I doubt it is obsolete. I think it is hard to do with 5 guys blocking on 7 defenders or 6 guys blocking on 8-9 defenders.
I wanted to pick out this part of your post because I agree wholeheartedly. The zone blocking scheme is not obsolete, but it's not some sort of magic bullet that's going to cure an offense's ills simply by running it. The zone is designed to account for a -1 man deficit. For example, if you are on offense and have 6 guys on the LOS, you should be able to accommodate (assuming good execution) 7 guys in the box on the defensive side. If you have 7 guys on the LOS (such as in one of our double TE sets), we should be able to accommodate 8 guys in the box on defense. What that tells me is that we're not doing a very good job blocking it up front.
Example:
....................................F
..........C.................W......M........$...................C
...........................E......N....T...E...S
............................T..G..C..G..T..Y................X
..........Z........................Q............H
....................................R
We've essentially got 7 blockers at the LOS (5 OL, 2 TE's). The defense counters by bringing the SS ($ in the diagram) into the box, creating an 8 man box. We NEED to be able to gain something out of this look. The zone blocking scheme involves working in tandem to get horizontal or vertical movement on the DL/LB...the extra defender in the box can and should be negated by the QB/RB with their faking. If we run stretch right out of the above look, that backside DE should not be able to trail that play down the LOS and make the tackle on R from behind because Q's post-handoff faking should alert him to the potential of bootleg. If we're not getting that, we're not properly running the zone play. I honestly don't remember watching Rudock and how he's carrying out the fakes, but I think our zone plays are getting blown up at the point of attack due to the slanting/guessing of DL's. That's why I liked the idea (and have actually used it in the past) of bringing the jet sweep into play with Parker/Powell. It's a wide play that mirrors up nicely with inside zone, a "between the tackles" type of play.
Back to the post I quoted however...I am used to coaching in more spread offenses, where you can use a defenses cheating guys in the box against them with the use of bubble screens, smoke screens, and throwing uncovered. In a more compact format, those options aren't as available and I'm hoping (again, no tape study, just shooting from the hip here) that if we get a play where we have 6 on the LOS but 8 in the box, we're checking out of it into a pass play (pretty sure this isn't happening, at least with any regularity). The below example...
.........C.............F.......W.....M....S..........$...............C
...........................E..T....N......E
.........X.................T..G..C..G..T..Y
...................................Q.........................Z............H
...................................H
In this example, the defense has brought the FS down into the box, perhaps to disguise their coverage, bring pressure, or have spotted a tendency and are expecting a run. In this case we have 6 blockers to go against 8 guys. It doesn't take a mathematician to figure out we're screwed here if we try to run. We can't run left because the F is an overhang player. If he was at normal depth, we could combo the C and LG to the T up to the Will backer and Scherff would go 1 on 1 with the E to his side. That play could work. But with F there, left is shut off. We could try running right, as we have numbers (C and BSG combo N to Will, PSG and T combo E to Mike, and Y arc releases to pick up Sam; although the cut block Scherff would have to make on the T could be tricky, depending on the DL technique), but the problem we face here is that the blocking has to be good on the frontside because if there is any hesitation, that BSDE can run that play down from behind. Because of that F being an overhang player and can be there to play cutback, boot, and reverse, the BSDE can be free to take a step he's taught to take when his tackle steps down (immediately clog the hole created by the stepping down OL) and continue on that track all the way down the LOS. He has no worries about the boot or any other play because F has his back.
In this look, with 0 high safeties, we need to be able to throw the ball. In a formation like this and especially given the defensive arrangement, you need to look for 3 coming weakside, so I'd slide the line to the left, have the back block right, keep the TE in if you want to max protect, and go 1 on 1 with 3 different opportunities to win a man-to-man matchup. If our talent at the WR position is as good as advertised, we'll win those battles and Rudock NEEDS to deliver the ball accurately.
