Player Review: Tony Ugoh

by shake n bake on Feb 6, 2009 12:52 AM EST Comment 15 comments

Offensive Line play isn't something an average (or even most informed) fans watch closely and it's rarely measured by stats directly. It's not hopeless though the limited observation and some indirect statistical info can give a view of a line and the individual linemen.

We'll kick off the Offensive Line with it's most controverial member. Bust or inconsistent because of youth? Injury prone or Unlucky? Benched or Injured early in 2008.

via www.colts.com

Ugoh started 12 games at left tackle and appeared in another 3 as a reserve and on special teams. That is the entirety of his individual stats, but we can continue to take a look with FO's line stats sorted by run direction and schedule adjusted running and pass pro stats with and without the player.

The Colts did not run well. FO ranked the Colts line 23rd in adjusted line yards. Between and behind the tackles the run performance was pretty uniform (and mediocre). However the Colts did have some relative success running to around left end (or relative failure running wide right if you like your run blocking half empty). Indy ranked 9th in the league on runs marked left end. While running directly behind Ugoh wasn't overly effective (18th), runs wide left that heavily, but not totally, relied on him were very good. This isn't simply an example of Indy's signiture stretch play being effective, the Colts running game was at it's most inept going wide right (31st).

Here are the per game stats with and without Ugoh. "vs opp. ave." is the difference between the game against Indy and the team's per game for the season.

Ugoh?	Run Yards	vs opp ave.	YPC	vs opp. ave.	sacks	vs opp. ave.
With	77.7	-32.3	3.38	-0.36	0.75	-1.28
Without	85.5	-24.9	3.64	-0.40	1.25	-0.55

The run game was more effective in the games Ugoh missed, but that's entirely from the strength of schedule. With Ugoh out, Indy faced two terrible run Ds (GB and HOU) a mediocre one (Jax) and banged their head against the wall on 30 carries for 76 yards against the Ravens excellent run D.

So despite Ugoh being known as a better run blocker than pass protector Indy's run game remained nearly exactly the same without him and it was the passing game where there was a difference. A large difference in fact. In the games with Ugoh Indy gave up over a whole sack less per game than their opponents averaged. Without Ugoh that number was half a sack prevented per game.

So the verdict?

I still believe in Ugoh. He's inconsistent, but the pass pro numbers actually improved my opinion on his performance this season (though Peyton's knee improving as the season went on may have something to do with it).

Ugoh has two years left on his rookie contract at cap hits of 941K and 1.1million

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Comments

I don't think there's any other option.

We’ve gotta hope that he can continue to improve in his third year.
Even if the colts draft an OT, it’s doubtful that said player would be ready to go at LT in September.
And wasn’t Ugoh a big part of Addai’s hot start to 2007?

http://www.irun.com/users/6967/downloads/Jays%20Win%20Back-to-Back%20World%20Series.mp3

by torontocoltsfan on Feb 6, 2009 2:13 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I agree Shake

The pass pro was visibly better when he played. He may not be a HoF left tackle, but I believe he’s a solid NFL caliber player.

of all the line issues, Ugoh was near the bottom when he played. The right side was the disaster.

18to88.com

by deshawn zombie on Feb 6, 2009 7:31 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

He definitely has a lot of upside. I just wish he wasn’t so fragile.

This line will remain in my signature until the Colts draft Rashad Jennings in 2009.

by KingRichard on Feb 6, 2009 8:25 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

mostly agreed

it’s still tough to tell if he’s injury prone or just had random stuff happen to him.

He was pressed into action earlier than we preferred so I think it’s easier to be disappointed. I’m not entirely sure what a good lineman’s career path looks like but hopefully the third full season will be when his consistency improves. When he’s on top of his game, he’s not going to be a HOF’er but he should be plenty good enough for us

…i hope

by psvirsky on Feb 6, 2009 9:48 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

neither Tarik Glenn and Ryan Diem played their first season at tackle

both were guards then moved outside (Glenn in his 2nd year, Diem in his 3rd). That’s one reason I’m still very optimistic about Ugoh.

I'm so fly,
I take this parachute off
I might fall and die
-Young Jeezy "Go Crazy"

by shake n bake on Feb 6, 2009 9:55 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Big men take a long time to adjust

It usually takes 3 years for left tackles and most other linemen, either offensive or defensive, to fully adjust to the NFL. The only exception is Joe Thomas in recent years.

by Sanders_fan89 on Feb 6, 2009 12:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

both Marcus McNeil and Joe Thomas had fantastic rookie years then regressed

watch Clady next year. He was excellent but may take a stop back.

I'm so fly,
I take this parachute off
I might fall and die
-Young Jeezy "Go Crazy"

by shake n bake on Feb 6, 2009 6:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Still hopeful

I know the run game was awful, but I think that was more of a function of the entire line being a little out of sync. I still think Ugoh is a beast with a lot of potential.

by burc on Feb 6, 2009 10:18 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Ok.

After reading this and the comments, I must say that I am almost 90% convinced that he still has potential.

The success of the wide left run says alot to me. (everytime they sent Addai up the middle I wanted to punch something). Also, his pass protection did improve as Peyton’s knee healed. I suppose Peyton was responsible, too, for some of the sacks – his limited mobility, etc….

And Ugoh’s starting right out of the gate last year left little time for him to prepare, that is true.

Thanks for the write-up, you brought up some good points.

"I throw, you catch. It's NOT that hard!"
Peyton Manning, SNL, 2007

by peytonsthebest on Feb 6, 2009 10:42 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Eh

I’m of the mindset that you can’t really dog any ONE person on the line this year. So many people were playing different positions the entire year to account for all the injuries. This really isn’t a good year to try to label anyone as a “bust” or not. Even Diem, who alot of people like to say had a poor year and are calling for his head, was playing out of position. It really is a shock to move even one spot over, it’s not as easy as people would like to think.

Anyway, as for my analysis of Ugoh? My God, does he NOT have the best name for a lineman EVER? Seriously, if my last name was Ugoh, I’d either be a lineman or say to myself “One day I will marry a woman and she will give birth to a NFL lineman, it’s destiny.”

Jim Sorgi runs a 4.6 40. That's all I've got to say about that.

by monstersbox on Feb 6, 2009 11:03 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Playing out of position

Another reason to LOVE Jeff Saturday—the playoff game against the Broncos two weeks after one of their DL had manhandled our OG. Saturday moves over, stones him, lets somebody else play C, and we win one of the most lopsided playoff games imaginable.

Howard Mudd gets some of that love as well. Maybe this year’s injuries pushed him and the players past their limits of positional flexibility.

Bobman

by Bobman on Feb 6, 2009 1:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Mudd's injury included.

I keep forgetting that he had knee surgery (shoot, who didn’t this year?) so he was away for a bit. With the injuries to the OL, it was a bad time for Mudd to be absent.

"I throw, you catch. It's NOT that hard!"
Peyton Manning, SNL, 2007

by peytonsthebest on Feb 6, 2009 1:48 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Ahhhh,

Nice point, PTB. Too easy to overlook. Even astute football writers have pretty much not mentioned this, but Mudd’s absence coincided with the 3-4 start (and 18’s recovery from surgery).

I have no idea how hands-on Mudd is, but being away for a couple weeks, and then having to coach from a chair/the booth, that could have been a big overlooked factor.

I may be an overly-optimistic fan grasping at straws, but every time I think of stuff that went wrong with the Colts last year, I get more and more psyched about 2009.

New policy memo from Irsay: Any coaches need to get their illnesses/injuries/surgeries out of the way before May. Their family members, too. If their parents need to die or something, make it in March.

Bobman

by Bobman on Feb 6, 2009 5:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: new policy

Reminds me of a Cal “Fan of the Week” video they played at the stadium this year. At the 1:33-ish mark you’ll see him spell out his family’s rules for the Fall, including no weddings or deaths on game day. Precious.

If you’re interested, you should also watch this clip, in which he describes staying at the game through the Oakland firestorm of 1991 even though his house burned to the ground.

by LovinBlue on Feb 7, 2009 11:31 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Good news

Hey, this was pretty heartening. In 07 he seemed to be a much better run blocker and 08 is hard to measure because of whatever the hell was going on. So if he seems to be better at pass pro in 08, I’ll assume it’s a step forward there and not a regression on the other side.

If he can get his head and body together and put in 15 games or so, 09 could be pretty special.

Also, I can’t believe Glenn didn’t start. Really, a 1st rounder? That’s a little surprising. (Didn’t we take Meadows in the 2nd or 3rd that year also?)

Finally, the NFL has had a pretty good run of OT rookies starting off fast (and then stumbing a little): Don’t forget Ferguson for the NYJ, McNeil in SD in 06 (I know Freeney won’t forget his hands on his grill) as well as Thomas in 07 and a few guys (Clady, Long, etc) in 08. And Ugoh for us in 07, too, really. They are probably the exceptions, but OTs CAN step in and contribute right away if the other pieces of the puzzle are healthy, consistent, stable, etc.

How would Ugoh have looked this year if we had health at C and G? I bet it would have been the classic case of “you never hear his name so he must be doing okay” for the OL. Our rushing yardage would have been up, our O scoring more, etc. And maybe he would not have had his issues around mid-season, whatever they were.

Now we all just have to learn the Marcus McNeil hands to the face blocking technique and we are golden. Bitter? Who, me?

Bobman

by Bobman on Feb 6, 2009 1:39 PM EST reply actions 0 recs