RADIO
The end of the fantasy football regular season is fast approaching so owners need to make the move or moves that will get them over the top and secure a playoff spot. Most fantasy owner will strictly look at upcoming player matchps and maybe team statistics, but what the team statistics do not tell at first glance is just how line play could impact an upcoming matchup.
For example, we know the Steelers have a great rushing attack led by Le'Veon Bell, but Right Tackle Marcus Gilbert has been suspended for four games. Gilbert was a key cog on the right side of the Steelers offensive line and ignited some of the best gains Bell has this season. Without him earlier in the season, Bell struggled to get going in most games. Most expect Bell and the Steelers to dominate the Packers, but without Gilbert, Bell may not be as effective as he has been in previous weeks.
Speaking of offensive tackles, this week the focus will be on teams that needed to replace their left tackles, the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys offensive play-calling and strategy have changed drastically to help support their new left tackle, Byron Bell as he struggled to fill in for Tyron Smith. The Eagles have fared much better since the departure of Jason Peters in both the pass and run game and seem to be a juggernaut heading to the Super Bowl. Let’s dig into the film for both teams and figure out why these teams are struggling and thriving.
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Offensive Line to Watch - Dallas Cowboys
Please come back soon Tyron Smith. Since losing their All-Pro caliber left tackle, the Dallas Cowboys have not been in the same. Their offensive line surrendered four sacks by the Eagles defensive line during the Cowboys Week 11 defeat and was shaky in pass protection throughout. The Chaz Green experiment at left tackle went so poorly in Week 10 the team had to turn to Byron Bell to try and fill the large gap left by Smith. Bell has graded out at a 35.3 according to Pro Football Focus, slightly above Chaz Green’s 30.6, certainly not a great mark. Bell did not have the easiest of matchups in Week 11 against one of the best defensive lines in the NFL, but his deficiencies hampered the execution and play calling for the Cowboys. In this clip early in the first half, the Cowboys use Witten to chip the defensive end prior to releasing into his route. Even after the extra help from Witten, Bell is pushed back nearly into the lap of Dak Prescott. Witten was not only used to chip early and often throughout this game, but he did stay into block on a few third down situations as well.
While the Cowboys did offer Bell help as much as they could throughout the game there are always parts of games where an offensive lineman needs to block a defensive lineman one on one. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, most of those situations led to pressures on Dak Prescott. You will see in this clip that Bell’s initial punch isn’t bad, but it gets him of balance. Bell’s feet are too slow to react to the inside move of the defender and he is no match for the inside swim. This leads to a quick pressure on Dak Prescott, making Prescott throw to one of his shallow crossers.
Not only did Bell’s struggles hamper the passing game, but he completely altered the way the Cowboys running game operated as well. The Cowboys could not run the ball to the left side with any success in Week 11. Bell did grade out fairly well in the run game at 76.0 for the season, but he routinely lost technique causing his running back to have to make cuts before the backs are ready to do so. In his clip in the first quarter, Bell hops out of his stance versus taking strong firm steps. Due to this hop, his feet are unbalanced and he has little to no power. That lack of power and base get him beat to the outside by the defender which in turn causes his running back to cut up earlier than expected.
Fantasy Impact
Stock Down: Jason Witten
Jason Witten has really had an up and down season. He has as many one catch games (four) as he does seven or more catch games. The large issue comes when Witten is being asked to block due to concerns for the offensive line. If Tyron Smith does not return as planned on Thursday, Witten will be needed to slow down the combination of Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. Fantasy owners should expect a low-catch output from Witten until Smith is back and fully healthy.
Stock Up: Alfred Morris
Even with some of the inconsistencies in the running game, the Dallas Cowboys offensive line has performed fairly well run blocking. Right Guard Zack Martin and Center Travis Fredrick are two of the very best in the game at their positions and solidify their interior. Morris was effective in Week 11, rushing 17 times for 91 yards. He should continue to be the main cog in the running game until Ezekiel Elliott returns.
Offensive Line to Watch - Philadelphia Eagles
There certainly was a fear that once Jason Peters was out for the season that the Eagles offense would take a massive step backwards. That simply has not been the case and while the rest of the offensive line has been great, Peters’ replacement. Halapoulivaati Vaitai has filled in admirably. The Vaitai has been a contributor in the run game with solid footwork and the ability to get some push and has been solid in the passing game, but with some misses. On this critical third down in the first quarter, Vaitai fails to pass off the Cowboys twist as he was not hip to hip with his Left Guard Stefan Wisniewski allowing the penetrator a straight path to the quarterback. This results in a rushed throw from Carson Wentz, which he short arms and falls incomplete.
Even though Vaitai’s awareness is lack at points, one on one he was performed admirably. He faces off against two of the NFC’s top pass rushers, DeMarcus Lawrence and in this upcoming case Tyron Crawford. This second down Vaitai is one on one with Crawford. He is able to punch and lock his hands into Crawford with success. Having this hand placement limits Crawford when he tries to make a swim move to the inside. Crawford is not able to knock down Vaitai’s hands and loses his feet.
Not only has Vaitai been a pleasant surprise, but the rest of the offensive line is playing as well as any unit in the league. Right Tackle Lane Johnson, Wisniewski, Right Guard Brandon Brooks and Center Jason Kelce are all in ranked inside the top 10 at their positions according to Pro Football Focus. The line has specifically been great in the running game with all four of those starters grading out with at least an 82.2 run blocking grade according to PFF. They pounded the Cowboys with trap and power plays throughout the game with 15 plus yard runs from Jay Ajayi and LeGarrette Blount. This run early in the first quarter set the tone for the game. The combination of Vaitai and Wisniewski use great technique and power to create an opening for Lane Johnson to pull through. There is a clean alley with no front side penetration to worry about. Johnson finds the linebacker filling the hole and locks onto that linebacker, allowing Jay Ajayi to run into the second level.
Fantasy Impact
Stock Up: Alshon Jeffery
Any fantasy player that has seen Alshon Jeffery play knows he is not a burner on the field. He needs a while to run his routes and potentially get up to his top speed. Allowing for Jeffery to get to top speed takes time, which Carson Wentz has on more occasions than not. Fantasy owners have seen the relationship between Wentz and Jeffery really blossom over the last few weeks with Jeffery seeing at least seven targets in the last three games. Expect him to continue to be a low end WR1 for the remainder of the season.
Top Five Offensive Lines
1) New Orleans Saints
2) Philadelphia Eagles
3) Pittsburgh Steelers
4) New England Patriots
5) Minnesota Vikings
Bottom Five Offensive Lines
32) Miami Dolphins
31) Cincinnati Bengals
30) San Francisco 49ers
29) Seattle Seahawks
28) Jacksonville Jaguars
For any questions about offensive line play in the NFL, feel free to contact me @TheRealHalupka on Twitter.
