Orlando Brown flattens Denver defenders: a compilation

Looking at why edge rushers only try to beat the hulking left tackle around the edge.

Orlando Brown has been an interesting case study in how offensive linemen get looked at, both by fans and by many media alike.

That’s not meant to be a criticism of media (or fans, of course, of which I am one), it’s simply meant to reflect a general truth that is twofold. The first is that most people aren’t going to spend their timing examining every single snap of an offensive lineman. The second is that people are going to instead gauge how a lineman performed based on the one to three snaps of that player they remember. That’s not really fair, but it’s the reality of the position.

There’s a corollary issue in examining offensive line play in that many people (again, of which I am one) don’t always know what to look for when evaluating a player. A sack that looks like it’s on one player in real time could be, on review, the fault of another or something that was based on the called protection.

I learned this lesson in real time through Geoff Schwartz, who called me out years ago when I was first starting to get serious about trying to break down each snap of offensive linemen. I’d blamed him for a failed protection, and he was willing to walk me through the reasons I was wrong.

Geoff Schwartz @geoffschwartz

@RealMNchiefsfan 1) the formation was wrong 2) on that play, my first assignment isn't the DE

With that lesson learned, I set out to do a better job being cautious when I was assigning blame on a given play. The reason I bring this up is to reinforce my first point; It’s a dangerous game trying to figure out what’s going on up front.

With that in mind, I’m not here to make an overarching statement on Orlando Brown’s play. I have reviewed every snap of two of his games (Week 1 against Cleveland and Week 10 against the Raiders, during both of which he performed well for what that’s worth), but we’re here to make one observation about Brown. And that observation is that if you let him get his hands on your or try to power your way through/inside him, you’re gonna have a bad time.

This (absolutely hilarious) snap led to me being genuinely concerned for the well-being of the defensive end during the game.

Seth Keysor @RealMNchiefsfan

Orlando Brown just killed a man.

This was not the only snap like this during the game. Let’s talk about it.