Thread: Mike Tice on the Oline; This "WIP" Needs More Progress and Fast.

Well we all know what he's already said about Webb and I imagine that should take care of that. He's either gonna be better this week or he should be gone from LT the next. I don't like how he cut an excuse for Louis though. I don't care how good Marcell Dareus is he's a rookie and Louis isn't. If he can't at least contain him how in the hell will he play against long time vets? Shoot, they'll eat him alive.

Tice seemed to nail down his problem with his style of approaching him so hopefully it changes but that along with Webbs claim of lacking intensity just prove why this line shouldn't be left in the hands of inexperienced guys who seem to lack the smarts, not athletic ability, to play their role well. For all the coaching those two have had they still play stupid and there is no cure for stupid.

You keep trying to post that, and it never works. Try cut/paste.

A couple of comments from Greg Gabriel on two Bears lineman.

Lance Louis
Louis has the physical tools to be a very good guard in the league. He has size, strength and rare athletic ability for such a big guy (6-3 and 320). His problem has been he doesn’t play in games the way he practices and this was the case again this week. He got beat a couple of times in pass protection giving up a sack and a pressure. His problem has been sustaining his pass blocks. He has to do a better job holding his position on his opponent. If he doesn’t show improvement this week, the Bears may want to move Roberto Garza back to right guard and play newly signed Chris Spencer at center.

Gabe Carimi
A few days into camp, Carimi was given the starting right tackle job. He played as if he belongs there. Carimi has size, power and athletic ability. He showed good run block skills and didn’t look like a rookie playing his first professional game when pass blocking. He has a strong punch, moves his feet well to mirror and can anchor. If he stays healthy he will be a fixture at tackle for years to come.

My take on this is simple. Mike Tice has called Lance Louis an "elite pass blocker" yet he was anything but come game time Saturday. The guy practices like Tarzan and plays like Jane and to me he just doesn't have it together enough to be a starter. We went through this with him last years for four games before he was benched and that shouldn't happen again this year.

Tice should do what Gabriels suggests and move Garza, who is a good run blocker and at least an adequate pass blocker, back to RG and let Spencer take over at OC. Louis seems to be another of Tice's pet projects and a lot of us would like to see Louis succeed as a starter but I just don't think he's ready for it mentally yet. He needs another year of apprenticeship behind Garza.

Gabriels description of Carimi especially where he says, "he didn't look like a rookie playing his first professional game when pass blocking" should also tell Mike Tice that his experiment with J'Marcus Webb at LT might be over as well. Even though both played LT in college to me Carimi is athletic enough for LT and far more mentally prepared for the responsibility that goes with it.

Tice claims that Webb had a good practice yesterday but then again hasn't he been saying that about both him and Louis ever since camp began. Then they get into a game and both look like they have no idea of what they're doing. I think we can trust Gabe Carimi to protect the blindside and I think that's far less certain with Webb no matter how well he practiced. Tice should flip the two for a week and then see who plays better where before etching these two guys playing positions in stone.

Originally Posted by Jrmcshane

Also, what's the deal with players who "practice well," but don't "show up" for games? I can't understand that... is it nerves?

I believe it's primarily the speed of the game. Practice is going at about 3/4 speed when you're against your own guys. Coaches and players may say that's not true but if you ever watched a training camp practice you know that it is. The same speed and intensity that comes in the game isn't there so guys like Louis get accustomed to that and their efforts are based on that. Then they get into the real thing and they can't think quick and adapt well enough to cope.

That seemed to be Louis problem last year and I think it's still his problem. The athletic ability is there but the speed of the mental process isn't and he's not experienced enough to let his instincts take over. I think it's the same with Webb. Tice sees these guys do great in practice but they can't match up at game speed. When you watch them it's pretty obvious. They look lost out there.

It's way better to try to get these guys used to game speed during the preseason. I hope that they get up to speed before the regular season starts. Until the regular season, I'm concerned, not panicked.

(Maybe if I keep telling myself that, I'll start to believe it...) OOOOOooooooohhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......