3 keys for offensive linemen to improve combo blocking

By Frank Bartscheck | Posted 12/9/2016

Our society celebrates individual achievement, which is why football is such a beautiful contradiction. 

Unlike everyday life, success in the sport of football is predicated on collective achievement rather than individual success. 

It’s easy to forget, especially since NFL stars are often praised for their individual performances, that the sport of football is founded upon collective teamwork. Without everybody on the team pushing in a singular direction, the cumulative effort is wasted. 

When successful, no position group better embodies and epitomizes quality communication, teamwork and camaraderie than an offensive line. In many cases, successful teams are built around the big guys up front, which in turn creates the character of the team. 

The recent resurgence of the Dallas Cowboys is a perfect example. When Tony Romo suffered a back injury during the preseason, many were forecasting a doom season for America’s Team

However, led by a rookie backfield, the Cowboys are 11-1, in first place in the NFC East and were the first team in the NFL to clinch a playoff spot this past weekend. 

The reason? 

According to owner Jerry Jones, it’s the offensive line. 

“I’ve always thought the character of the team…if you look back at the success we had in the early 90s and the makeup of that line, we didn’t see it at first, but that offensive line - the triplets will be the first ones to tell you - was the difference. That reminds me of what we are depending on here,” said Jones to BaltimoreRavens.com.

Jones is correct according to Pro Football Focus, which ranked the Cowboys’ offensive front as the best in the league:

The Cowboys are our top offensive line for the second year in a row, and the truth is, it wasn’t even close.”

The old adage that success on offense begins up front is just as true in high school football as it is in the NFL. This is why it is imperative that offensive linemen learn to communicate and work together. 

“Combo blocking in its nature is not a complex movement, but it does require the perfect relationship of synergy (between the offensive linemen pushing in the same direction),” said C.J. Davis of LeCharles Bentley O-Line Performance.  

Watch Davis break down the three keys to successful combo blocking in the video below.

 

Share