Week 3 Offensive Line Power Rankings

 

1. Cleveland Browns (Previous Rank: 1) – The Browns had another strong performance in pass pro, led by their interior guys in which none of the three allowed pressure. They only allowed two pressures total for the entire game. However, they had a bit of a down game run blocking by their standards. They allowed four TFL, and Conklin especially struggled, as he was involved in three of those. Overall, this unit played a solid game, but this line is capable of playing so much better and will as the season progresses. 
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Previous Rank: 3) – The Bucs are off to an amazing start as a team, and Tom Brady looks like the early MVP favorite. Their offensive line is a huge reason why. The key to Brady’s success is Tampa’s interior blocking in pass pro. All three interior players did not allow a single pressure in week two. Also, an interior guy has been their best player in back-to-back weeks. It was Alex Capa in week one, and in week two it was Ali Marpet. The tackles are also playing well in pass pro, as they only allowed four combined pressures and one sack. The Bucs are not destroying people in the run game, but they have been effective there as well. They have yet to allow a TFL and were a lot better run-blocking in week two. 
3. San Francisco 49ers (Previous Rank: 4) - The 49ers are playing throwback football as they have run more than they have passed in back-to-back games. Their confidence in their offensive line and perhaps Kyle Shannahan’s lack of confidence in Jimmy Garoppolo are both factors. While the 49ers were solid run blocking in week two, it was a down week by their standards. They gave up four tackles for loss, and the run game was hit and miss throughout their game. Where the 49ers have been thriving is in pass pro. They have yet to allow a sack and have only allowed seven pressures in two games.
4. Dallas Cowboys (Previous Rank: 6) – Welcome back Zach Martin. He might have been the best offensive lineman in the league in week two, as he was a monster in the run game and was good in pass pro. Connor Williams also had a big game at the other guard spot. He is off to a strong start this year, as he has yet to allow a single pressure so far. The entire offensive line had a good game run blocking and paved the way for almost 200 yards on 6.4 YPC. Biadsz is a liability in pass pro and probably will be all season. But, if he can run block like he did this week, he can be a serviceable starting center in the NFL. Tyron Smith allowed a sack and two pressures, so by his standards he had a down game but was fine overall. This offensive line looks like it may be in the best offensive line in the NFL conversation once they get La’el Collins back. Even without him, they were one of the better lines in week two.
5. Los Angeles Rams (Previous Rank: 7) – The Rams had another good game upfront. Nobody played great, but all give guys were good to solid across the board and that typically leads to the type of game in which an offensive line allows only four pressures and one sack. The one concern about the Rams line coming into the season was Brian Allen replacing Austin Blythe, and he had another good game. Expect the Rams to be in the top-10 all season. 
6. New Orleans Saints (Previous Rank: 2) - The Saints played awful all-around on offense in week two, and the offensive line deserves a lot of blame. Alvin Kamara is one of the most elusive RBs in the NFL so, when he averages 0.6 YPC, the O-line probably had a bad game. As bad as they were in the run game, the Saints were one of the worst teams in pass pro in the NFL. They allowed 11 pressures and two sacks in only 31 passing snaps with Ramczyk and Peat playing the worst with four allowed pressures apiece. 
7. Philadelphia Eagles (Previous Rank: 5) - Brandon Brooks is hurt yet again but the Eagles offensive line is still playing at a high level. Jordan Mailata just continues to get better and could be the Eagles best lineman by year’s end. Issac Seumalo is off to a terrific start in pass pro as he is practically allowing no pressure in two games. Johnson and Kelce also played well. Brooks got hurt but was struggling while he was out there, and the Eagles continued to have problems at RG with Dickerson filling in. However, if the other four usual starters continue to play well, the Eagles can withstand one weak link at guard.  The only reason the Eagles are moving down is because Brooks got injured.
8. New England Patriots (Previous Rank: 9) - The Patriots offensive line looked better in week two. However, it is still not playing up to the level many expected coming into the season, and that is not just because Trent Brown is out. Michael Onwenu is the only one in the group currently living up to expectations. The biggest problem for the Pats is the tackle positions. Wynn is off to a slow start as he is allowing 3.5 pressures per game compared to just 1.6 per game last year, and both Justin Herron and Yasir Durant have had their troubles filling in for Brown.  
9. Seattle Seahawks (Previous Rank: 12) – The Seahawks offensive line is playing well this season. The run blocking was not as good in week two, but this has been one of the better pass protecting lines in the NFL so far, which is a reason Russell Wilson has gotten off to a fast start. Duane Brown is playing at a pro-bowl level and should challenge for a spot on one of the all-pro teams if he continues to play at this level. He has yet to allow any pressure at the LT spot, which is hard to do in multiple games. The guard play for Seattle is kind of what they expected, but not quite. Gabe Jackson was supposed to be the guy that was the pass pro specialist who struggled in the run game, and Damien Lewis was supposed to be the run blocker that struggled in pass pro. However, it has been the opposite so far, as Jackson is run blocking better than he is pass blocking for the first time in his career. Meanwhile, Lewis was one of the better run blockers in the NFL in 2020. However, he is off to a slow start in that aspect in 2021, but is playing a lot better in pass pro. Brandon Shell had another solid outing and has only allowed one pressure all season. Right now, the center position is the Seahawks biggest problem. The loss of Ethan Pocic has been very noticeable, as Kyle Fuller has been a liability in both phases as his replacement.
10. Arizona Cardinals (Previous Rank: 8) – One of the bigger surprises from week two is that the Cardinals offensive line was outplayed by the Vikings, who finished last in the power rankings after week one. The biggest reason why was that DJ Humphries, who is usually their most reliable guy, allowed two sacks and had a rough day in both phases. Justin Murray and Josh Jones also struggled. Justin Pugh was the one bright spot for this group. This line is probably closer to what they showed in week one than week 2, so it is not quite time to hit the panic button. However, it is concerning that a Vikings team with such a mediocre pass rush had success against what is supposed to be one of the best pass pro lines in the NFL. 
11. Washington Football Team (Previous Rank: 13) – Washington had a solid outing in week one, but they were great in week two. Three of their five starters allowed no pressure, and they only allowed a total of four pressures for the entire game. They also allowed no sacks or TFL. Brandon Scherff had a bounce-back game and looked like the pro-bowl caliber player he has consistently shown as he was the standout among this group in week two. However, the biggest surprise was the 180 performance by rookie Samuel Cosmi, who after a shaky week one game played well this week. OLS is still not sold on Cosmi yet. That is the only thing keeping Washington out of the top 10.  
12. Indianapolis Colts (Previous Rank: 10) – The Colts offensive line struggled in week two without Braden Smith, as they allowed 17 pressures and two sacks. Julie’n Davenport, who replaced him, really struggled, allowing a team-high seven pressures. Kelly was not very good, and Glowinski was awful, but a lot of that was simply him being overmatched by Aaron Donald. Quenton Nelson was the only one that could stand up to Donald as he won the heavyweight matchup, and Fisher was respectable in his first game off an Achilles injury. Overall, this makes two games in a row that they have struggled to protect Wentz, and now he is injured. This offensive line has been a strength in past seasons for the Colts, but so far in 2021, they are a weakness. Until Braden Smith returns, this probably is not a top 10 offensive line.
13. Detroit Lions (Previous Rank: 19) – The Lions played great in week two… for a half. Jared Good was under a lot more pressure in the second half which is why the Lions were shut own in the second half. One player that was not allowing pressure was rookie Penei Sewell, who has put together back-to-back good games. He struggled with run blocking in week two, but the tools are there for him to be fine as a run blocker long-term. Frank Ragnow is giving the Lions excellent play at C and is on pace to be back in the pro-bowl. He was a little shakier than normal in pass pro, but he has still been by far the Lions best player upfront so far this season. Big V has been their third-best player upfront and was much better in pass pro in week two after a poor performance in week one. What the Lions need most is for Taylor Decker to come back because Matt Nelson is struggling in his place, as he has allowed 10 pressures so far this year. Once Decker does return, the Lions should have a top 10 offensive line.
14. Green Bay Packers (Previous Rank: 14) – The Packers finally got rolling on offense in the second half on Monday night, and overall, the offensive line had a good game. They had strong games from Josh Myers, who looks like the best rookie center early, and Jon Runyan, who was filling in for Lucas Patrick. Billy Turner gave up four pressures but played well in the run game. Elgton Jenkins was great in week one but had a down game by those standards in week two. He got beat a few times in pass pro and struggled run blocking. Overall, we knew this group would be up and down with Bakhtiari out and two rookies starting. If they can just be solid until Bakhtiari comes back, they will be fine down the stretch. 
15. Kansas City Chiefs (Previous Rank: 16) – The Chiefs are a pass-first team, and that is good because their offensive line is better in pass pro than in the ground game. Ups and downs were to be expected from this group with three rookies starting. However, similar to last week, the rookies are not the problem. Creed Humphrey took a step back from his solid debut in week one, but Trey Smith and Lucas Niang are holding their own, and both played well in week two. The entire Chiefs offensive line did a good job in pass pro in week two, as they only allowed two pressures and no sacks. Run blocking is this group's problem, and the biggest culprit in week two was Joe Thuney. Their $80 million man is not living up to that contract as he has been the Chiefs worst run blocker overall through two weeks and missed a block on the Chiefs final offensive play that ended up allowing a TFL and causing a fumble. Brown has been solid in the run game, but he is currently their worst pass blocker. Their two veteran and highest-paid starters should not be the worst run and pass blockers on the team. 
16. Los Angeles Chargers (Previous Rank: 11) – The Chargers took a step back upfront in week two. The loss of Byran Bulaga was noticeable as his replacement, Storm Norton, allowed nine pressures. Slater allowed four pressures, but he is still showing flashes of being a really good player in the future. He is further along as a pass blocker than a run blocker for now, which is fine because the Chargers throw a lot. Linsley has yet to allow a sack in 2021, but his performance on tape, especially in the run game, is down from what he was doing in 2020. Matt Feiler has been the Chargers best offensive lineman so far this season. He has been great in the run game in their first two games and played a lot better in pass pro in week two. Somewhere the Steelers are wondering why he could not run block like this last season.
17. Denver Broncos (Previous Rank: 20) – Despite Bobby Massie allowing six pressures, as many as the other four starters combined, the Broncos offensive line played better in week two. Garrett Bolles allowed a sack, but that was the only pressure he allowed all game, and he looked a lot more like the guy who was great in 2020 than he did in week one. Denver also must feel good about Lloyd Cushenberry having a good game, as he was one of the worse centers in the league last season, and fresh off a bad week one. 
18. Baltimore Ravens (Previous Rank: 22) – What a bounce-back performance from the Ravens. They looked like a completely different group in week two compared to week one. This group allowed 22 pressures and three sacks in week one compared to zero allowed pressures in week two. The biggest reason for the turn-around was Alejandro Villanueva, who was one of the worst performers in week one, but one of the best in week two. He was great in week two and played well in both phases. Everyone knew the Ravens could run block, and they had a solid outing in that aspect. However, it was their performance in pass pro that propelled them to an upset victory over the Chiefs. However, the combination of them being so bad in pass pro week one and Ronnie Stanley being out limits how far up the Ravens could move in the rankings.
19. Buffalo Bills (Previous Rank: 21) – The Bills bounced back nicely this week after one of the more disappointing week one performances. Jon Feliciano was the star of the group this week, as he was the only guy upfront that did not allow pressure. That’s good news considering he was the weak link last week allowing a team-high eight pressures. The bad news is that Daryl Williams has played back-to-back bad games as he allowed the only sack in the group and three pressures in week two. Overall, a much better pass pro performance as a unit. However, they are still struggling to run block. Take away Singletary’s 46-yard run, and the Bills RBs rushed for 62 yards on 20 carries. 
20. Tennessee Titans (Previous Rank: 18) – The Titans have yet to put together a full game of quality play, but their performance in the second half of week two is the Titans offensive line we expect to see. Derrick Henry is always ready, so when he is struggling, the Titans O-line is probably struggling. They started to move people in the second half, and their run game paved the way for their comeback overtime win. Two weeks in, David Quessenberry has been the Titans best performer upfront, and he was supposed to be a backup this season. The Titans overall were not great in pass pro, but they did not allow six sacks and 17 pressures this week, so they played a lot better. But the Titans interior is allowing too much pressure so far. 
21. Atlanta Falcons (Previous Rank: 23) – The Falcons as a group are just not going to be a great run blocking team. The good news is that Lindstrom played great in week two and looks like he is going to be the Falcons best lineman for a second year. McGary's performance in week two is what the Falcons need from him long-term. He was a good run blocker and decent in pass pro. McGary probably will never be Jake Matthews in pass pro, but if he can be a plus in the run game and serviceable in pass pro, he can be a legitimate starting RT in the NFL long-term. Overall, they played a lot better which is why the Falcons offense played a lot better. They were better in every aspect as they allowed less pressure, sacks, TFL, and had fewer penalties in week two than they did in week one. 
22. Houston Texans (Previous Rank: 15) – The Texans looked more like the offensive line they were expected to be this week against a stronger Browns team. Tytus Howard has played poorly in consecutive weeks, as he has allowed four pressures in each game. Houston hoped the move inside to guard would lead to him playing better, but so far, he has looked worse at guard than he did in previous seasons playing tackle. The Texans must be encouraged about Marcus Cannon, as he has put together back-to-back good games in pass pro. The entire team needs to run block better, especially with Tyrod Taylor injured and projected to miss up to four weeks. 
23. Cincinnati Bengals (Previous Rank: 17) – The Bengals played well against a bad Vikings defense in week one but were unable to duplicate that success against a much better Bears defense this week. They doubled their allowed pressures from five against Minnesota to 10 against Chicago, and there was plenty of blame to go around with Jonah Williams, Riley Reiff, and Xavier Su’a-Filo all allowing three pressures. The strength of the Bengals offensive line is their tackles, and whenever they both struggle in the same game, things are not going to be great for this group.
24. Carolina Panthers (Previous Rank: 28) - The Panthers got the upset victory over the Saints in week two, and a big reason why was the offensive line. They were one of the best lines in pass pro in week two only allowing three pressures in 44 pass snaps. Taylor Morton is playing at a very high level, as he has only allowed two pressures in two games, and John Miller had a strong outing as he was the only starter that played the entire game not to allow pressure or TFL. 
25. Chicago Bears (Previous Rank: 27) – The Bears are another team that played better in week two. However, it remains to be seen whether their week one performance was merely a product of playing against an elite Rams defense or if their week two performance was a product of playing the Bengals. Everyone but Mustipher played well in pass pro, as he allowed a team-high three pressures and was the only one to allow a sack. Jason Peters turned back the clock, as he especially looked good this week. Even on the decline, hall of fame caliber players is capable of having one of those kinds of games here and there. If the Bears offensive line is going to be good, they need Peters to be a good player all season. However, given his age and injury history, the odds are not good that Peters can play at a high level for the entire season. 
26. Jacksonville Jaguars (Previous Rank: 24) – Jacksonville has not been good in either of their first two games this year, but they were slightly better in week two. They allowed nine pressures and only two penalties this week compared to allowing 12 with five penalties in week one. Jawaan Taylor is still struggling, but Cam Robinson looked a lot better. Linder continues to be this team’s best and most consistent player as he did not allow a sack or pressure in week two and is the only Jaguar starter upfront that has not allowed a pressure so far. 
27. Minnesota Vikings (Previous Rank: 32) - The Vikings were much better upfront in week two after a disastrous week one in which they allowed two sacks, 10 pressures, two TFL, and had nine penalties. This week nobody allowed a sack or TFL, they only allowed seven pressures, and they were only called for two penalties. O’Neill continues to play well, but this week, he got help from the interior as Ezra Cleveland, Garrett Bradbury, and Oli Udoh all had good games. Rashold Hill was the only player that struggled for the Vikings in week two. Considering how the Cardinals looked against the Titans offensive line, the Vikings must feel a lot more optimistic about this group moving forward.
28. Las Vegas Raiders (Previous Rank: 29) - The Raiders were a disaster in the run game on Sunday. While some might say the Steelers are going to do that to a lot of teams, and they will, this makes the second straight game the Raiders have struggled to run block, and it looks like it may be a theme. On the other hand, Oakland had a good game in pass pro. Some of that had to do with TJ Watt going down with an injury, but they played much better in that aspect. Kolton Miller continues to lead the way for this team as he has only allowed four pressures in two games from the LT spot. But a potential diamond in the rough for the Raiders this season has been journeyman guard Jermaine Eluemunor, who has only allowed one pressure all season. 
29. Pittsburgh Steelers (Previous Rank: 25) - The Steelers offensive line simply lacks the talent to be a great unit in 2021, but they have slightly exceeded expectations through two weeks. They have been competent more than they have been bad. This group is still unable to spearhead an effective run game, but they did better run blocking this week than in week one. Pittsburgh's offensive line took a step back in pass pro, as they allowed 12 pressures this week, twice as many as week one. A common theme Steelers fans should expect to continue this season is that none of the players in this group will be consistent over long stretches of games. 
30. New York Jets (Previous Rank: 30) - The Jets had a lot of problems this week, but the offensive line was not at the top of that list. The offensive line is still not good by any means, and their guards are giving up too much pressure in pass pro overall, but this group was solid in week two. Everyone except Greg Van Roten had a good to solid game. Van Roten allowed two sacks and one TFL, had seven pressures, and a penalty. Alijah Vera-Tucker looks like he might develop into one heck of a run-blocker, but he has a long way to go in pass pro. It would be nice if the Jets could get this production consistently moving forward, but OLS will need to see it a few more times before buying in. 
31. Miami Dolphins (Previous Rank: 26) – Dolphins fans should brace themselves for this level of inconsistency from this offensive line all year. They had a decent game against what could be a really good Patriots defense in week one and then follow that up with one of the worst performances of any line in week two vs. a mediocre Bills defense. The Dolphins allowed 26 pressures. Typically, when a team’s starting LT returns to the lineup it is a good thing. However, Austin Jackson’s return appears to have done more harm than good as he does not look like he has improved any from last year as his eight allowed pressures led the group. 
32. New York Giants (Previous Rank: 31) - The Giants have taken a slight lead in the race for the worse offensive line in the NFL. Andrew Thomas was the only bright spot in week one, and he struggled like everyone else in this group in week two. They allowed one sack, 16 pressures, two TFL, and had five penalties. The Giants spent a lot of money in free agency to try and make a playoff push. Unfortunately, none of it was spent on the offensive line, and that group may be the biggest reason why they struggle all season.  

 
 
 

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