And just like that, the NFL regular season is over. It went quickly, with the Sunday night finale providing some of the best football yet—and Skittles! The lull of a booth review and subsequent guessing-chatter reminding us all it’s been 100 years…and that poor clock management is one constant “mode” that can really do damage.
But what a season! And though there will be plenty to look back on in NFL 2019, few things—super analytical or just observational—will really be as enjoyable as this factoid:
Wonderful times, indeed. And with that, for the last time from down in the trenches, here were the best offensive line performances I saw from Week 17. (A special thank you to everyone who has followed along, and a Happy New Year!)
5. Dallas Cowboys
So, the Cowboys won—impressively—in Week 17. But it was against the Redskins, and it didn’t matter. That’s just the NFC East in 2019. Jerry’s group will go down as one of the more underachieving teams in NFL lore, a collective bunch loaded with talent on both sides of the ball that was overshadowed by head coach rumors/headlines and punts in odd situations. (I don’t think Zeke jumped in the Salvation Army bucket once! What gives, man?!)
Anyway…
Setting the controversy piñata aside for a moment, let’s give the Cowboys’ offensive line its rightful applause. A standing-O! All season, the front was an above-average group, with plenty of positives to build on for next season’s run. And the sturdy efforts were on full display Sunday. Other than a few penalties and a sack/forced fumble at the doing of Matt Ioannidis, the Cowboys’ O-line opened the running lanes for Elliott’s big day on the ground, while giving Dak Prescott enough time in the pocket to simply wait for the defense to break down in coverage.
Fifth-best trench of Week 17: Travis Frederick, Joe Looney, Zack Martin, La’el Collins, and Cameron Fleming.
4. Miami Dolphins
Many of you might be giving the same look that Ryan Fitzpatrick has draped across his bearded face upon seeing this, a sort of “Dolphins…huh?” But this team completed one of the more remarkable seasons in 2019, and the Week 17 coffee spill on the Patriots’ white pants was the perfect sendoff.
Right there in the proverbial caffeinated mix, yep: The Dolphins’ offensive line!
While O-line has not been anything top-level this year—even the one “big man” touchdown came from a defensive tackle—the effort put together on Sunday deserves some credit. They weren’t outstanding, with some of the protection flops being overshadowed by the Pats’ defense overplaying and running themselves out of particular moments. Still, overall, the top-tier D was kept in check—no constant pressuring and disrupting Fitzpatrick. And although the Dolphins’ running game didn’t leave Foxboro covered in scorched footprints, it did enough to keep the attack balanced and moving forward, with the run blocking doing its part.
Sure, all of those elements might sound a little “blah,” but we’re talking about the Dolphins here. And the Patriots. So even a double-teamed effort against a minimal rush deserves a little Miami sunshine:
Daniel Kilgore, Michael Deiter, Shaq Calhoun, Adam Pankey, and Julie’n Davenport: Eric Rowe’s pick-six got a ton of the highlight reel yesterday, but your performance got the final Oliver Stone Award of 2019—Any. Given. Sunday!
3. San Francisco 49ers
One of the most entertaining games of 2019, the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks put on a Sunday night show in the regular-season finale that had all the feels. It was one of those “electric atmosphere” kind of deals, where the TV’s volume needed to be constantly manned, especially if Marshawn Lynch was entering the game.
Blown woofers on your 47-inch Samsung aside, the 49ers outlasted (timed?) their divisional rival, holding off last-second dramatics to clinch the NFC West and a coveted first-round bye. A big part of the team’s victory—of course, albeit overlooked—was the 49ers’ offensive line. Going up against an energized Seahawks defense, with enough crowd mojo to power a fleet of small mechanized horses, the front protected Jimmy Garoppolo and, more notably, kept the run blocking scheme full steam ahead.
Worth noting: The 2019 Seahawks defense is not the 2013 Seahawks defense, so the 49ers’ effort shouldn’t be etched in the Book of Historical Blocking. But then again, it shouldn’t be trashed with all the deflated 12th Man hopes and skittles wrappers, either.
Coming in at No. 3: Ben Garland, Laken Tomlinson, Mike McGlinchey, Daniel Brunskill, and Joe Staley!
2. Tennessee Titans
What a great story the 2019 Tennessee Titans have been. The beginning of the year looked like a Woe is Mariota situation, destined to spiral into AFC obscurity. But, hello Ryan Tannehill! Hello, playoffs!
The team picked up a must-win victory in Week 17 over the Houston Texans, behind a solid effort from Tannehill and a monster day from Derrick Henry. And the Titans’ O-line was tremendous, regardless if the Texans, who already had a ticket to the postseason, did rest a bunch of the starters.
The all-out grit was must-see TV—as the O-line has done all season, their collective lane-opening and pass protection on Sunday was impressive, and a trend in the right (playoff) direction. Like the Ravens and Lamar Jackson, the job is a smidge easier when Henry gets going…but it also doesn’t hurt to have running lanes open up that could easily fit a tractor-trailer (or two Derrick Henrys).
Second-best trench of the week: Ben Jones, Rodger Saffold, Jack Conklin, Nate Davis, and Taylor Lewan
1. Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens went 14-2. Lamar Jackson is not a running back. And the more I watched all of the offensive lines in 2019, the more it became Crystal Pepsi clear that the Ravens’ front was something special. Of course, the job iss made a tad more manageable when you have a versatile nightmare under center like Lamar Jackson. But that doesn’t diminish the O-line’s greatness—it could’ve been late-years Johnny Unitas back there, and he probably could have had a few successful scampers.
The finale against the Steelers was just another day in the trenches, too. Even with backup QB RGIII calling the shots and Gus Edwards picking up the running reigns for injured Mark Ingram, the Ravens’ offense managed to stay on the field for almost 40 minutes! That’s insane! The Steelers’ run defense wound up looking like a second-rate bunch—or worse, the Bengals—as they gave up over 200 yards on the day.
And while the Ravens’ passing game was left in a sub-century mark haze, the pass protection was just the same as if it were Mr. Jackson back there.
The best of the week: Bradley Bozeman, Patrick Mekari, James Hurst, (shoutouts to Marshal Yanda and Ronnie Stanley), Parker Ehinger, and Orlando Brown.
