Although they receive little glory, NFL offensive linemen are making an impact for many teams' strong starts.
They are referred to as big fat nasties, you usually won’t see them on the front page of your paper and their names won’t ever pop up on your fantasy team.
Offensive linemen may not be putting the ball in the end zone, but they are key aspects of a truly productive offense and put up with not receiving all the glory.
So far this NFL season, there are three teams that stick out to me when it comes to being successful and reliable up front.
Let’s start with Dallas, which is off to a 5-1 start and coach Jason Garrett is as happy as a little kid in a candy shop. Without question, a staple of their wins have resulted from a strong running game. Demarco Murray has been so great if Murray was his own team, he would be the fourth-highest rushing team.
Yes, Murray has proven his skills, but he wouldn’t have gotten there without his front five.
Notably, franchise player Tyron Smith has emerged as one of the best left tackles in the league. Center Travis Frederick is coming into his own after being drafted in the first round last year. And finally, the Cowboys missing piece at right guard, rookie Zack Martin, is molding nicely to the group. Multiple times, these men have allowed Murray to scamper through the trenches, without one defender touching him until he had reached the secondary.
After 30 years of not drafting an offensive lineman in the 1st round, the Cowboys have taken three in the past four drafts. Someone in that Dallas organization has realized the importance of the big men. However, I don’t think it’s Jerry Jones. Earlier this year, when reflecting upon not taking Johnny Manziel, Jones told ESPN, "I am still so damn mad. I get madder, every day, about missin' him."
Well, Mr. Jones didn’t look too upset this Sunday.
The other two teams that I believe have value at the offensive line position are the Broncos and the Browns.
The Broncos’ high-octane passing offense is revolved around a 38-year-old record-breaking gunslinger with neck issues. Peyton Manning is not the most durable quarterback at this point in his career. Quite frankly, it would be best if he wasn’t hit at all.
Manning’s line has done whatever it can to make that a reality. He has dropped back to pass 191 times in five games and has only been sacked six times. Peyton’s brother, Eli, was sacked six times just this Sunday.
Lastly, Cleveland fans were given something to cheer about this Sunday after a controlling win against Pittsburgh.
After losing Pro Bowl center Alex Mack in the second quarter, I thought the Browns’ offense would crumble.
Instead, multiple players ran over to Mack to show their support and the team rallied behind the injury. John Greco moved from right guard to center and Paul McQuistan filled the void. As the game moved on, Hoyer remained unbothered in the pocket — throwing for 217 yards and a touchdown. The run game also moved right along with Ben Tate and Isaiah Crowell amassing 158 yards on 36 carries.
It is key for the offensive line to let Hoyer feel comfortable stepping back to throw, in order to let his confidence continue to blossom. It also wouldn’t hurt to be able to manage the clock with a two-pronged run game.
For the record, New England Patriots’ linemen gained some recognition this Sunday.
After hearing Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski’s post-game comments, maybe he is pushing for offensive lineman to get some glory. Gronk simply being Gronk stated, “They played a great job. They're the ones who should get laid tonight. Those lineman."
Maybe that’s a little too much glory…
@NKairys
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