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More important for a good offense -- quarterback or offensive line?

More Important for the Offense

  • QB Play

    Votes: 23 28.8%
  • OL Play

    Votes: 57 71.3%

  • Total voters
    80

Buffnik

Real name isn't Nik
Club Member
Junta Member
Do you think it's more likely for great QB play to overcome poor OL play? Or do you think that it's more likely that great OL play can overcome poor QB play?
 
A great O-line can make up for a lot of deficiencies in other areas. Most average rb's will be able to gain yards with huge holes, and most qb's will be able to find wr's if they have all day. On the flip side, a great qb can't achieve their potential if they are running for their life every play.
 
Give me a good QB every single time. Harder to find, but a good QB can overcome a lot.
 
good o-line play begets good qb play... you could have the best qb in the world but without time he will be ****
 
I think it is easier for a good to great offensive line to make an average QB look good/great than for a great QB to look any better than average with a poor offensive line.
 
I think it is easier for a good to great offensive line to make an average QB look good/great than for a great QB to look any better than average with a poor offensive line.

On the whole I'd agree. If we are talking about guys like VY and Cam Newton in college then having them on CU's roster would have made us better while they were in the cfb world; oh and lets not fool ourselves into thinking Auburn had a non-stellar OL at Auburn. The SEC prides themselves on OL and DL so even if they were marginal, they were still damn good (not to mention Michael Dyer is a STUD). Unfortunately, since college QBs are only around for 4 years max, and with exceptional QBs being gone after 1 or 2 good years, I'd rather have a consistent great OL. Who was our QB in 2001? Pesavento and Ochs. We also ran well in 2002 too.
 
I voted for the offensive line but I am biased in this regard. I think people often forget that we are talking about almost half the offensive players on the field. A team with a solid oline is going to be more stable than a team that lives and dies by their one stellar QB.

An example that jumps to mind is the 07 Kansas team that had a solid oline and an average QB that put up numbers on a lot of teams.
 
I voted for the offensive line but I am biased in this regard. I think people often forget that we are talking about almost half the offensive players on the field. A team with a solid oline is going to be more stable than a team that lives and dies by their one stellar QB.

An example that jumps to mind is the 07 Kansas team that had a solid oline and an average QB that put up numbers on a lot of teams.

Going to strongly disagree with you on Reesing being average. That guy was a fantastic QB.

cite some examples

The Steelers of 2010.
 
Going to strongly disagree with you on Reesing being average. That guy was a fantastic QB.



The Steelers of 2010.

despite not being able to protect rothlesberger they did run the ball fairly effectively that year.
 
OL. A few examples that come to mind include the Ravens SB championship team (very good OL, terrific D, and a marginal QB), and the LSU and 'Bama NC teams this decade (really, name their qb's). However, I think you can achieve more in college with an OL > QB, than you can in the NFL.
 
On the whole I'd agree. If we are talking about guys like VY and Cam Newton in college then having them on CU's roster would have made us better while they were in the cfb world; oh and lets not fool ourselves into thinking Auburn had a non-stellar OL at Auburn. The SEC prides themselves on OL and DL so even if they were marginal, they were still damn good (not to mention Michael Dyer is a STUD). Unfortunately, since college QBs are only around for 4 years max, and with exceptional QBs being gone after 1 or 2 good years, I'd rather have a consistent great OL. Who was our QB in 2001? Pesavento and Ochs. We also ran well in 2002 too.

^This^ 2001 was the first example that came to mind. We had great OL play and dominated opponents on offense. A great QB would probably have pushed us from top 5 into a legit shot against Miami for the NC.
 
A great offensive line can win a lot of games by grinding the opponents down. A great quarterback with a crappy offensive line is running for his life. You need to have a little time to throw the ball. You need to have a somewhat effective running game.
 
Did Elway have good lines? in teh pre-TD years?

They were OK, but it wasn't until Gary Zimmerman came to Denver along with the emergence of TD that the Broncos offense really started to dominate. The Denver OL in the late 90's was awesome. Alex Gibbs was the OL coach at the time.
 
^This^ 2001 was the first example that came to mind. We had great OL play and dominated opponents on offense. A great QB would probably have pushed us from top 5 into a legit shot against Miami for the NC.

Fresno State pick 6!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!arrghhhgegewe gWFBHwuieogh weghw
 
Going to strongly disagree with you on Reesing being average. That guy was a fantastic QB.


Reesing put up good numbers and didnt turn the ball over a ton. He was more of a game manager than a superb QB though. He did get cut by a CFL team...
 
Fresno State pick 6!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!arrghhhgegewe gWFBHwuieogh weghw

I think that might have been the first CU game I ever watched, that I remember at least. Did Ochs get a concussion that game? I remember we always had good RB's
 
Reesing put up good numbers and didnt turn the ball over a ton. He was more of a game manager than a superb QB though. He did get cut by a CFL team...

The last thing that came to my mind when watching Todd Reesing is game manager. He made that team. Put him on the 2007 team instead of Cody Hawkins and the Buffs win a few more games.
 
i think in the college game a good to great oline with an average qb will be more beneficial than a great qb with an average oline. In college you can still win by dominating the line of scrimmage and pounding the ball and having a qb that will be low risk low reward. In the pro game, you need to have a qb that will be able to air it out. Perfect example is last year, Broncos #1 in rushing with a qb that minimized mistakes, still made the playoffs but had no chance, while the giants were last in rushing with a top flight qb and they were able to win the superbowl
 
cite some examples

Best examples are when you look at the best QB's...when I read this question I ask myself whether I would rather have the #1 or 2 QB with a so-so o-line or the #1 or 2 O-line with a so-so QB

Now apply to best QB's in NFL game:

1. Colts had best O-line in NFL in 2009-2010 with Peyton Manning, and were one of the worst without him
2. Packers have one of worst O-lines in NFL the past 3 years and yet are Super Bowl contenders in each because of Aaron Rogers

QB can compensate for so many more weaknesses on a team in the NFL than any o-line could.....and I think everyone will agree if you had to choose a Tebow behind a top notch o-line vs. Rogers or Manning behind a bottom tier O-line on paper....the team with best super bowl chances is the one with the better QB

College Ball is completely different story due to the disparity in talent levels across positions, teams, conferences, etc.
 
Yeah. One thing to keep in mind with the NFL is that there's a salary cap and every team applies the same resources to their teams. What that generally means is that there are 32 teams that would all go 8-8, with the QB being the main variable that separates greatness from sucking.

College is obviously different. I still think a QB is the most important position on the field and means the most. However, I also think that it's the position you're least able to control and count on. For year-to-year consistency, focusing on the OL is more important. For single year greatness, the QB is going to be more important.
 
College is obviously different. I still think a QB is the most important position on the field and means the most. However, I also think that it's the position you're least able to control and count on. For year-to-year consistency, focusing on the OL is more important. For single year greatness, the QB is going to be more important.

^^^^ what he said.
 
Sorry, but BJax was never going to complete a pass, I don't care how much time the OL gave him. The OL can't fix a bad QB, but a great QB can make plays. But eventually he'll get killed, so you obviously need both.
 
I think it depends on the offense. In a spread, give me the qb. In a power attack, its gotta be the o-line.
 
Depends on the QB. A pocket passer, and no. A scrambler, yes I would rather have a good QB.

However, I cannot stress enough, games are won in the trenches. A great O-line can make an average QB look like Joe Montana.
 
Wisconsin has been a consistent top 15 team (sometimes much better) for over a decade without ever having a QB that was anything more than average until this last year. Their OL's have always been among the best.
 
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