Broncos' O-line playing in the zone

Mark Schlereth breaks down the success of the Broncos' zone blocking scheme.

Updated: October 21, 2005, 8:25 PM ET
By Mark Schlereth | ESPN Insider
This season has seen the Denver Broncos offense come alive, as quarterback Jake Plummer has thrived behind an improved offensive line and an excellent rushing attack. The Broncos' increase in productivity rushing the ball is a result of perfectly executing the zone blocking package that they've been running for as long as I can remember.

The zone blocking scheme is not a new gimmick and it's definitely not something that only the Broncos are utilizing in the NFL. In fact, the zone blocking scheme is pretty similar from team to team and the main difference outside of the terminology is the execution. That's why the Broncos have been so good this season.

The zone blocking scheme is very similar to writing a novel. Hundreds of thousands of books have been written on the perfect murder just like many teams play the zone scheme. But the key to writing a best seller and having a great scheme is execution and making sure that everything works together seamlessly. Right now, the Broncos are writing a best seller of sorts because of the way the scheme is being executed.


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Mark Schlereth

NFL analyst
Former All-Pro guard Mark Schlereth joined ESPN in 2002 as an analyst for NFL 2Night, now NFL Live. He brings 12 years of NFL playing experience to the role. Schlereth has also filled in on numerous ESPN radio shows.

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