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Ranking the Cowboys: Offensive line
12:36 PM Fri, Jun 27, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon
BLOGGER'S NOTE: In an attempt to fill the deadest time of offseason with something resembling meaningful football conversation, we'll run a series debating where each Cowboys positional unit ranks among their league peers.
It isn't difficult to make a case that the Cowboys have the premier offensive line in the game.
Dallas was the only team with three Pro Bowl offensive linemen last season. And those guys all went to Hawaii because of performance, not as the result of popularity contests. A Pro Football Weekly poll of coaches, scouts and executives ranked Andre Gurode as the league's top center, Leonard "Bigg" Davis as the No. 2 guards and Flozell Adams as the No. 3 tackle. (Marc Colombo was the No. 23 tackle. Kyle Kosier didn't make the cut of the top 24 guards.)
The Cowboys should also benefit from continuity despite coach Tony Sparano's departure to Miami. Hudson Hauck, one of the game's most respected OL coaches, inherits a unit that returns intact after Adams' re-signed.
What do the numbers say? Well, it's tough to judge offensive lines by stats, since they're so dependent on the performances of skill players. The fact that only the Patriots scored more points than the Cowboys certainly indicates that this line is pretty darn good.
CBSSports.com ranked the O-lines based on four stats: touchdowns per carry, yards per carry, yards per pass attempt and sacks allowed per pass attempt. The Cowboys were No. 3 behind New England and Green Bay in those rankings.
Footballoutsiders.com came up with several different statistical formulas to rank O-lines. The Cowboys were surprisingly average in the running game, ranking 14th in adjusted line yards and 12th in power (short-yardage) success.
And the Cowboys' line certainly didn't end the season on a high note, getting whipped by the Giants' dominant front four in the second half of the playoff loss.
OK, time to get to the rankings. Follow the jump for the top five offensive lines in the game.
1. New England -- No, this isn't a sign that Massachusetts native Albert "Einstein" Breer, who is such a wimp that he got another gig instead of enduring a Texas summer, poisoned my mind. You might not think of the Patriots as an overpowering running team, but they ranked No. 1 in footballoutsiders.com's adjusted line yards. And a unit led by Pro Bowlers Logan Mankins and Dan Koppen consistently kept Tom Brady's jersey clean during his record-setting season. Brady and Randy Moss are the headliners on the most prolific offense in NFL history, but the big uglies make the highlights possible.
2. Dallas -- Funny how nobody thinks Jerry overpaid for Davis anymore, huh? His arrival turned this group into an elite unit.
3. Cleveland -- LT Joe Thomas appears destined for dominance. He combines with guard Eric Steinbach to form the best left side in the league. Those guys were a major reason Derek Anderson emerged as a franchise QB and Jamal Lewis revived his career.
4. Minnesota -- Yes, Adrian Peterson would make a lot of lines look good, but these guys consistently create room in the running game against defenses who don't have to respect the pass. C Matt Birk, LG Steve Hutchinson and LT Bryant McKinnie are the NFC's second-best line trio behind the Cowboys' Pro Bowlers.
5. Colts -- Indianapolis continued piling up points and yards with impressive balance after longtime LT Tarik Glenn's sudden retirement last summer. Young Tony Ugoh looks capable after protecting Peyton Manning's back the rest of the QB's career. C Jeff Saturday is the leader of a line that lacks big names but helps put up big numbers.
12:36 PM Fri, Jun 27, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon
BLOGGER'S NOTE: In an attempt to fill the deadest time of offseason with something resembling meaningful football conversation, we'll run a series debating where each Cowboys positional unit ranks among their league peers.
It isn't difficult to make a case that the Cowboys have the premier offensive line in the game.
Dallas was the only team with three Pro Bowl offensive linemen last season. And those guys all went to Hawaii because of performance, not as the result of popularity contests. A Pro Football Weekly poll of coaches, scouts and executives ranked Andre Gurode as the league's top center, Leonard "Bigg" Davis as the No. 2 guards and Flozell Adams as the No. 3 tackle. (Marc Colombo was the No. 23 tackle. Kyle Kosier didn't make the cut of the top 24 guards.)
The Cowboys should also benefit from continuity despite coach Tony Sparano's departure to Miami. Hudson Hauck, one of the game's most respected OL coaches, inherits a unit that returns intact after Adams' re-signed.
What do the numbers say? Well, it's tough to judge offensive lines by stats, since they're so dependent on the performances of skill players. The fact that only the Patriots scored more points than the Cowboys certainly indicates that this line is pretty darn good.
CBSSports.com ranked the O-lines based on four stats: touchdowns per carry, yards per carry, yards per pass attempt and sacks allowed per pass attempt. The Cowboys were No. 3 behind New England and Green Bay in those rankings.
Footballoutsiders.com came up with several different statistical formulas to rank O-lines. The Cowboys were surprisingly average in the running game, ranking 14th in adjusted line yards and 12th in power (short-yardage) success.
And the Cowboys' line certainly didn't end the season on a high note, getting whipped by the Giants' dominant front four in the second half of the playoff loss.
OK, time to get to the rankings. Follow the jump for the top five offensive lines in the game.
1. New England -- No, this isn't a sign that Massachusetts native Albert "Einstein" Breer, who is such a wimp that he got another gig instead of enduring a Texas summer, poisoned my mind. You might not think of the Patriots as an overpowering running team, but they ranked No. 1 in footballoutsiders.com's adjusted line yards. And a unit led by Pro Bowlers Logan Mankins and Dan Koppen consistently kept Tom Brady's jersey clean during his record-setting season. Brady and Randy Moss are the headliners on the most prolific offense in NFL history, but the big uglies make the highlights possible.
2. Dallas -- Funny how nobody thinks Jerry overpaid for Davis anymore, huh? His arrival turned this group into an elite unit.
3. Cleveland -- LT Joe Thomas appears destined for dominance. He combines with guard Eric Steinbach to form the best left side in the league. Those guys were a major reason Derek Anderson emerged as a franchise QB and Jamal Lewis revived his career.
4. Minnesota -- Yes, Adrian Peterson would make a lot of lines look good, but these guys consistently create room in the running game against defenses who don't have to respect the pass. C Matt Birk, LG Steve Hutchinson and LT Bryant McKinnie are the NFC's second-best line trio behind the Cowboys' Pro Bowlers.
5. Colts -- Indianapolis continued piling up points and yards with impressive balance after longtime LT Tarik Glenn's sudden retirement last summer. Young Tony Ugoh looks capable after protecting Peyton Manning's back the rest of the QB's career. C Jeff Saturday is the leader of a line that lacks big names but helps put up big numbers.
