Alex Gibbs and his cheap shot blocking techniques

[KB21]

Well, Gibb's cut/chop blocking scheme has taken out another knee. Promising rookie defensive tackle for the Dolphins, Kevin Vickerson, tore his ACL on a play where the Falcons' offensive line, in typical Gibb's fashion, resorted to the dirty tactic of cut blocking.

This style of blocking should be outlawed in the NFL. If a player can't block someone straight up in this league, then that player doesn't belong in the league.

This is why I think that Hudson Houck is a better OL coach than Alex Gibbs. Houck doesn't teach his player to cut and chop block. Instead, he teaches his players about leverage, hand placement, and power blocking.

[djcorley]

speaking from experience...when a D-Linemen gets get to the ground on a legal "cut-block"...it's his own fault. It's especially his fault he get's himself hurt.

There's a huge difference between a "cut" block and an illegal "chop" block...Cut blocking is perfectly legal and it's an effective weapon for an O-Linemen.

I didn't see the play the guy got hurt on...if it was illegal "chop" block then shame on the falcons and Alex...BUT, if it was a legal "cut" block...shame on Vickers and his coaches for what happend to him.

[KB21]

It's kind of hard to prevent a cut block when the offensive lineman is taking out the back of your knees when you are moving laterally.

It's quite simple. This is a cheap technique that Gibbs utilized in Denver and is now utilizing in Atlanta. Jeff Fisher even complained about this.

This technique has hurt a lot of defensive linemen in the past.

[pathway23]

Just sour grapes, the Dolphins are a lousy team.

[Admin]

coaches in the league from his days in Denver. This has nothing to do with the Dolphins being lousy either, which incidentally they will be until they get a real QB. That crap where one lineman engages a defensive lineman up top and another rolls in from behind and takes out his knees is bullshit and should be banned from the league. Someday it will be, just as they banned that horsecollar tackle bullshit that Roy Williams loved to do so much. Doing something that so often results in career threatening injuries to another player is selfish and stupid. Only a Broncos or Falcons fan would actually back Gibbs up for what he teaches his lineman to do.

[pathway23]

Thats exactly why I back him up. I'm a Falcons fan all the way. Until the league says it is illegal or punishes Gibbs I'm all for it

Good thing you just want to talk about Gibbs, because the Dolphins offensive line coach has a lot of work to do to keep Frerotte on his feet. Falcons backups were getting to him with ease! I thought you said the offensive line had improved , I can just imagine what they had looked like before! lol!

[Admin]

So you could care less that the lines coached by Gibbs are known around the league to be the cause for countless major knee injuries, as long as your team is winning? Talk about being selfish.

I havent seen last nights game yet but I certainly plan on watching that play a few times to see if it was a cheap shot or not.

[thesource966]

And your the one that will be crying foul when its a falcons defensive lineman that gets taken out.

[cyman3]

the one thing u have to look at is if it was

A) an accident. in basketball, theres something called FOULS for a reason. ur tryin to do ur part- but u F^CK up on accident.

B) dirty play taught by OL coach. if its repeated over and over (not just 1 player, but by all players)- then its clear that Gibbs is teaching his players a thing or two.

also look for REFS. If its an illegal "dirty" play, then the refs should regulate.

[djcorley]

I don't think you quite understand the difference between a "cut" block and a "chop" block. Because if you did...you wouldn't call a "chop" block a "cut" block.

Two totally different things and what the Falcons are doing is Cut blocking and it's legal to do it while the defender is moving laterally....I'm speaking from a point of experience

Alot of experience

[KB21]

I know the difference between a cut block and a chop block. I'm saying that Gibbs teaches both techniques, and his linemen always get away with chop blocks.

I also said that cut block should be outlawed in the NFL, for the simple fact that this style of block has taken out more defensive linemen than any horse collar tackle has taken out offensive players.

Like I said. If a lineman can't block his man straight up without resorting to cutting him, then that lineman doens't belong in the NFL period.

No other offensive line coach teaches his linemen to cut block and chop block like Gibbs does.

[djcorley]

If you've never been in the trenches the there's no way for you to understand what I'm talking about. D-Linemen that get hurt from a legal "cut" block deserve to get hurt because it means they aren't using their hands....If they use there hands correctly the O-Linemen would never be able to get to his knees in the first place.

Doesn't matter that you think it should be outlawed.

As a former professional D-Linemen...If I do what i'm supposed to do then a "cut" block won't hurt me...as a matter of fact it gives me a chance to hurt him.

[Admin]

at least thats not what I am talking about when talking about D lineman getting hurt. What I am referring to is what Gibbs has been notorious for teaching, which is to have one OL player engage a DL player up high, while another OL player slides in down low from behind and takes out his knees. Thats what I consider to be cheap and selfish football.

[djcorley]

I would be everything I own he doesn't teach that crap...that comes from an individual player that "chooses" to take a cheap shot.

No way he's coached this long and become as well respected as he is teaching ILLEGAL techniques...that's crazy!

[Admin]

You can see it in the highlights. Go back the past 5-7 years and you can see it time and time again when an opposing DLman has his knee blown out. Why do you think so many players and coaches have complained about Gibbs' line over the years. Hell just 2 weeks ago Jeff Fisher was complaining about it. Its just cheap crap that his lines pull and you dont ever see other lines doing it, so you think its just coincidence that his players are the ones doing it?

[Dukegotgame]

doflan theres a huge difference between when an oline gets cut blocked and chop blocked. when you are chop blocked, you are being engaged like you said. honestly i dont even remember that play but i doubt it was an actual chop block.

from time to time chop blocks happen but gibbs teaches his oline to cut block, not chop block..

do you really think that after what like 7 yrs now he would still be so highly regarded if he taught his line to chop block?

[KB21]

You can't use your hands when they are hitting you in the back of the knees.

[KB21]

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar...417/1328/SPORTS

Jeff Fisher is reporting this to the NFL, not that it is going to do much. Gibbs has skated by on this issue for years now, and the NFL doesn't appear to be in a rush to do jack [censored] about it.

http://www.woonsocketcall.com/site/news.cf...06787&rfi=6

This blocking style knocked John Jurkovic out a few years ago. It knocked Bryan Cox out. It has now knocked Kevin Vickerson out. There are many others that have been injured due to the dirty tactics that Alex Gibbs teaches.

George Foster, of Denver, broke Tony Williams's ankle with a cut block last year.

The NFL outlaws the horse collar tackle because Terrell Owens breaks his ankle after being tackled by Roy Williams. Who has to get hurt on the DL before the NFL does something about cut blocks?

[djcorley]

So you're saying that the only teams that have ever hurt someone by "chop block" is Alex Gibbs coached teams...that's crazy...

You guys don't know.

I've been in the NFL and I know...all sorts of players get hurt in the trenches from questionable blocks and "usually" it's a "player" stepping outside of what he knows is legal or right on the borderline of "legal"...

Trust me I know!

[djcorley]

That's nuts man. So much stuff goes on in the trenches that people just don't know about. And, much of time things are done in retaliation of something that happpend earlier. But, most of the time it's a "players" decision to use a bad tactic and hurt someone.