If Pro Football Focus is to be believed, then Houston Texans center Nick Martin was the worst center in the AFC South in 2018. And not only was he the worst in a four-team division, but he was the worst in a five-center race.
According to analytics released by Pro Football Focus on Sunday, Martin graded out at 59.3. Indianapolis Colts fill-in center Evan Boehm, who started four games among his 11 played, had a better grade.
When quarterback Deshaun Watson takes 62 sacks on the season and the running game drops off the map in the final four games of the season, then one would be hard pressed to find high grades along Houston’s offensive line. Therefore, it shouldn’t be an indictment of Martin’s play as a center so much as another example of how bottom tier the offensive line was in 2018.
Martin started out the 2018 season as one of the best pass-blocking centers. The talent is there for Martin to be a key contributor along the blocking unit. Nonetheless, Martin and the rest of the unit have to find ways to protect Watson and keep the running lanes open as the Texans make a division title defense in 2019.
