January 12th, 2012 
Jeremy Fuchs 
Posted in Giants O-Line Coach Pat Flaherty is one of the best in the biz. In this video, he talks with Brian Billick about a six man protection scheme against a 34 front, something the Giants will be using a lot of against Green Bay. Notice how much goes into protection. Not just beating the guy physically, but understanding what the D wants to do and reacting to it. You can scheme your line to create the best match ups for your personnel.
It does work but not all the time. Many times it works against you by not having enough receivers out. Although the three we have they probably cannot cover. 6 man line, QB, RB and 3 WRs, no TE and FB.
At least one will be open, Eli needs enough time to get the ball to the open man, vertically and not in the flats or the safety value unless he is completely open and uncovered. It’s hard to work the underneath seams against a 3-4. We really don’t have the big TE or WR who can do that, Barden doesn’t play, Beckum is too inconsistent and does like contact, Ballard is too slow. If we go one back formations and 6 man line again it limits the underneath stuff, no FB to chip and then sneak out across the middle. Hopefully Cruz will be the guy who runs those routs not the chip of course or Ballard if we go 6 man line 2 WRs and a TE, single RB no FB.
It’s all about when it’s done too. I think we can handle their pass rush or lack of a pass rush just fine as long as Gilbride lets Eli get rid of the ball fast and not take those long drops and pass plays that take forever to set up. Quick hitters and dump passes will keep the defense off balance.
If we go single back, 2 WR formations then by all means a 6 man front using an extra lineman sounds like a good idea. Run strong to their weakness which I guess would be whatever side Clay Matthews is not on. Then use play action pass plays for big gains with Cruz and Nicks. Again whatever you do the reasoning is to get the defense off balance and confused. Use plays to set up other plays, although that is a weakness of Gilbride’s play calling. The best I have seen so far is Sean Payton, he’ll use plays to set up other things all game long, he had the Lion defense so confused they looked like the Keystone cops, whoops my age is showing.
Honestly a 6 man line takes a way what we do best right now although it’s something I like to see on certain downs and situations, you don’t have to just pass or run from it, there is no set rule, you can mix it up. I would rather see a spread formation with one back and force them into coverage which is their weakness on defense, as Beckum mentioned. Let Eli pick them apart and mix up the formations.
I have to edit that it’s a little too early in the morning for me…LOL. I didn’t mean to say no TE on the first line.
I thought Flathery was talking about using another lineman and taking out a player like the FB or TE. He was just talking about using the FB or TE as a 6th lineman, hence the 6 man line. What he drew was just the FB staying in to block.
So I was a little confused I thought he was making more out of it than he was. He was just explaing something very simple actually the hot protection, I got confused with the hot protect and the 6 offensive lineman front and the hot read.
Actually I would like to see more of the use of a GUARD as a 6th lineman and eliminate either our FB or TE on a lot of plays since both have limited skills. Put in a heavy front and pound them, this works against a 3-4 very well and would set up so many other things.
It still applies though in pass routs. By keeping 6 men in to block instead of a chip and go into a rout. You might as well use a 6th lineman on the offensive line since our FB is very limited, although he was left wide open and made some nice cathces, he was probably the hot read.
Well BigDaddy, this is one area the GIANTS are superior to the REDSKINS. If SHANAHAN and ALLEN don’t go all-in this off-season for Pack FA C SCOTT WELLS and two picks for R-OT [2nd] and OG [4th], then the SHANAHAN’s days are numbered in D.C. A rebuild in absolutely vital to the improvement of the cellar-dwellers in the N.L. East. It’s an area which must stay strong for the GIANTS and for the REDSKINS to improve.