[SPOILERS] FIRE OMAR TOMLIN WEEK 16

That's the ENTIRE point of FO analysis.  Every single play is normalized the to success of the league average and the quality of the opposing defense played.
DVOA = Defense {adjusted} Value Over Average.


Can you be more specific?  Is it Ben alone?  Tying this in with the previous point: how is O-line performance measured?  Is Ben getting the same amount of time as last year?  Slightly less time, which translates to "essentially the same [offensive line] performance" against better competition?  Receiver problems?  I don't think the RB output is an issue.
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Again OL stats are measured on a normalized basis to league average and the quality of Def played against.

As such, unless the quality of OL play, OFF play, DEF play, etc...  signficantly rises or falls year over year as a league-wide whole (and hence average) DVOA analysis allows a pretty good way to compare a team year to year in all phases of the game.

DVOA explanation in more depth
http://footballoutsiders.com/info/methods


OFF DVOA (compare year to year)
http://footballoutsiders.com/stats/teamoff2008
http://footballoutsiders.com/stats/teamoff2007

Off Line
http://footballoutsiders.com/stats/ol2008
http://footballoutsiders.com/stats/ol2007

QBs
http://footballoutsiders.com/stats/qb2008
http://footballoutsiders.com/stats/qb2007

RBs
http://footballoutsiders.com/stats/rb2008
http://footballoutsiders.com/stats/rb2007


Again, my argument is the OL is playing *essentially* the same mediocre-bad level as last season. The decline of the offense is the sum of the bad (rel to last year) QB and Rushing attack, both of which have had some injuries, but more importantly $.02 are being affected by tragic play calling (and the decision to stick with and not adjust said play calling at halftimes)

Big Ben had a stretch midseason where it was clear his hand/shoulder/etc were preventing him from being able to make throws he *used to* and thought he *could* at the moment (with respect to velocity and cross-body accuracy).  The failure to go away from this is one particularly damning thing i have against Tardrians and Omar, it cost them at least 1 game in that stretch.  Amazingly, they are 11-4, and could easily be 13-2 ...  having been totally dominated in 2 losses and looking very mediocre and 'lucky' at times in winning 13. 

Oh well.
 

What the DVOA stats say is the line , despite playing against better defenses, is actually playing as well as it did last year. I think this has to do with Stapleton and the Center being upgrades over last year, while Kemoeatu is a downgrade (slight) from Faneca
 
Bens sack/fumble problems come from a couple of areas:
1- the line routinely whiffs on block schemes against blitzes- that is people come completely untouched.
2- the line struggles mightily against outside-in stunts/twists  ... routinely getting responsibilities confused and having double teams on weak edge rushers and singleteams or RBs against power insider rushers.
3- he does still try tooooo hard to make the hero play because he knows if he throws it away, he's just gonna repeat the process again the next down.
4- they don't run quick hitting plays to compensate for the weakness of the Oline, falling back on the ego and "accustomed to" plays that are slow developing and ... hence... ineffective (as Ben or RB gets creamed).  They had* this figured out last year. I don't get it.