It All Comes Down To The Offensive Line
by: Bob Wischusen
Oftentimes it's only the left tackle that makes big money. Fans rarely ask for their autographs, especially when the skill position guys are around. The only time their number is announced is when they commit a penalty, and like the officials, oftentimes when they're doing their best work, it goes completely unnoticed.
But ask any football coach where it all starts and ends offensively, even for the most high powered attacks, and it's always the offensive line.
Through the first three weeks of the season, the Jets are a great example of exactly that.
Think about when things started to turn around for the Jets - in the fourth quarter against Baltimore two Sundays ago. What was the biggest change offensively at that point? The play of the Jets' O-Line.
They couldn't protect Chad Pennington in Week 1 and were dominated by the Pats. They couldn't protect Kellen Clemens for the first three quarters against Baltimore and were behind by two scores. But in the fourth quarter of that game, it all changed. They protected Clemens and he threw for 176 yards and a TD in the fourth quarter, and they almost tied the game.
Sunday they did a solid, if not spectacular, job of protecting Pennington and opening holes for Thomas Jones. It wasn't their best effort, and I think the Jets will continue to expect even more of this group as the season goes on, but they gave you a reason to hope for plenty. Because on a day when the offensive line was effective, the Jets put 31 points on the board.
All anyone wanted to talk about after the first two games was the QB spot - but if you really look at the two losses, the QB play had nothing to do with the problems the Jets were having.
You think the Patriots are 3-0 because Tom Brady is the best? That certainly has something to do with it. But do you think Tom Brady might be the best, at least in part, because no one ever lays a glove on him?
No offensive line has played better that the Pats through the first three weeks.
If the Jets group can play on that level, they'll be in the hunt again in December.
