Rams O-Line is the Best and It's Not Close

[BonifayRam]

Holding blocks, telling Goff what to do: Inside the Rams OL
Lindsey Thiry ESPN

http://www.espn.com/blog/nfcwest/po...ks-telling-goff-what-to-do-inside-the-rams-ol

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Rodger Saffold laughed, and Austin Blythe couldn’t help but to turn a bit red.The Los Angeles Rams offensive line has performed at an elite level this season, a sometimes-unsung group in the team’s 5-0 start. And that’s why they can find humor in at least one play that went somewhat astray.Saffold, a ninth-year pro, started to chuckle when he recalled a particular moment during a Week 3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Rams were in the red zone and the line held their blocks for what felt like an eternity (in reality, it was 6 seconds).
Jared Goff, “Throw it! Throw it!” And so Goff threw the ball out the back of the end zone.

Blythe blushed when he recalled the play. He was blocking two defensive linemen, but as they continued to push, he couldn’t hold the block any longer.His yells were "in the heat of the moment," Blythe said. “If I was rationally thinking, I wouldn’t have said anything.”Yelling at the quarterback, some linemen said, is not typically encouraged. Goff, however, was lucky Blythe did, because as the third-year quarterback searched the end zone for an open receiver, he was inches away from being sacked.

“It was hilarious,” Saffold said, as he thought about Blythe’s scream. “We laugh about it now, but I think Jared has a lot of trust in us."That's because they have kept Goff upright and allowed him to post eye-popping numbers. Goff, along with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, has been sacked a league-low six times, among quarterbacks who have started five games.And Goff leads the NFL in several categories.

Through five weeks, he has the best passer rating, 119.7, and he even posted a perfect passer rating of 158.3 in a Week 4 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Goff leads the league in passing yards with 1,727 and is averaging 345 passing yards per game.

“The offensive line is playing tremendously,” said Goff, who has passed for 12 touchdowns, with 4 interceptions. “Opening up stuff for Todd and keeping me clean and allowing me to get the ball out."The Rams line was the only group in the NFL last season to start the same five players for 15 games. This season, right guard Jamon Brown was suspended for the first two games and Blythe, a reliable backup in 2017, stepped in. Through two weeks, Blythe graded outstanding and coaches decided to leave the line intact rather than change something that had clearly been working.
“The O-line is fantastic,” said Todd Gurley II, who leads the NFL with 9 touchdowns. “... whether we run or pass the ball, or whether I'm in there or not, everybody's in there doing their job.” The Rams have had elite pass protection this season, according to ESPN’s Pass Block Win Rate using NFL Next Gen Stats. A pass block win is when a pass blocker sustains his block for the first 2.5 seconds following the snap, about the average NFL time for a quarterback to throw.

When a blocker is beaten within the first 2.5 seconds, the pass-rusher is given the win. Pass block wins are determined by an objective model based on player tracking data. The Rams rank first in the league with a pass block win rate of 73 percent. The next closest team is the Green Bay Packers at 59 percent.

Even more impressive, veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth has the highest pass block win rate this season at 95 percent, and right tackle Rob Havenstein is second at 92 percent. “It just comes down to the whole offense,” said Havenstein, a fourth-year pro who signed a four-year, $32.5 million extension before the season. “We do such a good job of scheming things, making things look similar that are different, that we can have that extra half second, that extra second of kind of figuring out what we’re doing.”

All three of the Rams' interior linemen rank in the top 12 among guards and centers. Saffold is at 91 percent, center John Sullivan at 89 percent and Blythe at 87 percent. “They're playing the best in the league right now and I don't think it's really close,” Goff said. “I mean even just hits, pressures -- not even sacks. Just all that stuff is incredible and they're doing such a great job."

To further demonstrate that the line has excelled, look no further than how often they hold their blocks through 3 seconds -- considered an overwhelming amount of time for a quarterback to throw the ball. Whitworth, a 13-year pro, holds his block through 3 seconds 89 percent of the time, Saffold 87 percent and Havenstein 86 percent.

“It just means a lot to us to nail the game plan, to do things efficiently and to really be on the same exact page every week of exactly how we want to make things happen,” Whitworth said. “We take pride in just the offense as a whole and really all of us being able to click.”

And here are the top offensive tackles in Pass Block Win Rate. The league average for tackles is 79 percent:

Top OT Blockers

1 Rob Havenstein LAR 110 96%
2 Andrew Whitworth LAR 112 93%
3 Taylor Lewan TEN 75 90%
4 David Bakhtiari GB 156 89%
5 Tyron Smith DAL 123 88%
6 Trent Williams WAS 99 88%
7 Dion Dawkins BUF 142 87%
8 Ryan Ramczyk NO 146 87%
9 Duane Brown SEA 129 87%
10 Josh Wells JAX 122 87%

 

[hotanez]

Holding blocks, telling Goff what to do: Inside the Rams OL
Lindsey Thiry ESPN

http://www.espn.com/blog/nfcwest/po...ks-telling-goff-what-to-do-inside-the-rams-ol

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Rodger Saffold laughed, and Austin Blythe couldn’t help but to turn a bit red.The Los Angeles Rams offensive line has performed at an elite level this season, a sometimes-unsung group in the team’s 5-0 start. And that’s why they can find humor in at least one play that went somewhat astray.Saffold, a ninth-year pro, started to chuckle when he recalled a particular moment during a Week 3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Rams were in the red zone and the line held their blocks for what felt like an eternity (in reality, it was 6 seconds).
Jared Goff, “Throw it! Throw it!” And so Goff threw the ball out the back of the end zone.

Blythe blushed when he recalled the play. He was blocking two defensive linemen, but as they continued to push, he couldn’t hold the block any longer.His yells were "in the heat of the moment," Blythe said. “If I was rationally thinking, I wouldn’t have said anything.”Yelling at the quarterback, some linemen said, is not typically encouraged. Goff, however, was lucky Blythe did, because as the third-year quarterback searched the end zone for an open receiver, he was inches away from being sacked.

“It was hilarious,” Saffold said, as he thought about Blythe’s scream. “We laugh about it now, but I think Jared has a lot of trust in us."That's because they have kept Goff upright and allowed him to post eye-popping numbers. Goff, along with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, has been sacked a league-low six times, among quarterbacks who have started five games.And Goff leads the NFL in several categories.

Through five weeks, he has the best passer rating, 119.7, and he even posted a perfect passer rating of 158.3 in a Week 4 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Goff leads the league in passing yards with 1,727 and is averaging 345 passing yards per game.

“The offensive line is playing tremendously,” said Goff, who has passed for 12 touchdowns, with 4 interceptions. “Opening up stuff for Todd and keeping me clean and allowing me to get the ball out."The Rams line was the only group in the NFL last season to start the same five players for 15 games. This season, right guard Jamon Brown was suspended for the first two games and Blythe, a reliable backup in 2017, stepped in. Through two weeks, Blythe graded outstanding and coaches decided to leave the line intact rather than change something that had clearly been working.
“The O-line is fantastic,” said Todd Gurley II, who leads the NFL with 9 touchdowns. “... whether we run or pass the ball, or whether I'm in there or not, everybody's in there doing their job.” The Rams have had elite pass protection this season, according to ESPN’s Pass Block Win Rate using NFL Next Gen Stats. A pass block win is when a pass blocker sustains his block for the first 2.5 seconds following the snap, about the average NFL time for a quarterback to throw.

When a blocker is beaten within the first 2.5 seconds, the pass-rusher is given the win. Pass block wins are determined by an objective model based on player tracking data. The Rams rank first in the league with a pass block win rate of 73 percent. The next closest team is the Green Bay Packers at 59 percent.

Even more impressive, veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth has the highest pass block win rate this season at 95 percent, and right tackle Rob Havenstein is second at 92 percent. “It just comes down to the whole offense,” said Havenstein, a fourth-year pro who signed a four-year, $32.5 million extension before the season. “We do such a good job of scheming things, making things look similar that are different, that we can have that extra half second, that extra second of kind of figuring out what we’re doing.”

All three of the Rams' interior linemen rank in the top 12 among guards and centers. Saffold is at 91 percent, center John Sullivan at 89 percent and Blythe at 87 percent. “They're playing the best in the league right now and I don't think it's really close,” Goff said. “I mean even just hits, pressures -- not even sacks. Just all that stuff is incredible and they're doing such a great job."

To further demonstrate that the line has excelled, look no further than how often they hold their blocks through 3 seconds -- considered an overwhelming amount of time for a quarterback to throw the ball. Whitworth, a 13-year pro, holds his block through 3 seconds 89 percent of the time, Saffold 87 percent and Havenstein 86 percent.

“It just means a lot to us to nail the game plan, to do things efficiently and to really be on the same exact page every week of exactly how we want to make things happen,” Whitworth said. “We take pride in just the offense as a whole and really all of us being able to click.”

And here are the top offensive tackles in Pass Block Win Rate. The league average for tackles is 79 percent:

Top OT Blockers

1 Rob Havenstein LAR 110 96%
2 Andrew Whitworth LAR 112 93%
3 Taylor Lewan TEN 75 90%
4 David Bakhtiari GB 156 89%
5 Tyron Smith DAL 123 88%
6 Trent Williams WAS 99 88%
7 Dion Dawkins BUF 142 87%
8 Ryan Ramczyk NO 146 87%
9 Duane Brown SEA 129 87%
10 Josh Wells JAX 122 87%

Freaking amazing the way whole Oline is playing but the tackles are playing out of their minds. Remember when members thought that Hav was to slow? or that Whitworth had hit the wall last year? These guys have been outstanding this season.

 

[Malibu]

You are wrong. Stunningly wrong. But it's a good conspiracy theory.

Who would do that as they are making 7MIL a year.

First Fisher hired friends, not people that he knew would fail. That's foolish. Because hiring people you think will fail means you get fired fast too. He hired people he liked and that he knew.

Second. Nice job handing the credit for the staff to McVay. Look around, it's not McVay making the hires there are others involved and doing this.

What's next.........Thank's McVay for bringing the Rams back to LA. and building a stadium???

Look at who he chose vs the options out there. Prior to Greg Williams look at the DC Fisher chose a DBs coach from Detroit that had zero DC experience and was a nediocre DBs coach for Detroit. Look at his OC choices.

Look at his record. Look at the instant turnaround by McVay there has to be a reason.

 

[Soul Surfer]

Look at the instant turnaround by McVay there has to be a reason.

Oh, there's a reason all right.

Jeff Fisher sucked.

 

[janthony6]

Flowers is available. Wonder if the staff could fix him. Former 1st round pick just before Todd Gurley.

 

[Mackeyser]

You are wrong. Stunningly wrong. But it's a good conspiracy theory.

Who would do that as they are making 7MIL a year.

First Fisher hired friends, not people that he knew would fail. That's foolish. Because hiring people you think will fail means you get fired fast too. He hired people he liked and that he knew.

Second. Nice job handing the credit for the staff to McVay. Look around, it's not McVay making the hires there are others involved and doing this.

What's next.........Thank's McVay for bringing the Rams back to LA. and building a stadium???

C'mon, that's not how it works.

When it comes to coaches, when an HC is hired, they have to come up with a staff. Now, they may not get their first choice for every slot because their guy might get promoted or otherwise become unavailable or the team may not be willing to pay that coaches' going rate (I'm sure Wade isn't getting basic DC wages).

But it absolutely is on the coach to not only put together a staff, but continue to recruit coaches as they leave. The organization isn't nearly as involved in coach acquisition as it is player acquisition.

Also, it doesn't take long to recognize that you don't hire friends on that basis.

Either they are going to make you better because of what they bring or not.

Fisher hired friends because he wanted loyalty over production. It was the old way and in this new NFL, other than the occasional game, it bit him on the butt.

There are coaches and players who make far more as there are business professionals who make tons more to make worse decisions than Fisher made with his coaching hires for worse reasons.

Salary doesn't denote excellence at everything they set out to do.

Fisher had a heck of an eye for defensive talent, but man, he couldn't put together a staff to save his life. And you know he had issues because even after the move, he couldn't get top flight OC talent to come here even with Kroenke's checkbook and a #1 overall pick QB in Jared Goff. Most OCs salivate at getting to coach a #1 overall pick and iirc, THREE of the top OCs available not only declined, but wouldn't even interview.

 

[Mackeyser]

Holding blocks, telling Goff what to do: Inside the Rams OL
Lindsey Thiry ESPN

http://www.espn.com/blog/nfcwest/po...ks-telling-goff-what-to-do-inside-the-rams-ol

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Rodger Saffold laughed, and Austin Blythe couldn’t help but to turn a bit red.The Los Angeles Rams offensive line has performed at an elite level this season, a sometimes-unsung group in the team’s 5-0 start. And that’s why they can find humor in at least one play that went somewhat astray.Saffold, a ninth-year pro, started to chuckle when he recalled a particular moment during a Week 3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Rams were in the red zone and the line held their blocks for what felt like an eternity (in reality, it was 6 seconds).
Jared Goff, “Throw it! Throw it!” And so Goff threw the ball out the back of the end zone.

Blythe blushed when he recalled the play. He was blocking two defensive linemen, but as they continued to push, he couldn’t hold the block any longer.His yells were "in the heat of the moment," Blythe said. “If I was rationally thinking, I wouldn’t have said anything.”Yelling at the quarterback, some linemen said, is not typically encouraged. Goff, however, was lucky Blythe did, because as the third-year quarterback searched the end zone for an open receiver, he was inches away from being sacked.

“It was hilarious,” Saffold said, as he thought about Blythe’s scream. “We laugh about it now, but I think Jared has a lot of trust in us."That's because they have kept Goff upright and allowed him to post eye-popping numbers. Goff, along with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, has been sacked a league-low six times, among quarterbacks who have started five games.And Goff leads the NFL in several categories.

Through five weeks, he has the best passer rating, 119.7, and he even posted a perfect passer rating of 158.3 in a Week 4 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Goff leads the league in passing yards with 1,727 and is averaging 345 passing yards per game.

“The offensive line is playing tremendously,” said Goff, who has passed for 12 touchdowns, with 4 interceptions. “Opening up stuff for Todd and keeping me clean and allowing me to get the ball out."The Rams line was the only group in the NFL last season to start the same five players for 15 games. This season, right guard Jamon Brown was suspended for the first two games and Blythe, a reliable backup in 2017, stepped in. Through two weeks, Blythe graded outstanding and coaches decided to leave the line intact rather than change something that had clearly been working.
“The O-line is fantastic,” said Todd Gurley II, who leads the NFL with 9 touchdowns. “... whether we run or pass the ball, or whether I'm in there or not, everybody's in there doing their job.” The Rams have had elite pass protection this season, according to ESPN’s Pass Block Win Rate using NFL Next Gen Stats. A pass block win is when a pass blocker sustains his block for the first 2.5 seconds following the snap, about the average NFL time for a quarterback to throw.

When a blocker is beaten within the first 2.5 seconds, the pass-rusher is given the win. Pass block wins are determined by an objective model based on player tracking data. The Rams rank first in the league with a pass block win rate of 73 percent. The next closest team is the Green Bay Packers at 59 percent.

Even more impressive, veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth has the highest pass block win rate this season at 95 percent, and right tackle Rob Havenstein is second at 92 percent. “It just comes down to the whole offense,” said Havenstein, a fourth-year pro who signed a four-year, $32.5 million extension before the season. “We do such a good job of scheming things, making things look similar that are different, that we can have that extra half second, that extra second of kind of figuring out what we’re doing.”

All three of the Rams' interior linemen rank in the top 12 among guards and centers. Saffold is at 91 percent, center John Sullivan at 89 percent and Blythe at 87 percent. “They're playing the best in the league right now and I don't think it's really close,” Goff said. “I mean even just hits, pressures -- not even sacks. Just all that stuff is incredible and they're doing such a great job."

To further demonstrate that the line has excelled, look no further than how often they hold their blocks through 3 seconds -- considered an overwhelming amount of time for a quarterback to throw the ball. Whitworth, a 13-year pro, holds his block through 3 seconds 89 percent of the time, Saffold 87 percent and Havenstein 86 percent.

“It just means a lot to us to nail the game plan, to do things efficiently and to really be on the same exact page every week of exactly how we want to make things happen,” Whitworth said. “We take pride in just the offense as a whole and really all of us being able to click.”

And here are the top offensive tackles in Pass Block Win Rate. The league average for tackles is 79 percent:

Top OT Blockers

1 Rob Havenstein LAR 110 96%
2 Andrew Whitworth LAR 112 93%
3 Taylor Lewan TEN 75 90%
4 David Bakhtiari GB 156 89%
5 Tyron Smith DAL 123 88%
6 Trent Williams WAS 99 88%
7 Dion Dawkins BUF 142 87%
8 Ryan Ramczyk NO 146 87%
9 Duane Brown SEA 129 87%
10 Josh Wells JAX 122 87%

People were questioning the Hav extension...

It's a straight bargain now, just like the Woods extension.

Hav, if he were on the FA market with those numbers would fetch upwards of $12M/yr.

 

[Soul Surfer]

People were questioning the Hav extension...

It's a straight bargain now, just like the Woods extension.

Hav, if he were on the FA market with those numbers would fetch upwards of $12M/yr.

I think they're making some excellent choices on where they're spending their money.

 

[Prime Time]

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-week-5-nfl-offensive-line-rankings

NFL Offensive Line Rankings: All 32 team's units after Week 5
BY MICHAEL RENNER

1.

Starting Lineup:

Left Tackle: Andrew Whitworth, 87.6
Left Guard: Rodger Saffold, 77.5
Center: John Sullivan, 63.6
Right Guard: Austin Blythe, 78.6
Right Tackle: Rob Havenstein, 84.2

Andrew Whitworth, who turns 37 years old in December, continues to be the class of the tackle position in the NFL. Whitworth was drafted five picks after former Chargers left tackle Marcus McNeil, didn’t make a Pro Bowl until McNeil was already retired in 2012, and in his 13th NFL season is currently the second highest-graded tackle in the NFL.

 

[Prime Time]

View: https://twitter.com/PFF/status/1050114288315244544

 

[hotanez]

View: https://twitter.com/PFF/status/1050114288315244544

My guess the TE's.

 

[OldSchool]

My guess the TE's.

Strange because Hunter for the Vikings straight beat Whitworth once that I remember. This pff stat doesn’t seem accurate though the oline has played great.

 

[hotanez]

Strange because Hunter for the Vikings straight beat Whitworth once that I remember. This pff stat doesn’t seem accurate though the oline has played great.

Now that you mentioned that Hunter did beat out Whit. That's PFF for you though

 

[Ken]

You gotta take their rankings with a grain of salt. The graders were probably persuaded by the announcer(s) (can't remember who) who said that sack was on Goff because he should have moved up in the pocket.

 

[tomas]

 

[Soul Surfer]

You gotta take their rankings with a grain of salt. The graders were probably persuaded by the announcer(s) (can't remember who) who said that sack was on Goff because he should have moved up in the pocket.

Which IS a legit point.

 

[Prime Time]

https://www.profootballfocus.com/ne...line-rankings-all-32-teams-units-after-week-9

2018 NFL Offensive Line Rankings: All 32 teams' units after Week 9
BY MICHAEL RENNER

1.

The Steelers have one of the best track records for offensive line development of any team in the NFL, so maybe we shouldn’t be surprised that former undrafted free agent Matt Feiler has stepped in at right tackle for Marcus Gilbert and graded competently. Feiler was a practice squad player for the Texans as a UDFA in 2014 before being released in training camp the next year.

He was picked up off waivers by the Steelers and has been back and forth on the practice squad ever since. When Gilbert went down with injury, though, it was Feiler getting the call and not 2018 third-round pick Chukwuma Okorafor. In three games, Feiler has allowed only five pressures and no sacks.

2.

Right guard Austin Blythe isn’t only the biggest surprise performer on the Rams; he’s the biggest surprise performer in the NFL. The former seventh-round pick had played all of 285 snaps in his career across two different franchises before this season. In those, he allowed more pressures (13) than he has in 607 snaps so far this season (12). His 80.2 overall grade is the second-best among guards in the NFL.

 

[Prime Time]

https://www.profootballfocus.com/ne...un-blocking-teams-getting-it-done-differently

Go heavy or spread them out? NFL’s two best run-blocking teams getting it done differently
BY BEN LINSEY

Running back talk is provocative nowadays. It gets the people going. Statements like, “Todd Gurley should win MVP” are sure to generate strong opinions on both sides. Our own Eric Eager recently did an excellent job of laying out why Gurley, nor any running back, is the most valuable player in the NFL.

Part of the reason why is that their success as a runner is tied very closely to the effectiveness of the men blocking for them. Gurley, or any other running back, can only do so much if they are constantly being met by defenders in the backfield, i.e. 2016 Gurley.

That being said, any team in the NFL that is looking to have success running the ball is best suited to acquire successful run blockers and build from there. Currently, the two best teams in terms of PFF team run-blocking grades are the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers with grades of 78.7 and 73.4, respectively. The interesting thing about those two teams residing on top is that they sit on the extremes as far as how often they run the ball out of personnel groups that contain three or four wide receivers.

Taking out plays such as end-arounds, reverses, quarterback sneaks, etc., the Rams have run the ball a league-high 211 times out of formations with three or more wide receivers. Gurley has run 100 percent of his attempts out of ‘11’ personnel with three wide receivers, one tight end and one running back (Gurley) on the field.

To put in perspective just how unique that is, Gurley has recorded all 181 of his rushing attempts, excluding his jet sweep, on plays with three or more wide receivers on the field. The running back closest to him through Week 9 in such attempts is James Conner with 82. Not only is he running more in three or four wide receiver looks, but he has nearly 100 more attempts than anyone else.

And if you think about it, the logic behind doing so makes sense – spread out the defense and manufacture less stacked boxes and more open space for your talented running back to operate. That appears to hold true in general. The league-average yards per carry jumps from 3.92 yards with two or fewer wide receivers on the field to 4.67 yards per carry with three or more wide receivers on the field.

Now obviously there are many more short-yardage situations that have fewer wide receivers on the field, but even taking out plays with two or fewer yards to go for a first down, the yards per carry average only rises up to 4.08 yards in those heavier looks.

Running the ball isn’t a big mover of the needle and is significantly less important than being able to effectively pass the football, but the Rams appear to have found an edge in running the ball. They are doing so efficiently this season behind the top run-blocking unit in the league.

The 49ers, on the other hand, have run just 37 times out of formations with three or more wide receivers on the field. That is the fewest in the NFL by over 20 plays. And yet, there they sit with the third-most team rushing yards per game and the second-best PFF team run-blocking grade in the NFL. Why do they run so few plays with two wide receivers on the field? Kyle Juszczyk.

The fullback is a dying breed in the NFL, but Juszczyk is one of the few exceptions who finds himself on the field often on offense. He has seen 364 offensive snaps for the 49ers this season; no other fullback has played over 200.

He’s shown himself to be an effective run-blocker with only Zach Line of the New Orleans Saints having a better run-blocking grade at the position this season. He joins the budding star George Kittle at tight end, who, along with his success as a receiver, has been a very good run-blocker. Kittle’s run-blocking grade of 72.7 ranks in the top-five of tight ends this season.

With those two lining up so often on runs, there is hardly ever room for three wide receivers on the field. It’s a different strategy than what the Rams have employed on rushing attempts, but it’s been working. Matt Breida is averaging 5.65 yards per carry on the second-most attempts with two or fewer wide receivers on the field, and Raheem Mostert is averaging 8.41 yards per carry on such runs, which is the most among any runner with at least 25 attempts.

Despite the spread looks generating more success league-wide overall, there are some other top running backs that have been more successful with an extra tight end or fullback on the field. One such running back is Ezekiel Elliott, who has averaged 3.9 yards per rush with three wide receivers on the field and 5.4 yards per attempt with two or fewer.

Another similar case among one of the league’s leading rushers is Melvin Gordon III. Gordon sits just below Mostert with 6.0 yards per carry in heavier looks compared to 4.6 yards per carry with three-plus wideouts.

The Rams are finding an edge by reducing stacked boxes and letting Gurley run into space behind one of the elite offensive lines in the league, but what the 49ers, Los Angeles Chargers and Dallas Cowboys have shown is that extra blockers are effective as well when used correctly.

The top-two teams in the league in terms of run-blocking grade do it out of different formations, but they do it well. Moving forward, it will be interesting to see if more teams follow the Rams’ lead and run the ball at a high rate out of ’11’ personnel.

 

[Prime Time]

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2018/11/15/nfl-rams-offensive-line-penalties-pff/

Austin Blythe, Rob Havenstein lead NFL with zero penalties in 672 snaps
By: Cameron DaSilva

The Los Angeles Rams haven’t missed a beat on offense this season after leading the league in points last year, and a big reason for that is the play of the offensive line. Andrew Whitworth has been a stud, Rodger Saffold is a road-grader at left guard and John Sullivan is instrumental in making calls at the line.

The right side of the line probably doesn’t get enough credit, though, with Austin Blythe and Rob Havenstein playing like Pro Bowlers. Blythe, in particular, gets somewhat overlooked at right guard after replacing former starter Jamon Brown during his suspension.

Both he and Havenstein have performed admirably this season and haven’t had as much as a false start all year. Nope, not a single penalty in 672 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. They lead the NFL in snaps played by a lineman without a penalty.

Least penalized offensive linemen

Austin Blythe and Rob Havenstein, Los Angeles Rams

Blythe and Havenstein share honors here, as the Rams’ offensive line has been dominant all season. Neither has been penalized across 672 total offensive snaps, most in the league without a penalty.

Holding penalties are crushing, especially when they come on a big play by the offense. The Rams haven’t had many of those this season, largely because of Havenstein and Blythe’s play. They deserve more credit for the Rams’ success.

 

[Prime Time]

View: https://twitter.com/RamsNFL/status/1063957236697915393