In today’s NFL, we all know the importance of the quarterback position, and the impact that each signal caller has on a game, we also know how important it is for the receivers to get open, the running backs to churn out yards, and even close out a game. None of that matters if the team doesn’t have a good offensive line blocking for them. Out of the 12 teams that made the playoffs last year, 6 of them (The Broncos, Steelers, Bengals, Packers, Ravens, and Cowboys) were ranked in the top 10 (based on the rankings from Pro Football Focus). As for the other teams in the top 10, the Eagles finished 2nd, the Texans 5th, the Browns 6th, and the 49ers 9th. Of the teams in the top 10, only the browns finished with a losing record (Only the Browns, what else is new? Sorry Cleveland fans).
Looking deeper into these rankings, there were 2 teams that stood out among the rest due to significant injuries that were suffered during the season: the Browns and the Dolphins. The Browns looked like they were on their way to a successful season with a dominant offensive line, a good running game, and a stingy defense, but unfortunately for them, center Alex Mack went down in a week 6 victory over Pittsburgh. That offensive line was their lifeblood, and once they lost Mack, they were in serious trouble the rest of the way. Yes, they were 3-1 in the 4 weeks after Mack went down, but those victories came against the Raiders, Buccaneers, and a banged up Bengals team, teams that they should beat. After that span, the Browns only won 1 more game the rest of the year, and that was in a game personally gift wrapped by former Falcons head coach Mike Smith. As for the Miami Dolphins, they ended up finishing as the worst offensive line in the league (according to Pro Footfall Focus rankings), however before the week 10 injury to pro-bowl left tackle Branden Albert, the line was adequate, and lead to the team jumping out to a 5-3 record through 8 games, including a dominant week 1 victory over the Patriots and a 37-0 drubbing of the Chargers. However, once Albert was lost for the season against the Lions, the Dolphins only won 3 games in their last 8 games, including a devastating 37-24 loss to the Jets that eliminated them from postseason contention.
The offensive line sets the tone for the rest of the offense, they open the holes for the running backs to run through, they protect the quarterback from being hit so he can deliver the ball to his pass catchers. A great quarterback with great receivers and a dynamic running back can only do so much if the 5 men in front of them can’t block. Just look at the difference between the 2010 versus the 2013 and 2014 iterations of the Atlanta Falcons for proof of that. In 2010, they were ranked 6th overall by PFF, and they jumped out to a 13-3 record along with the number 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. 2013 and 2014 saw those falcon teams combine for 10 wins, while their offensive line was rated 30th and 26th respectively. Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, and Roddy White are all great, but unfortunately, the lack of continuity and talent up front has been partially responsible for 2 top-ten draft picks in the last 2 years. A great offensive line can mask other deficiencies within an offense, a bad one will expose every flaw on that side of the ball.
Pressure on a quarterback mounts over the span of a game, and over the length of a season. Just ask former number one overall draft pick David Carr, who was the Texans quarterback when they first entered the league as an expansion team in 2002. He was sacked a record 76 times that season, as a rookie. He never really had a chance to show what he could have been, getting hit 5 times per game by a hard charging 250-300+ pound defensive end will result in one thought best expressed by Bane in The Dark Knight Rises – “I was wondering what would break first, your spirit, or your body!” Unfortunately for Carr, it was both, as he never displayed the type of talent or athleticism he has displayed in his college years. He was sacked 249 times in 5 seasons with the Texans before they decided to release him in favor of Matt Schaub. Carr would only start 4 more games in his career, all coming as a member of the Carolina Panthers in 2007 before becoming Eli Manning’s backup with the Giants.
An offensive line may not be able to make a quarterback, but they can certainly break one, and yes, at the end of the day, the quarterback is the most important player on the field, but not forget the guys that keep him from getting beaten and bruised on a weekly basis. They’re the heroes that each NFL team needs (but not the one it deserves?) on a weekly basis, while they may be overlooked in favor of the “impact” players who throw, run for, or catch touchdowns, the reality is, they’re the only ones who have an impact on every play. So let’s show the big guys some love, shall we?
Credit to ProFootballFocus for their rankings.
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