Alvin Kamara gained 57 yards after catch on this 52-yard touchdown, +40 over expected according to our Expected YAC model.
Kamara never reached a speed faster than 15.28 MPH on the play, while Erik McCoy (#78) reached 16.22 MPH as a lead blocker.#GBvsNO | #Saints pic.twitter.com/wxKFfzUhNK
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 28, 2020
All of the highlight reels were focused on Alvin Kamara during his 52-yard catch-and-run touchdown against the Green Bay Packers, but we’re going to focus on New Orleans Saints center Erik McCoy on that play. McCoy disengaged a block and was able to join Kamara as his running back’s lead blocker in the open field, and both players appeared shocked by just how literal that description was. All that stood between them and the end zone was a long stretch of turf down the sideline and a handful of Packers defenders.
And while Kamara had the glory of scoring a timely touchdown — after cutting in between and sometimes running through several Packers opponents — this was a huge moment for McCoy and enthusiasts of offensive linemen the world over.
NFL Next Gen Stats uses microchips in players’ shoulder pads to track their movements on the field, and they clocked Kamara at a respectable 15.28 miles per hour. But McCoy stayed out in front of his teammate to toss a few Packers aside, and he recorded an ever faster time of 16.22 miles per hour while outweighing Kamara by nearly 90 pounds (McCoy is listed at 303 pounds, while Kamara’s official weight is 215).
That’s impressive, but it shouldn’t be unexpected. McCoy had the fastest time of all offensive linemen in the 40-yard dash at the 2019 NFL Combine, boasting a blazing 4.89-second sprint. He hit the 98th percentile among all guards and centers in combine history, per Mockdraftable. His speed is something the Saints really valued when drafting him, and it’s easy to see why.
