Rodney Hudson Quickly Becomes Anchor Of Offense

bankybruce

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What a difference a great Center makes! This really makes me excited for the rest of the season!

As Kyler Murray came to the line of scrimmage Sunday in Tennessee, veteran center Rodney Hudson turned to his quarterback to give some advice.
Seems that Hudson saw something with the Titans' defensive line that indicated they would be running a Cover Zero all-out blitz – even if they were doing a good job of disguising it. It was a tell he had found watching video of the Titans from the preseason.
"I saw it, and trusted it would happen," Hudson said.
Murray took the advice and moments later, found wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins for a 17-yard catch-and-run touchdown.
"I've never experienced that with a young center, alerting me that was coming, that was something he knew was coming that most guys wouldn't or wouldn't see," Murray said. "(He's a) big-time difference for me

 

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We should be asking the Raiders for one of their top O line guys for a 3rd every year.

As well as the line has played I still wouldn't be against trying to pick someone up for RG. I'm still not thrilled with the Murray/Garcia combo and it seems Jones might make the shift to RT. We are ok there but can get better.

Maybe someone like Laurent Duvernay-Tardif who has lost his starting role and if FA next year. The Chiefs also have Blythe and Allegreti.

Will Hernandez would be a nice get. He's FA next year and Giants need to rebuild. The Giants fans don't seem to rate him much based on PFF grades but we know PFF grades can be trash and he's been in some garbage O lines with garbage coaches. I think he is talented.
 
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Krangodnzr

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As well as the line has played I still wouldn't be against trying to pick someone up for RG. I'm still not thrilled with the Murray/Garcia combo and it seems Jones might make the shift to RT. We are ok there but can get better.

Maybe someone like Laurent Duvernay-Tardif who has lost his starting role and if FA next year. The Chiefs also have Blythe and Allegreti.

Will Hernandez would be a nice get. He's FA next year and Giants need to rebuild. The Giants fans don't seem to rate him much based on PFF grades but we know PFF grades can be trash and he's been in some garbage O lines with garbage coaches. I think he is talented.
I think the Cardinals are well positioned to take a swing on a cheaper draft pick or two. Look for a mauler for RG and stick with Jones at RT. Beachum should be around next year as a vet leader and solid player just in case the injury bug bites.

Now that the Cardinals have a bunch of solid vets, the team can really look to try and build the line through the draft and not be forced to start OL draft picks early.
 

Russ Smith

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There's a couple of articles about the 54 yard run by Chase that are related here too. The Cards were in a pass play on 3rd down they said Murray felt comfortable with the call in large part because we have Hudson at C so passing from his own 4 yard line is not as big a concern it was the last 2 years where Donald could just blow up the C and cause a safety. When Murray got there he saw the formation and Chase said Kyler and both said to each other Bro this is it, Kyler changed to the run play. Then the key to the play is Hump getting to the 2nd level which happened in part because Hudson and Garcia did their jobs inside creating the hole and giving Hump time to get to the 2nd level make the block that sprung him for the big run

But it was interesting to see the suggestion they are so confident in hudson they now can call plays they didn't want to run before based entirely on fear of a safety because they didn't have a good C.

now we gotta fix the low snaps!
 

Krangodnzr

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There's a couple of articles about the 54 yard run by Chase that are related here too. The Cards were in a pass play on 3rd down they said Murray felt comfortable with the call in large part because we have Hudson at C so passing from his own 4 yard line is not as big a concern it was the last 2 years where Donald could just blow up the C and cause a safety. When Murray got there he saw the formation and Chase said Kyler and both said to each other Bro this is it, Kyler changed to the run play. Then the key to the play is Hump getting to the 2nd level which happened in part because Hudson and Garcia did their jobs inside creating the hole and giving Hump time to get to the 2nd level make the block that sprung him for the big run

But it was interesting to see the suggestion they are so confident in hudson they now can call plays they didn't want to run before based entirely on fear of a safety because they didn't have a good C.

now we gotta fix the low snaps!
It's nice finally having a good center. I can't think of the last time this team actually had a good center. Sendlein was ok, but was never a really good player.
 

Crimson Warrior

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Knowing Hudson is anchoring the OL just makes you trust the offense. I used to focus on the line and expect the worst but it’s been stress free for the most part.

<stick man>

Humph, Pugh (who is quietly having a good season) and Hudson make the left side of the line good, maybe even very good.
 

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What a difference a great Center makes! This really makes me excited for the rest of the season!



I completely agree. Kyler is actually staying in the pocket because he doesn’t feel like he has to run for his life. There was one play during the Rams game where it looks like he has Donald pushed back 5 yards from the line of scrimmage on a pass play. he completely neutralized one of the best defensive tackles ever.
 

Crimson Warrior

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I completely agree. Kyler is actually staying in the pocket because he doesn’t feel like he has to run for his life. There was one play during the Rams game where it looks like he has Donald pushed back 5 yards from the line of scrimmage on a pass play. he completely neutralized one of the best defensive tackles ever.

Agree 1000%. People used to complain about K1 climbing the pocket because he didn't do it very much in his first two years. But with Mason Cole or Gallard as his C, I don't think he really had the opportunity to do so.

I think he's stepping up in the pocket more this year.
 

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There's a couple of articles about the 54 yard run by Chase that are related here too. The Cards were in a pass play on 3rd down they said Murray felt comfortable with the call in large part because we have Hudson at C so passing from his own 4 yard line is not as big a concern it was the last 2 years where Donald could just blow up the C and cause a safety. When Murray got there he saw the formation and Chase said Kyler and both said to each other Bro this is it, Kyler changed to the run play. Then the key to the play is Hump getting to the 2nd level which happened in part because Hudson and Garcia did their jobs inside creating the hole and giving Hump time to get to the 2nd level make the block that sprung him for the big run

But it was interesting to see the suggestion they are so confident in hudson they now can call plays they didn't want to run before based entirely on fear of a safety because they didn't have a good C.

now we gotta fix the low snaps!

I had to go back and rewatch it. Yeah that was beautiful.
 

PACardsFan

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Pretty obvious his absence has hurt the team more than any other player including DHop
Hard to argue that because losing Hudson means we move Garcia to center, a position he sucks at, and then playing Jones at RG, which is an unmitigated disaster. We learned last year that teams figured out that you have to attack Murray right up the middle. Add in missing your all pro WR & RB, and Kirk dropping perfectly thrown dimes, and the results are obvious. And too many people on this board want to blame Murray. I rewatched the game twice. Murray had one bad series all night. No QB in the NFL would have fared any better on Christmas night.
 

SoonerLou

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Hard to argue that because losing Hudson means we move Garcia to center, a position he sucks at, and then playing Jones at RG, which is an unmitigated disaster. We learned last year that teams figured out that you have to attack Murray right up the middle. Add in missing your all pro WR & RB, and Kirk dropping perfectly thrown dimes, and the results are obvious. And too many people on this board want to blame Murray. I rewatched the game twice. Murray had one bad series all night. No QB in the NFL would have fared any better on Christmas night.
I wouldnt say that. Throughout the game he ignored Wesley for a few 1st down plays. Now luckily a couple of them went for 1st downs. However, rewatching the game I was about to come to that conclusion as well until about the 2nd drive of the 3rd Qrt.

Missed throw to AJ Green
Then doesnt trust throwing to Wesley on his left with the defender giving soft coverage

Next drive was good, but misses Ertz on the roll out. Seems he's still got some room to grow in terms of throwing to his left while rolling left. Maybe that Rams int spooked him.

Next drive he forces a throw to Ertz in double coverage. Again Wesley has soft coverage and is wide open to that side.

4th and 6 he had Ertz wide open and didnt throw to him. Maybe the low snap threw off the timing but thats the read. Obviously the ball wound up short to AJ Green.

Redzone on 1st down forces a throw to Ertz. If he's patient he probably finds AJ Green in the endzone.

So each of those drives there was a play he could have made to help give the Cardinals a shot. Up until that 2nd half he was fine. Whats clear is we dont have the same margin for error if a guy drops a pass, he misses a throw, etc.

I do think its fixable. More trust in Wesley. Get Hudson back setting the protections and alerting him to change the play so he isnt as jittery in the pocket.
 

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