Raise your hand if you thought you’d see the day in 2020 where Washington was named the ‘Offensive Line of the Week’ according to Pro Football Focus.
Well, that day has come thanks to a win against the Cincinnati Bengals where the O-line allowed just one sack and four QB pressures in the entire game, giving Alex Smith ample time to stand in the pocket and fire the ball downfield, finding seven different receivers on the day. Here is what PFF had to say about the performance:
This one wasn’t a particularly close race this week. The Washington Football Team fielded the best offensive line of the week by combining for a unit PFF grade of 91.1, nearly 15 grading points higher than anyone else. Every starter on the line finished sixth or better at their position in PFF grade this week, but the two guards, Wes Schweitzer and Brandon Scherff, were the two standout performers. Those two finished first at their position in PFF grade this week and mauled as run-blockers in particular. They each again finished first in positively graded run blocks at their position and were big reasons for Washington’s rushing success. The Football Team had more runs of 10 or more yards than any team of the week with seven and on average had the third-most yards before contact per attempt at 2.2.
Not only was Washington great in pass-blocking, but they allowed both Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic to have big days on the ground, totaling 164 yards and 1 TD on the ground.
We recently remarked that Washington’s O-line deserves a ton of credit for adapting on the fly and making do with the players that they have to overcome injuries upfront, and they’re starting to get some of the recognition that they deserve. Congrats to that unit, and here’s to many more solid weeks ahead.
