If you are still skeptical about the importance of offensive versus defensive lines, let’s examine this, shall we? The Tennessee Titans offensive line averaged 0.8 yards before contact, the worst in the NFL. The Eagles ranked fourth in pressure rate (38.1%). The result is that Derrick (King) Henry averaged 2.7 yards per attempt. He finished the game with 11 rushing attempts for 30 yards. Yikes!
Of course, stats talk, but they sometimes do not tell the complete story. And now, with injuries mounting up, it is important to use the stats as a firm foundation but look at the complete picture.
This week there are six teams on a bye. It is more important than ever that we use the offensive lines versus the defensive lines as our foundation for who we will start and sit.
Offensive line rankings courtesy Pro Football Focus.
- Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants
In Week 13, no member of the offensive line allowed more than one pressure.
The New York Giants blitz at a league-high 45.5% of passing plays. When blitzed, Eagles’ quarterback Jalen Hurts completes 62.6% of his passes for 7.2 yards per attempt with seven touchdowns and one interception.
- Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Rookie center Tyler Linderbaum vs. TJ Watt. Linderbaum has given up 19 pressures, the most on the team. Watt has not had a game with more than three pressures since he returned from injury.
- Green Bay Packers—Bye Week
- Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos
The Chiefs’ line is in a downward slide of two spaces for the Chiefs. The Chiefs rank 14th in pass-blocking efficiency.
The Broncos’ pass defense has a 22.4% pressure rate (18th), 51% pass rush win rate (2nd), and 26 sacks. Last week against Baltimore, they recorded 26 pressures.
- Atlanta Falcons—Bye Week
- New England Patriots @ Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals blitz at the third-highest rate in the league (41.3%). JJ Watt leads the team in pressure with 42.
Last week against Buffalo, the Patriots’ offensive line allowed 11 pressures on 41 passing plays.
- Cleveland Browns @ Cincinnati Bengals
The Browns are in a two-position slide downward.
The Browns’ offensive line is third in PFF run-blocking grade on the season. Nick Chubb is averaging 5.2 yards per attempt.
The Bengals are allowing 114.3 rushing yards per game (15th).
- Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings
The Lions are moving up two spaces.
The Lions’ offensive line allowed only eight pressures last week on 45 pass-blocking snaps.
Vikings’ edge rusher Za’Darius Smith leads the NFL in pressures (63), with 49% of his pressure coming up the middle.
Lions’ quarterback Jared Goff has a 23% pressured completion percentage (34th) compared to a 72.4% clean pocket completion percentage (9th).
- San Francisco 49ers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The 49ers have given up 91 pressures on 417 pass-blocking snaps, including all three of their quarterbacks under center.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the fewest interceptions in the league.
- Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions
The Vikings’ offensive line ranks second in the NFL in PFF run-blocking grade. Dalvin Cook is averaging 4.7 yards per attempt.
The Vikings run the ball on 36.86% of their offensive plays (30th). They average 23.8 rush attempts per game (27th).
The Lions allow an average of 149.7 rushing yards per game (28th).
- Dallas Cowboys vs. Houston Texans
The Cowboys have given up only six sacks but 100 pressures.
Texans’ Jerry Hughes has had 22 pressures in the past five weeks.
- Chicago Bears—Bye week
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ San Francisco 49ers
In the past two weeks, Left Tackle Donovan Smith has allowed nine pressures and flagged for four penalties.
Tom Brady has been under pressure 19.4% of the time. That is the fewest in the NFL.
Nick Bosa, that’s it.
- Carolina Panthers @ Seattle Seahawks
Carolina leads the league in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency. They have 66 pressures on 380 pass-blocking snaps.
The guards Brady Christensen and Austin Corbett have a combined run block win rate of 75.3. Uchenna Nwosu leads the Seahawks with 42 pressures. In the last four games has lined up almost exclusively against right tackles.
- Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns
Quarterback Joe Burrow has been under pressure 26% of the time. Last season he was under pressure 34.3% of the time.
Myles Garrett will line up against Left Tackle Jonah Williams.
- Las Vegas Raiders @ Los Angeles Rams Thursday Night Affair
- Seattle Seahawks vs. Carolina Panthers
The seventeenth position is a slide down four for the Seahawks.
The run game had only 24 yards before contact on 21 rushing attempts last week.
Brian Burns has 53 pressures this season.
- Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Denver has the league’s worst offense averaging 13.8 points per game. Quarterback Russell Wilson has thrown eight touchdowns in 11 games.
Chiefs’ Chris Jones is the best interior rusher in the league. He has 50 pressures in the season.
- Miami Dolphins @ Los Angeles Chargers
The Dolphins’ offensive line ranks eighth in PFF run blocking grade. Twenty-five percent of Miami’s offensive plays have gained at least 10 yards.
The Chargers allow 5.4 yards per carry, the worst in the league.
- Washington—Bye Week
- Los Angeles Chargers vs. Miami Dolphins
The Chargers are averaging 0.9 yards before contact per carry, tied for the second-worst in NFL.
The Dolphins’ biggest threat is their pressure packages.
Chargers’ quarterback Justin Herbert has a 56.1% pressured completion percentage. That is the best in the NFL.
- Indianapolis Colts—Bye Week
- Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens
The offensive line has allowed 104 pressures on 481 pass-blocking snaps, ranking them eighth.
The Ravens rank third in the league against the run. They are allowing an average of 3.8 yards per attempt.
Najee Harris is averaging 3.8 yards per attempt. Benny Snell is averaging 4.8 yards per attempt, and Jaylen Warren is averaging 5.0 yards per attempt.
- Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans
The Jaguars still have “one of the most one-dimensional lines” in the NFL. They are last in PFF’s run-blocking grade. The Jaguars have the fourth-best pass-blocking efficiency score.
The Titans are second-best in the NFL against the run. They are allowing 3.7 yards per carry.
- Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets
Last meeting this season, Josh Allen was under pressure on 31% of his dropbacks and had a 0.0 passer rating on those plays.
The Jets have a 24.7% pressure rate (5th), 44% pass rush win rate (10th), and 34 sacks. They have allowed 6.1 yards per attempt, and quarterbacks average a 58.4% completion rate against them.
- New York Jets @ Buffalo Bills
Last week the Jets played against Za’Darius Smith, who has the most pressure in the league. Nobody on the offensive line allowed more than two pressures.
The Bills have lost the services of Von Miller. They rank eighth in pressure rate but expect that to decrease without Miller.
- Arizona Cardinals vs. New England Patriots
Arizona has the most offensive penalties. They have been flagged for 53 offensive penalties, with 44 accepted.
The Cardinals’ run-blocking grade ranks 31st (ahead of only Jacksonville).
The Patriots rank third in pressure rate. They have 119 total pressures off the edge.
- New Orleans Saints—Bye week
- New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Left Tackle Andrew Thomas has only allowed 13 pressures all season. However, the Giants rank 25th in PFF pass-blocking efficiency.
The Eagles generate consistent pressure across the defensive front.
Daniel Jones has a 42.6% completion percentage under pressure (15th) and a 71.7% completion percentage from a clean pocket (10th).
- Houston Texans @ Dallas Cowboys
The Texans average less than a yard before contact per rush attempt.
The Cowboys have the NFL’s best pass rush. They lead the NFL in pressure rate (40.9%).
The Texans have reinserted Davis Mills under center.
Micah Parsons… that’s it.
- Los Angeles Rams vs. Las Vegas Raiders—Thursday Night Affair
- Tennessee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Titans have the NFL’s worst 0.8 yards before contact per rush.
The Jaguars are 13th in rushing yards allowed per game (113.6).
