Is Juan Castillo the problem?

[The Raven]

A few people have incorrectly claimed that Castillo needs to be fired, and that he didn't do jack in Philly, and that he's only here because He's John's buddy. All of them are stupid reasons.

 

Let's look at the stats fellas. Castillo was Philly's OL coach from 98-2010.

 

In 2010, Philly had the #5 rushing offense and #2 total offense. 29th in sacks allowed.

In 2009, 11th in total offense and, while ranked 22nd in total rush yards, they ranked 11th in YPC. 1st in sacks allowed.

In 2008, 9th in total yards, 22nd in rush yards, and 21st in average. Here's a down year. 7th in sacks allowed.

In 2007, 6th in total yards, 8th in rush yards, and 2nd in YPC. 28th in sacks allowed. 

In 2006, 2nd in total yards, 11th in rush yards, and 5th in YPC. 8th in sacks allowed.

In 2005, 19th in total yards, and 28th in rush, and 16th in YPC. 21st in sacks allowed.

 

I'm not going back all the way to 1998.

 

As you can see, Castillo is qualified for the position, and is not the problem. While there were a few down years and some shaky stat numbers, Philly's offense did well in his tenure there. The Castillo complaints are unfounded. He is a good coach, and if you think he's the problem, you are just plain silly. 

 

 

Edit: At the time, I felt Castillo's track record was good enough to where we should trust him and his schemes. Now, that is not the case. Castillo is definitely a big part of the problem, and now the schemes are changing. I have no issue admitting when I am wrong, and here I am saying it: I was wrong about this.

[T3hRaven]

For the record, I'm not one of the one's calling for Castillo's head.  I believe in what a lot of our offensive coaches are doing, and Castillo has proven himself as an OL coach in this league.  The offensive staff overall is limited right now because of injuries and the fact that this is a team in transition.

[GrimCoconut]

I'm not blaming Castillo. I'm not sure if there's a conflict in philosophy, however. From the sound of it, if Moeller and Castillo are both teaching different things then I think that would absolutely explain our struggles.

[Mt. Crushmore]

Execution, execution, execution.

[flynismo]

Well, just like 95% of the time when a team struggles, it comes down to players doing their jobs.
It is rare that a coach is to blame for an entire unit failing, collectively and individually.

[T3hRaven]

I'm not blaming Castillo. I'm not sure if there's a conflict in philosophy, however. From the sound of it, if Moeller and Castillo are both teaching different things then I think that would absolutely explain our struggles.

 

I still don't understand why Moeller wasn't fired and Castillo was just given official control of the OL coaching.

 

Well, just like 95% of the time when a team struggles, it comes down to players doing their jobs.
It is rare that a coach is to blame for an entire unit failing, collectively and individually.

 

I dunno, coaching comes into play in a lot of team's struggles right now.  Cam Cameron's archaic offense was a major hindrance to us for many years, and you can see the same sort of ancient route concepts and lack of imagination in both the Bucs and Rams this season.  Tavon Austin is a guy you have to move around and get open in space, but I don't think they've done a good job of doing that.  Calling almost all isolation routes is not going to work in this league today.

[jimmypowder]

Well if Castillo has no blame then it's all on Gino as he was the only change to the oline . I don't buy it . Castillo has changed the blocking scheme which doesn't fit our personnel Sounds a lot like Cam Cam to me .

[izvoodoo]

I still don't understand why Moeller wasn't fired and Castillo was just given official control of the OL coaching.

 

 

Just a theory, but with a limit on practice time with the new CBA there has been a movement to hiring more coaches as to distribute responsibilities during practice session.  Like the vikings have 2 wr coaches 2 secondary coaches. And so on.  ILB coaches and OLB coaches.  

 

Just sort of something that's going on with the league.

[Brandon22]

Its not our run game coordinator it our o-line coach andy moeller and oc jim caldwell who need to be replaced during the bye week with Steve Frost the OC from Oregon and their line coach Steve Greatwood

[ravens533]

The o-line, protection, blocking and run game are so bad that I do not think that anyone associated with our 0-line is without blame.

[ravens533]

Gino has had struggles this year. But I still think he is our best bet. His size is not really smaller than a lot of the centers in the league. He will get better with experience. He can be coached to block better and how to be more physical when doing so. I think he has so much on his plate it will take time for him to digest it all.

[T3hRaven]

Just a theory, but with a limit on practice time with the new CBA there has been a movement to hiring more coaches as to distribute responsibilities during practice session.  Like the vikings have 2 wr coaches 2 secondary coaches. And so on.  ILB coaches and OLB coaches.  

 

Just sort of something that's going on with the league.

 

 

A fascinating and logical observation.

[runamuk]

I never liked Castillo .I'm not silly I think there is a direct correlation to our running backs not being productive and the entire o line not performing up to par.I can not believe that all at once the entire o line and the running backs are all playing poorly at once.....I don't think Castillo's scheme fits the strengths of our offensive players. Under Moller we had no issue protecting Joe or making holes etc ....

[izvoodoo]

 

A fascinating and logical observation.

I absolutely approve of your Star Trek references.  By the way.

[youne]

You can call the right play every time, but if the players don't execute, it doesn't matter. Maybe the scheme is affecting running (myabe it isn't), but the fact of the matter is our o-line is being beaten like a red headed step child on the one on one blocking battles. The O-Line needs to be such a cohesive unit that even one piece out of place can be an issue. (See last year before McKinnie.) So if we got a couple things slightly out of whack (new centre calling protections, new blocking scheme, etc) all that little bit probably affects performance exponentially.

 

TL;DR EVERYONE DO BETTER

[TonyTone1192]

Well if Castillo has no blame then it's all on Gino as he was the only change to the oline . I don't buy it . Castillo has changed the blocking scheme which doesn't fit our personnel Sounds a lot like Cam Cam to me .

This

[TonyTone1192]

This ZBS that he wants us to commit to hasn't panned out nor does it look like it will. Just because it's successful down in Houston doesn't mean that we should've adopted it.
Kind of like turning our offense into a read-option offense, it wouldn't work and it wouldn't be needed. We don't have the personnel for it so we wouldn't be successful at it. "If it ain't broke don't break it."
Our running game has been fine since Rice arrived, now through four games this season we are at the bottom of the league in rushing yards with the 0-4 Giants, Steelers and Jaguars.
You can butter it up however you want but Castillo is a major reason for our offensive issues.

[Grapple Raven]

Good coaching is knowing the skill sets of your players and putting them in schemes that will allow them to be successful.  This O-line didn't forget how to play football since last years playoffs.  While Gradkoski's ability to recognize and call protections maybe part of the issue, in every Harbs presser this week he has mentioned "scheme" when referring to changes that need to be made, and that is on Castillo.

[airconteka1]

You can't really use his track record to absolve him of the blame, he may have come up with a lousy scheme that just isn't working with the tools he has got. Having said that I believe what others have written that it appears to be more an execution issue. Lets see how we look when Eugene takes the field.

[Bltravens]

A few people have incorrectly claimed that Castillo needs to be fired, and that he didn't do jack in Philly, and that he's only here because He's John's buddy. All of them are stupid reasons.

 

Let's look at the stats fellas. Castillo was Philly's OL coach from 98-2010.

 

In 2010, Philly had the #5 rushing offense and #2 total offense. 29th in sacks allowed.

In 2009, 11th in total offense and, while ranked 22nd in total rush yards, they ranked 11th in YPC. 1st in sacks allowed.

In 2008, 9th in total yards, 22nd in rush yards, and 21st in average. Here's a down year. 7th in sacks allowed.

In 2007, 6th in total yards, 8th in rush yards, and 2nd in YPC. 28th in sacks allowed. 

In 2006, 2nd in total yards, 11th in rush yards, and 5th in YPC. 8th in sacks allowed.

In 2005, 19th in total yards, and 28th in rush, and 16th in YPC. 21st in sacks allowed.

 

I'm not going back all the way to 1998.

 

As you can see, Castillo is qualified for the position, and is not the problem. While there were a few down years and some shaky stat numbers, Philly's offense did well in his tenure there. The Castillo complaints are unfounded. He is a good coach, and if you think he's the problem, you are just plain silly. 

I'm inclined to disagree abit.  Philly when watching them always had a good pass blocking line and a few times with Westbrook around they looked better than they were run blocking.  I was happy when he came over here, strictly because I thought he'd help with pass blocking, especially at the T position.  But those stats don't help his run blocking cause (regardless if Reid hates running the ball) .  Something doesn't add up, those 4 guys who were already there didn't suddenly lose their intensity or their ability to block anyone and Gradkowski can't be the reason they all can't block now.  Heck Gradkowski looked so good against the Bengals in Week 17 last year we all thought he'd likely perform better than Birk run blocking wise in the playoffs.

Castillo is more than qualified for any Oline job but it just seems like they're all off for one reason or another right now.  Someone else suggested that maybe Moeller and Castillo are preaching different techniques and that's screwing them up, though I find that hard to believe Harbaugh wouldn't have figured that out already.  Something just does not seem right with them.  The Oline is getting blown up like a JV high school line right now.  No one can anchor AT ALL.

[redravenfan]

Good coaching is knowing the skill sets of your players and putting them in schemes that will allow them to be successful.  This O-line didn't forget how to play football since last years playoffs.  While Gradkoski's ability to recognize and call protections maybe part of the issue, in every Harbs presser this week he has mentioned "scheme" when referring to changes that need to be made, and that is on Castillo.

well said agree 100 %

[flynismo]

In another thread, we were laughing at a gif of Oher blowing his assignment and KO getting juked by a guy standing still. I think that says it all.

[runamuk]

here's hoping they scrap the new scheme and get back to what works for us. I agree with grapple no way the entire line forgot how to play football .

[gabefergy]

Another myth, we aren't running a new scheme.

[The Raven]

Another myth, we aren't running a new scheme.

 

Ha, yeah. Thanks for bringing that to light. 

[Cville-Raven]

here's hoping they scrap the new scheme and get back to what works for us. I agree with grapple no way the entire line forgot how to play football .

We're still using the same scheme if I'm correct.

[runamuk]

We're still using the same scheme if I'm correct.

Castillo has made changes to the scheme and it does not fit the personnel we have . the entire oline including the running backs didn't forget how to play football,no did the oline forget  how to block and how to open lanes for the backs. Harbaugh mentioned this several times in recent pressers that 'scheme issues" need to fixed . Prior to our run coordinator taking over we actually had a run game  now we have no run game and a piss poor offense . that's not on the players that's on the coach .

[Guest RBates]

UHHHHHH  Running QB's  is the major reason for the rushing numbers.  Just saying!!!!  That doesn't make him a guru on the line. 

[The Raven]

UHHHHHH  Running QB's  is the major reason for the rushing numbers.  Just saying!!!!  That doesn't make him a guru on the line. 

 

UHHHHH typically if an offense performs well, the offensive line is doing well.

 

:rolleyes:

[Guest RBates]

UHHHHH typically if an offense performs well, the offensive line is doing well.

 

:rolleyes:

I can see this thread is already popular.  The O-lines in Philly are good due to mobile Qb's.  Running Qb's move the pocket.  They have the ability to hide the O line woes. Again, I watch football!

smh