The Offensive Line Needs To Give Time in the Pocket

I just searched the Internet looking for an answer to one easy question. I looked for a stat that should be easy to track, but I could not find anything.

I looked for something so simple as the average seconds Seattle's OL gave Hasselbeck in the pocket.

I searched in many different ways and as far I could tell, no one on the Internet keeps track of this important stat (Seattle was ranked 27th by Jason Cole with Yahoo Sports but no "time in the pocket stat" was included).

Growing up, all I heard was, "You gotta give your quarterback more time in the pocket to make plays." This was especially true when a quarterback was sacked, ran out of the pocket, was forced to throw, and had a bad game.

I wanted to find this stat because I believe it the most important part of the offense to have a foundation of success. This is what will make the Seahawk's succeed in 2010.

What good is a quarterback, running back, receivers, tight ends, and so on if there's no time to do anything?

I wanted this stat so I could be more accurate with my article, but a little bit of guessing won't hurt my point to much, and I do not think I'll be too far off.

My Theory

I am going to guess that on average, Hasselbeck had 1.5 to 2.0 seconds to make a play per down (PPD) in the pocket.

From the games I saw, Hasselbeck was lucky to get that much time. I remember when the ball barely was in his hands and he was already scrambling, on his way to being sacke, rushed out of the pocket, or had no choice but to lay down before he got creamed.

Hasselbeck (or any quarterback for that matter) needs more than 1.5 to 2.0 seconds to be the man he was in 2007, and his receivers need more time to run their routes and become an elite offense again.

Think about it: A fast athlete in the 50-yard dash takes on average probably 4.5 to 5.5 seconds. How far do you think someone is going to go in 1.5 to 2 seconds?

This is why Hasselbeck and the receivers struggled last year. Let's take a look on the math side of what went wrong last year.

The Math

Key:

• / = divide
• (s) = seconds
• (YRD) = yard

Math steps to figure out what the average possibility was for a receiver to run his route  in yards: 4.5(s) / by 1.5 (s; time allowed by the OL) = 3.

So, 50 YDS / 3 = 16.6666667 YDS to run their routes, not very good odds of success, even for fast guys.

Shorter version: 5.5 / 50 YRD = 13.63 YDS. It's no wonder their offense was terrible.

Or, the extra half second version: 4.5 / by 2 = 2.25; so, 50 YDS / by 2.25 = 22.2 YDS.

Hasselbeck probably had better stats and success because of the .5 seconds, but still was not enough time to win games.

5.5 50 YRD dash = 18.18 YDS

Sorry to those who do not understand the breakdown; just look at the instructions with the symbols to better understand.

These stats are based on a receiver going in a straight line. What about the zig and the zag's that delay getting the most yards out of their routes?

There isn't much delay, this is why their were so many short passes last year with Hasselback and Seneca. It's a wonder Hasselbeck's job is in question this year as is his future (retirement)?

This is what needs to happen for Seattle to compete for the NFCW title this year, and make Hasselbeck look like a top five or top 10 quarterback again...

TWO TO THREE MORE SECONDS of time in the pocket, that's it.

I turn my head left and right in around two seconds. I could not imagine the frustration Hasselbeck had last year not being able to see the whole field without being forced to make a play.

The extra two to three seconds (a total of 3.5 to 5 seconds, hopefully, more) will give Hasselbeck more time to find a receiver, but more important, the receivers/tight ends will be able to cover more of the field and do their jobs efficiently. Hasselbeck will find the rhythm he had in 2007 and then look out!

Here is the possibilities with a five-second time span in the pocket.

• 4.5(s) dashers / by 5(s) of time allowed by the OL (wishful thinking) = 55.56 YRDS. Think Hasselbeck is going to find a receiver open with the route assignment?
• 5.5(s) dashers / by 5(s) = 45.45 YRDS. Think this will spread out the opposing defense a little bit and protect Hasselbeck from getting creamed this year?

Our RB won't get creamed as much, and will have more success because opposing defenses will have to respect the offense as a whole. The OL is the foundation and needs to give Seattle two to three more seconds per down for the offensive side to succeed. Is that too much to ask?

Maybe after a few games together they can find even more time for success.