How do you distinguish a true football fan from the legions of suitors? In the old days it was simple; he was considered a soccer expert when it came to wide receivers. But that was then. The passing game (and the world) has changed. Now when stats, drive charts, and other data are just a click away, how does the true fan show off their knowledge on the water cooler? Talking about quarterbacks, running backs, or members of the other so-called “skill posts” is old school. The New Millennium Expert Analyzes … Offensive Linemen.
Why offensive lines? Soccer, more than any other American sport, is a team game. Even a team with a brilliant quarterback is stuck if it lacks a strong offensive line, a good receiving corps, and a solid running back. Unlike baseball, which is often viewed as a series of one-on-one matchups, all players must be present for every play on the field of play. Rarely do you see players in soccer who have a below-average team; this is in stark contrast to basketball, where such an occurrence is common. (Garnett’s Timberwolves, Jordan’s Wizards, and Wade’s Heat come to mind.)
Offensive linemen must do their job correctly on every play for their team to be successful. Whether stopping the fast pass or blocking a running play, each down depends on the actions of the O line.
However, the line is only as strong as its weakest link. That is why we cannot rate individual linesmen, but rather evaluate an entire team.
When looking at the Pro Football Reference stat sheets (an invaluable resource), one might think that there are no statistics to measure the contributions of the offensive line. However, this is not the case.
Think about it; What are the duties of an offensive linesman?
1) Block for runners
2) Prevent the quarterback from being captured.
Therefore, we can rate the offensive lines based on how well each of these two feats accomplish. We can rank each team with just two stats: rushing yards per attempt and sacks per attempt.
As part of their seminal work The Hidden Game of Football, Bob Carroll, John Thorn, and Pete Palmer created a ranking system for each facet of the offensive line.
Degree of attack = 120 * (RYA / 5.75)
Sack grade = 1.20 * (100 – (4 * (Sk% – 1.7)))
Total Grade = (Haste Att / Total Att) * Haste Grade + (Pass Att / Total Att) * Pass Grade
This grade makes it easier to compare stroke protection and pass protection. Also, it gives us a simple score that we can use to easily answer the age-old question “Who is the best?”
Let’s take a second to learn the names of the players in the top five toric lines of 2009:
# 1 Tennessee Titans:
C Kevin Mawae
G Eugene Amano *
G Jake Scott *
T Michael Roos *
T David Stewart *
* On the 2010 list
Notes: Expect Chris Johnson to have another great year behind the best line of 2009.
# 2 New Orleans Saints:
C Jonathan Goodwin *
G Carl Nicks *
G Jahri Evans *
T Jermon Bushrod *
T Jon Stinchcomb *
Notes: Every piece of the Super Bowl winning line returns for what should be a fascinating 2010 season. Drew Brees should get excellent protection next year.
# 3 New England Patriots
C Dan Koppen *
G Logan Mankins * ^
G Stephen Neal *
T Matte Clear *
T Sebastien Vollmer *
^ Pro Bowl selection
Notes: It’s a Belichick team, what do you expect? Unless you live in New England, you probably won’t recognize any of these names, but this group made sure Tom Brady was one of the most protected quarterbacks of 2009.
# 4 Indianapolis Colts
C Jeff Saturday *
G Mike Pollack *
G Kyle DeVan *
T Charlie Johnson *
T Ryan Diem *
Notes: In his third MVP record season, Peyton Manning was the best protected quarterback of 2009.
# 5 Dallas Cowboys
C Andre Gurode *
G Kyle Kosier *
G Leonard Davis * ^
Free T Doug *
T Marc Columbo *
Notes: Only the Titans and Cowboys had a rating of more than 100 in both categories, running and passing.
Full details can be found here.
