Don’t Forget How BAD This Oline was w/ the Draft Approaching!
Offensive lines make the NFL world go ’round… ours was a turnstile
We were told by the Miami Dolphins that you can put chop liver on the offensive line and the coaches would turn it to Filet Minon with a side of truffles. Last year, fans were mocked by Chris Grier for worrying about the offensive line more than they were. This year we had Grier and McDaniel imply that the O-line gave them a shiver up their legs in excitement.
While many of us understood this was a trailer full of horse manure, it is so saranwrap clear that even Chris Grier sorta’ admitted that maybe, possibly he made less than ideal moves on the offensive line–in between his litany of excuse of course.
Grier is such a weasel.
So, with Free Agency and more importantly the draft approaching, I’d like to run through just how bad this offensive line was in 2024 with some clear and horrific data. I hate to abuse the readers eyes, but if we don’t keep our eye on the ball the Phins might try to pull a fast one on us.
Here’s just how bad this unit was in all its ‘glory’.
Matadors would have made a better Oline this season
Terron Armstead, when healthy, played well and so did Aaron Brewer, mostly. I even liked what I saw from Patrick Paul given he is a kid that was expected to need some time to get built up. BUT, Jones, Lamm, Wynn… let me take a deep breath, and Eichenberg were major negatives. Here how this offensive line ranked vs the NFL in most of the major blocking categories:
- Pass Blocking Win %: 26th
- Blitzed: 32nd least bested the 31st ranked team by a whopping 5%!
- Run stuffed %: 32nd 5%more than the 31st ranked tea!
- Yards Before Contact: 27th
Now a common stat put out that man fixate on to the O-line wasn’t that bad is we were pressured 5th least in the league. Let me give you some context before you say, ‘Ah-h’!
Miami threw for a league best 2.04 seconds clean time to throw with 77% of their throws .13 seconds more than the next team the Cowboys and Cooper Rush. Also add in also we were #1 in screen throws at 20% and as I mentioned above the least blitzed team in the league by a country mile. How do you think this protection would have stood of lasting the league average of 2.40 seconds and being blitzed league average of around 30%?
All of this speed throwing and screen game was implemented to mask a terrible O-line and they still failed. So, despite their bluster, they knew the blocking was poor from the start.
We were sold a lemon by the hucksters in charge.
Other than Mrs. Lincoln, how’d you like the play?
A good way to judge protection is looking at the blitz % and the pressure % to gauge the quality of the blocking. Our 26.8% QB pressure rate was 9% more than the blitz rate of 17.7%. Consider the Bills who were blitzed 30% and gave up 31% pressures, or Tampa who was pressured 25.9% while being blitzed 31.1% or Philly who was pressured 24% while being blitzed 30%.
I could go on, but you get the point.
If fans want to have an explosive offense, then they need to get blitzed, kept clean, and throw longer like in 2022. In that season, which was Tua’s best, we were blitzed 25.5%, protected 25.7%, and had a clean time to throw of 2.35 seconds. You can bet with the best pay per head that time hurts defense and allows receivers time to get open, but that takes quality protection.
So, let’s not accept another Dolphins snow job about this offensive line with some token efforts. We have the ammo and the need is clear. I’m not saying spend every pick on offensive linemen. But we must throw some quality ammo at that position group and maybe a little extra ta’ boot would be good considering Grier’s record with finding blockers. Go Phins!!
