Oli Udoh got 1st team snaps at Right Tackle; Allen: “LG & RT are still open. Penning is progressing but Udoh will get a look at RT.” (2 Viewers)

[Innotech]

As long as we dont field an oline as bad as the Steelers have had a few years back during Bens waning years. I havent seen an oline that abysmal on our team or any other team in a long time.

 

[MikeyF]

Did Saints right tackle Trevor Penning do enough to save his starting job? Possibly.

On social media, every play Trevor Penning runs is fodder to be picked apart.

www.theadvocate.com

 

[nakadish]

I always support BPA picks. But I do wonder if there wasn't a Guard, Tackle, or WR available at that point that would have made this team better now. I think Kool-Aid will be good in the long run, especially since we may not sing Lattimore to another contract, but I do wonder if it would not have been better to improve the talent on the OL for the short term.

If Lattimore is going to start singing, I think I'm okay with not signing him to another contract.

 

[DSnfla]

I haven't watched all his snaps, but I did focus on him a few times and what I saw was pretty good. He held his own on inside moves and bull rushes and crushed a DE on a run by Mims on Rattler's first series. Not sure how he looked otherwise, but he certainly looked like he improved over the AZ game. Hopefully the development continues but I think he earned the start in week one.

Also Ten. were playing their starters for the 1st two series and it was TP and TF as the only starters on OL. Like I've been saying , TP improved almost every game last yr until he got benched. If we had had a competent OC with an up-to-date system we may have been able to let him develop all last yr and we may not be having all this RT discussion

 

[St. Widge]

Also Ten. were playing their starters for the 1st two series and it was TP and TF as the only starters on OL. Like I've been saying , TP improved almost every game last yr until he got benched. If we had had a competent OC with an up-to-date system we may have been able to let him develop all last yr and we may not be having all this RT discussion

He has certainly improved and if he can play like he did today when the regular season starts we will be okay at RT given that I am sure Kubiak will scheme him help. And hopefully he continues to improve. I noticed some of that mean streak on the Mims run when he put the DE on the ground and then he jumped on top of him to keep him out of the play. That tells me he may be getting some of his confidence back.

 

[DSnfla]

He has certainly improved and if he can play like he did today when the regular season starts we will be okay at RT given that I am sure Kubiak will scheme him help. And hopefully he continues to improve. I noticed some of that mean streak on the Mims run when he put the DE on the ground and then he jumped on top of him to keep him out of the play. That tells me he may be getting some of his confidence back.

You're coming closer and closer to the dark side Widge LOL

 

[Belfast Saint]

Having watched it again this morning, Penning has certainly maintained a good level on the run blocking. It was a bit iffy week 1, better v Arizona, and good again v Tennessee. Not perfect by any means but good enough to start for sure. That's good, especially in a scheme which emphasis the run and for which the pass is built off of the run.

His pass pro, ignoring gimme plays, is still suspect but perhaps slightly better. I saw him using his hands a bit more which is a nice improvement - more often then not he was just giving DE's his chest in earlier games. His anchor is still dodgy and I noticed that he stops his feet on contact too often/ too early. You have to maintain active feet throughout the rep and as soon as you stop your feet moving, you're going to slip off the block. Inside moves still give him trouble but I think he's feeling it a bit quicker now which helps him re-direct faster, though in my view still not fast enough. His footwork/ weight distribution isn't terribly clean which hampers his ability to re-direct more quickly/ easily. A real mixed bag and much of it not great. Expect to see a few really ugly reps though when he's left 1 v 1 on a deep drop. But, there has been improvement and that gives you a little hope.

To sum up, Penning's run blocking looks like that of a bona fide starter and perhaps with time, a plus starter. Pass pro looks sub par but there has been some slow improvement and perhaps he's now inching away from being 'not a viable starter' to being 'less than ideal' but can work with it/ around it.

Last year I said he would probably need until mid season to really settle in and he never quite managed to make it that far. Maybe this year by game 3-5 he'll be solid after working out some more of the kinks in his pass pro, and further solidifying his run blocking.

 

[SaintRay]

 

[St. Widge]

I put no credibility in anything Jeff Duncan says.

That being said, of course the team isn't fully confident in Penning. He has clear struggles in pass protection, but he's still likely the best RT they have on the team. Should they have gotten another starting RT to compete with Penning? Absolutely, but that ship has long since sailed. So, confident or not, he's the RT. The hope is that he continues to improve the way he has over the preseason.

 

[44slayer]

I put no credibility in anything Jeff Duncan says.

That being said, of course the team isn't fully confident in Penning. He has clear struggles in pass protection, but he's still likely the best RT they have on the team. Should they have gotten another starting RT to compete with Penning? Absolutely, but that ship has long since sailed. So, confident or not, he's the RT. The hope is that he continues to improve the way he has over the preseason.

Even a broken Jeff Duncan is right twice a day. Its no stretch on his part. Penning is going to be an absolute crisis until they are forced to at least try someone else. The biggest threat to Carrs health is at least not protecting his blind side. Id be suprised if Penning made it 2 games as the starter before the musical chairs on the right side begin.

He has been terrible in pass pro, and defenses are running vanilla. Theres no game planning. Every team on the schedule knows that the turnstile is on the right side. Maybe he gets through the Carolina game if we control the clock and arent forced into obvious passing situations. Beyond that, its a matter of time.

 

[St. Widge]

Even a broken Jeff Duncan is right twice a day. Its no stretch on his part. Penning is going to be an absolute crisis until they are forced to at least try someone else. The biggest threat to Carrs health is at least not protecting his blind side. Id be suprised if Penning made it 2 games as the starter before the musical chairs on the right side begin.

He has been terrible in pass pro, and defenses are running vanilla. Theres no game planning. Every team on the schedule knows that the turnstile is on the right side. Maybe he gets through the Carolina game if we control the clock and arent forced into obvious passing situations. Beyond that, its a matter of time.

Duncan is just stating the obvious and pretending it is news which is common for him.

I think Penning was terrible in pass pro against AZ but by the time he got to Tenn he was playable. Not good, not average, but playable. And while other teams were not scheming neither was Kubiak so Kubiak is just going to have to out coach the other team's DC unless or until Penning improves in pass protection. He'll do that by running the ball, chips, using play action, and with boot legs, but it will be scary on third and long.

Will Penning improve enough? I don't know, but I will say that he has improved in each game during the preseason. Still, there is a long way to go and I'm not sure he ever gets there, but I have more hope than I did after the AZ game.

 

[tjharris]

I feel confident in Penning now
Duncan knows nothing.
Skip Bayless and Nick Wright are more knowledgeable.

 

[44slayer]

I have more hope than I did after the AZ game.

I had more hope in Jon Stinchcomb coming out of retirement after the AZ game. Fair enough though if you think he improved againts some base defenses. I give it to halftime of the Eagles game before Udoh gets a look. Thats might be a game too much.

 

[B4YOU]

Even a broken Jeff Duncan is right twice a day. Its no stretch on his part. Penning is going to be an absolute crisis until they are forced to at least try someone else. The biggest threat to Carrs health is at least not protecting his blind side. Id be suprised if Penning made it 2 games as the starter before the musical chairs on the right side begin.

He has been terrible in pass pro, and defenses are running vanilla. Theres no game planning. Every team on the schedule knows that the turnstile is on the right side. Maybe he gets through the Carolina game if we control the clock and arent forced into obvious passing situations. Beyond that, its a matter of time.

WK1 vs Clowney - 9.5 sacks in 2023.
WK2 vs Parson - 14 sacks
WK3 vs Sweat - 6 sacks but 11 in '22
WK4 vs Judon - 4 sacks in 4 games but 15.5 sacks in '22

Udoh starts by WK5 vs Karloftis

 

[IceHot]

Penning is going to be an absolute crisis until they are forced to at least try someone else.

Even if Penning plays great in the first 5 games we need to be prepared with a capable backup.

It looks to me as though Ruiz has improved but how often do we want chip protection from the TE, hand-off and slide protection from Ruiz, and a stay home RB that is always looking on the right side to cover a weakness in the line?