibbs is bad for football I can deal with his blocking schemes.

I agree that it may be dirty but these guys get paid a lot of money...if they get hurt it's not like most of them will go hungry so I don't pity them. Until the NFL bans cut-blocking it's fine in my book. And until that time I don't think any of the coaches have a right to complain about it. If someone has a problem with it they should take it up with the league officials.

Ok, let's look at this from a different angle. Our O-line sucks and the last high draft pick for the O-line was by Reeves when he picked up Travis Claridge who is no longer with us. This means that the team and management has decided they didn't want to spend money on the line. If you don't spend money on a your O-line then you better find a way to make them 'good' enough to protect a QB... enter Gibbs. Management decided to throw money at the guy to fool the system by using 'dirty' but legal tactics to make up for how horrible the talent pool of our O-line is. If we had great linemen then we wouldn't need Gibb's system. If Fisher has a problem, and I think he should, then he should call out Blank, Mora, and Rich McKay for trying to make an offense that threatens careers because of the way they chose to build their team.

And as to these guys getting paid so much, well the NFL doesn't guarantee contracts, 50% of your money goes to the government, and 10% goes to an agent and all the guys in the the NFL aren't Mike Vick, so don't think they are all so well taken care of that ending a career early will not suck for them and their families.

MF1

well 40% of what an average NFL player makes is still more than I make so I don't pity them still. If cut blocking ends so many careers then the NFL should take action. It's not like this is a new problem. This has been around for a while. Until the NFL takes action to ban cuts then a player should just expect it and prepare for it...it's part of their job

Well I think it's only going to take 1 or 2 more players seasons to end before they ban it. There was a big talk about it last year when George Foster cut Tony Williams away from the play, and it cost Williams the season, and potentially a big payday this past offseason. A few more busted knees, and the NFL will ban it methinks.

I hope Fisher does call the NFL offices about our line play. I wasn't too happy with it either...

heh

Mora was asked about Fisher lodging a complaint with the league over Gibbs blocking. He said he feels the exact way the Atlanta Journal Constitution feels about it in an article posted today. Does anyone have that article or has anyone read it?

MF1

The Link: http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/falcons/0805/23falcons.html

The jist: Falcons coach Jim Mora, whom Fisher absolved of responsibility in his remarks to the Tennessean, was not aware of Fisher's complaint, but defended his team's blocking schemes, which include a heavy dose of cut-blocking.

"We play within the rules," Mora said. "Yes, we cut, but we emphasize and teach fair play. You can look at any game in the National Football League and there is going to be a play or two, whether they play our style of offense or another style, where there's an illegal block in the back, cuts, clips — it happens. We never, ever ask our guys to do anything illegal or to hurt anybody. We're not out to hurt anybody."

Alex Gibbs introduced the blocking scheme to the Falcons last season when he came from Denver to serve as offensive line coach. Gibbs is now a consultant to offensive line coach Jeff Jagodzinski, but remains actively involved in the day-to-day coaching of the offensive line.

My take: Fisher was very whiney about the play calling. He railed on about cut blocks. Then he stated 2 or3 holds were called when there were actually 5 or 6 holds. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

Forney also noted the NFL showed them film on what they consider to be an illegal cut block and Forney stated they don't do what was on the film and their blocks are legal.

That wasn't a cut block, it was a fat whale flopping on someones' ankle. In a proper cut block you do not leave your feet & you keep moving up field, not sideways into someone. The reason guys are getting hurt is because coaches are teaching this stuff to morons who are are totally lazy. The injury Foster caused was due to his laziness more than anything, as he figured he could just flop down & trip up Williams rather than wasting his energy performing a proper block. While I was never a fan of the cut block having been on the other side of them before, they are a necessary evil in the world of football as they force d-linemen to be more aware of the blocker than other things.

OMG, I'm a scrub!!! A scrub is a guy who can't get no love!!!

everyone in the nfl cut blocks
EVERYONE, there is not a team that does not, we do it more then some teams do
but there have been many a championships won with a similar system,
the niners always had "smaller" oline, and they did alot of cutting, the brocos ofcourse do alot of it, lets not forget what they did to a GREAT greenaby Dline, anda VERY good falcon Dlinei n back to back superbowls, not to mention the number of rushers that have continued sucess in the system, the pats have a smaller line, that will cut you faster then jack the ripper if that is what it takes to get the ball into the endzone. to those who say its dirty, go to any football practice, at any level either it be flag or real football, and watch a dline drill, you will hear the term " USE YOUR HANDS"
that and a few other phrases you would not want your lady to hear
the point is the dline from peewee up is taught to use their hands.

now there if a difference between cut blocking and chop blocking,
chop is bad, very bad, thats ditry and a guy cant defend himself, but cut blocking is just fine, if a d lineman complains about it, that just means the oline is doing his job, and the dlineman is not.

If D-lineman have a problem with cut blocks then since it's part of the game perhaps they should just prepare for it. If a lineman can sucessfully counter a cut block it leaves him in great position to get in the back field....Instead of whining about it they should just expect it and be ready for it

BINGO thats what im talking about

Sounds like something to write about at my blog. It's our dirty blocking style and I like it!