Air Force biggest concern

[carbonpoke]

Over the 20+ years that ive closely followed the pokes, there is one thing that I dread every time we play the academy!

the cut-block.

how many games over the years have our defensive front seven players come out with nagging to season ending injuries...?

plenty and too often. the wing offense with deberry, pulling guards and centers that would cut defenders on the line of scrimmage. their offense has changed, but the number of run plays hasn't, and neither has the cut-block philosophy.

I sure hope jamar cain and robin ross have let the players know, or make them wear knee braces on their inside leg.

on a side note, I think olive shines in this game. watching Nebraska, even we he got double teamed he made a pile. he might not have a big numbers game, but if he can plug the middle and slowdown the fullback (Hart), it will get the ball back in a hurry. I also would have liked to have seen wacha in this game, as his speed on the outside would equate to a huge tackle number... but there is certainly no reason to rush him back if he has a concussion. too bad...

 

[J-Rod]

Yep....there are a large number of teams in the past whose seasons were derailed by the injuries sustained against the Falcons. So far this season it hasn't been a huge deal, but against both USU and BSU I saw a few plays where the DE/LB is chasing Arwini down and a linemen comes from behind/side at the guys knees. Luckily nobody got hurt...but it still a dirty play. The guys need to keep their heads on a swivel. Never assume a play is over with these guys.

 

[ltcpilot]

Yeah....talk about AF and those two games and what you think you know about Air Force and all those other team's feelings......but....but.....

Oh wait....The cut block is a legal block that all teams use. Many associate that with the illegal chop block. Air Force does use the cut block but not the illegal block unless done unintentionally but how about blocking and the games this year?....don't talk about the fact that Air Force had no penalties for Chop blocks in any of their games this season while USU had one called on them and Boise State had two penalties for Chop Blocks called on them when they both played Air Force.....hmmmm.....Guess you will talk about 'those' teams just the same about their blocking when you play them.

 

[carbonpoke]

chop blocks are legal at the line of scrimmage, which is where air force chops... they practice it and are masters. regardless of where the chop happens however, it still causes injury

if boise and usu got flagged it happened off the line of scrimmage. just sayin

 

[YankPoke]

Yeah....talk about AF and those two games and what you think you know about Air Force and all those other team's feelings......but....but.....

Oh wait....The cut block is a legal block that all teams use. Many associate that with the illegal chop block. Air Force does use the cut block but not the illegal block unless done unintentionally but how about blocking and the games this year?....don't talk about the fact that Air Force had no penalties for Chop blocks in any of their games this season while USU had one called on them and Boise State had two penalties for Chop Blocks called on them when they both played Air Force.....hmmmm.....Guess you will talk about 'those' teams just the same about their blocking when you play them.

The cut block is the style that they have to use since they are in general smaller and less athletic than almost every team they play. Whether it is called or not is a different story, we are talking cut blocks and not chop blocks, Air Force on every single play dive down and block at or below a players knees. This is not a penalty in college, but is in the NFL. The chop block is blocking low when the player is already engaged with another blocker. You can argue that there has been no penalties for a chop block, but that is a different argument altogether, but the fact is AFA uses cut blocks on every play and that it is dangerous for blockers and is why it is now illegal in the NFL.

 

[ltcpilot]

Agree with you comments on what both block are and how they are used. The point is that 'every' team does use the cut block. Option based teams do it more with the scheme of the offense and, many times, with the makeup of it's players. But no matter how many time 'fans' and others talk about how bad it is that Air Force and ALL teams use it, the fact is black and white: it is legal. I will be the first to say we (or you or anyone) cannot use it if it becomes illegal. Until then it's entirely a moot point. Air Force lost two defensive linemen last year due to leg injuries....it happens and it happens not just because of a cut block. Fact of life IMHO.

Reference the NFL, the block is not illegal if used correctly. An associated block, the peel back block which is a basis of the legal cut block is now illegal based on a players movement then reversal of movement:

"The peel-back block is an act usually by an offensive player that's going to go downfield and move down the line of scrimmage and then turn back towards his own endline and then block low. Prior to this proposal, it was permissible inside the tackle box, so the guard could start the play, turn back on the screen pass, turn back around [and] as long as he hadn't left the tackle box it was permissible for him to block low on a defenseless player."

"Last year, the hit we're all familiar with - the [Brian] Cushing hit - actually was illegal because they left the tackle box and then the block was initiated. So what we're proposing now is that really under no circumstances will you be permitted to block low below the waist when you're blocking back towards your own endline. Including the tackle box also where it'll be illegal."

"It's not going to affect any of the run game [was asked particularly about the zone-blocking scheme]. This is more so in screens, more so in bootlegs and things like that. We're still allowing adjacent linemen to go down in the run game and we still have the one man removed block on the backside of runs, which ends up being a chop. But we're not changing any of the block. Keep in mind this is back towards your own endline, so if Team A is going this way, it's a foul when they turn around and block back this way."

 

[carbonpoke]

ya I apologize for using the term chop block in my reply. I am talking about cut blocks, which I said in my opening.

Yes all teams use them in situation. however, air force pulls and traps more than most collegiate teams, and they cut block. Im not alienating air force, its part of their offensive package. but I do worry for our player's health every year when we play the falcons. we've built a history, and no matter weather or not you call it a cut or a chop... air force utilizes this technique to open holes.

 

[TSpoke]

I think this is overblown. Cut blocks are legal. Every team does it. AF does it more due to there scheme. It isn't dangerous if you know what you are doing. Legal cut blocks come from the front so you should see them coming and not get your knee blown out. I used the cut block a lot as an undersized HS offensive lineman. Im sure the coaches have the dline prepared for it.