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in the first quarter. Slow starts really puts stress on the whole team for the rest of the game. Whoever made the OL change did good. Hurd is still a beast. Would be great if he didn't get hit before the line of scrimmage so much. One game at a time. I see no reason to not be undefeated going into Bama game. But, we still have to play the games.  On the OL issue, is it that these guys are not as talented as their recruiting rankings suggested or are they not getting coached up? Just sucks that the OL is still this teams Achilles heel. Seems to have been so for a few years. Why doesn't it improve? If they don't improve, Bama's DL is not going to be kind. Like it or not, Bama is the standard that this team needs to surpass. Championships are won in the trenches. Look at the QB's Bama has won championships with. None were exceptional. I would say Dobbs is as good or better than most of them.  Is this Vols defense as physical as you thought or hoped it would be? I also noticed while watching the replay of the game, Vols receivers still do not get the separation they need.

I wish I had the confidence that the OL will get better that you do. 

It's not just the "young guys" in the OL who are struggling.  It's the "veterans", too, which is never a good thing. 

Our OL is what it is.  What you see is what you get.  They are what we thought they were.   Insert your own favorite cliche here. 

If UT is going to win, it will be in spite of a poor OL. 

i noticed the same thing in the NFL. Looks like fundamentals are not being taught much any more.

How are your fundamentals? Proper technique? :dielaughing:

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Why do you applaud mediocrity? There was some shizzlety football played the first week of the NFL season. But the games were close you say. Still doesn't mean good football was played.

Don't just assume our OL was highly rated. Of the current starters, Jones and Richmond were, not so much the others.  And those are the two least experienced, particularly Richmond.

Here are the consensus ratings of what I think are the starters (rank nationally as an OL coming out of HS):

Jones (21)
Richmond (5)
Robertson (120)
Kendrick (165)
Wiesman (130)

 :powert:

Well Belichick has no problem with lesser talent. He could pull someone in off the street and they would play adequately...lol. He is uncanny though. How he does it baffles me.

 :frown: :frown:

OMG...beyond stupid.  Bellichek is a very careful elevator of talent.  He gets guys that are team-oriented (Moss being a notable exception) and does not GAF about skill players other than Brady.  He also disdains first round draft choices to load up in lower rounds. 

Because someone is drafted in the 3rd or 4th round, does not make them "off the street". I mean, seriously.


Bellichek manages his salary cap almost as much as his team by de-emphasizing skill players on offense (which, face it, are a dime a dozen) to spend his salary cap money on talented LBs, DBs and linemen of every stripe.  I'd say it has paid off.

His players are hardly "off the street", they are just more blue collar and less flashy, and like I said he avoids for the most part the price premium of having a highly touted first round drat pik

Another thing, no one is saying recruiting rankings are perfect, but our OL was not "highly rated" across the board