Over the weekend, we had a post looking at some of the rankings Pro Football Focus put together on the top- and bottom-15 when it comes to pass blocking. They broke down the offensive line and tight ends and 49ers players ended up frequently at the bottom of the list. Well, PFF wrapped up their rankings by looking at the pass blocking efficiency of running backs and Frank Gore showed up in the bottom-15 of the rankings.
We had a discussion about pass blocking over the dscsdfds, but given the emphatic nature of these rankings, I thought it was worth bringing back to the forefront on this fine Monday morning. My question is how do folks think pass protection will be impacted by the return to a West Coast style of offense?
Of course the most basic change most people hope for is to see an offense develop from inconsistent and fairly bland to one that is a little more explosive. Is it such a basic connection that a better offensive game plan can improve the performance of the offensive line, even with no changes to the personnel involved?
At the same time, assuming David Baas returns this season, there is another year of chemistry for an offensive line that featured two rookies and a player in Baas who was making his first snaps at center since college. Will a full year of action together somehow allow the pass blocking to find some sort of zone? Or are there too many weak links?