The Dude

To me I couldnt tell if any particular player was to blame, it looked like ***up by commitee. Even Evans played poorly. Who is the weakest link?

TheOak

Evans has a hurt leg... He was seen having it looked at in the second Qtr... DLP and Strief missed some key blocks last night...

I am not saying Grubs or Brown didn't miss any blocks, there were just none that stood out like the others or I blinked.

Jack Vegas

I don't think they're nearly as bad as they played yesterday. That was a very good Bucs d-line, and it's always going to be harder for the o-line to block on a wet field. D line has a big advantage in that situation.

Evans is obviously playing hurt hurt, Brown is a replacement-level player and Strief is average as he has always been. Grubbs and de la Puente seem to be playing fine. I think they'll get it together in a week or two. Remember, we don't need the tackles to play great, never have.

If Evans has to sit next week I would not be surprised. He looks practically hobbled out there. Get him rested and healthy for the rest of the season now, that's what backups are for.

MatthewT

I am not sure if the offensive line is really an issue right now, I do know they were handled yesterday. That Buccaneers defense is a really good one, I noticed Brees had to hold on to the ball longer than usual. The Tampa secondary did a great job on the Saints WRs, and made a great half time adjustment on Graham.

lee909

The line has been on the decline since Nicks left,loosing Bushrod and most importantly Kromer was a big loss.You cant go from
Bushrod-Nicks-Puente-Evans-Strief to Brown-Grubbs-Puente-Evans-Strief with the loss of the O-Line coach and expect no dropoff.
We really must hope that Armstead steps up by the end of the season and id like to see a new RT drafted in the offseason,or try Armstead at RT and draft a new LT.If the O-Line cant keep Brees protected its game over

rezburna

There's this guy named Strief I'm not to big on...I think we might have talked about it before.

jagcatdad

Pro Football Focus rates Strief number three of 67 tackles at this point in the season.
Guessing they don't care what you think!

hagan714

beside OT? we have one in the wings and still have no one pushing Strief. so we all know the issues here

So the first move i would make is run de la Puente through stunt drills till he dropped then drag him to the weight room and in the off season entertain the idea of drafting a replacement if he does not improve. the center of the pocket must hold

skymike

I've been concerned with the O-line since the preseason began, but honestly,
yesterday, I think they held up well, considering the quality of the defense
they were playing. There were numerous plays where Brees had plenty of
time, and just didnt see anyone open.

I am concerned about the running game.

ChrisXVI

Our tackles are playing just fine... It's the interior that's having trouble and that's uncharted territory for a team whose line is built from the inside out.