Evan Neal needs to make substantial strides in his second year for this group to exceed expectations. Rookie John Michael Schmitz is expected to win the starting job at center, but the rest of the unit returns intact. New York’s offensive line allowed pressure in 2.5 seconds or fewer at the league’s fifth-highest rate last season. First-round pick Anton Harrison may compete for that job, but he’s probably not ready for a starting role and is more likely to be groomed as Cam Robinson’s eventual replacement at left tackle. Jacksonville lost right tackle Jawaan Taylor in free agency and made little effort to upgrade the line in the short term. If a single unit holds back the Jaguars from taking another step forward, it will be the offensive line. On a positive note, Tristan Wirfs, Luke Goedeke, and second-round pick Cody Mauch give the coaching staff three young building blocks to work around. Brady’s uncanny ability to get the ball out quickly likely covered up a lot of warts for this unit, and even Brady couldn’t entirely mask its decline. The Bucs’ offensive line dropped 24 spots in our rankings from a season ago and appeared in the bottom five on every ballot. Last year, six of our eight worst offensive line units missed the playoffs. The unit allowed pressure in 2.5 seconds or fewer on 24.6% of snaps last year, ranked 25th. Washington’s lack of skill position talent is only going to look worse behind a shaky offensive line. On the other side, Rob Havenstein ranked 28th out of 36 right tackles and also returns. Joe Notebloom allowed a 10% pressure rate last year, ranking 34th out of 35 qualified left tackles. The Rams’ failure to upgrade at left tackle was one of the shocking non-moves of the offseason. Andre Dillard and rookie Peter Skoronski will compete for that job, but we’re unlikely to see a significant upgrade for the unit. In 2022, Titans left tackles allowed pressure at a league-worst 9.4% rate, more than two percentage points worse than any other team. What team has the best offensive line in the NFL? 32. Ties are broken by the highest vote on any ballot. If all voters had a team at #1, that score would be 100. Score based on average ranks of positional unit (on a 100 point scale) for all 32 teams, from Sharp Football staff voters. So the cards are definitely stacked against Chicago.,],] Rank Less enviably, Chicago is stumbling into the matchup with the most rushing yards allowed per game in the league, having given up 183.3 on average. A pair of defensive stats to keep an eye on: Minnesota ranks second in the NFL when it comes to passing touchdowns allowed, with only three on the season. The Vikings are now 3-1 while the Bears sit at 2-2. They have failed bettors playing the spread in their past three games, so buyers beware. Minnesota is the favorite in this one, with an expected 7.5-point margin of victory. K Mike Badgley delivered a perfect 4-for-4 game. Special teams was responsible for all of the team's points. QB Justin Fields ended up with a passer rating of 116.40. Chicago couldn't find the end zone and got their points from four field goals. Meanwhile, the Bears scored first but ultimately less than the New York Giants in their game last week. K Greg Joseph delivered a perfect 5-for-5 game. Special teams collected 16 points for Minnesota. Minnesota's WR Justin Jefferson looked sharp as he punched in one rushing touchdown in addition to catching ten passes for 147 yards. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the New Orleans Saints, sneaking past 28-25. Minnesota decided to play defense against itself last week, but the squad still came out ahead despite their 97 penalty yards. The Vikings should still be riding high after a victory, while Chicago will be looking to right the ship. Minnesota and Chicago will face off in an NFC North battle at 1 p.m. The Minnesota Vikings won both of their matches against the Chicago Bears last season (17-9 and 31-17) and are aiming for the same result on Sunday.
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