• Kansas City Chiefs jump into the top three: Joe Thuney returned this past week against Denver and didn’t allow a single pressure across 44 pass-blocking snaps.
• Green Bay Packers remain resilient: Green Bay’s offensive line has allowed the third-lowest pressure rate in the NFL despite frequent personnel changes over the season.
• Tennessee Titans struggling with discipline: Tennessee’s line is the third-most penalized group in the NFL — they have been flagged 36 times as a group.
Estimated Reading Time: 15 mins
Few things are more important to a team’s success than the quality of its offensive line. Disastrous lines, or even disastrous weak-link mismatches, can determine the outcome of games, while strong units provide an incredible advantage to an offense.
This season, we will be keeping track of PFF’s offensive line rankings as well as highlighting the biggest weak-link player and their upcoming opponent to identify any obvious matchup advantage one way or the other.
Key:
Red text = weakest link
1. Philadelphia Eagles (No Change from Week 14)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Jordan Mailata
LG Landon Dickerson
C Jason Kelce
RG Isaac Seumalo
RT Lane Johnson
- There are no weak links on this line. Against the Giants, Mailata had arguably his worst game as a pass-blocker all season and still didn't allow a sack.
- Johnson has not allowed a pressure in the last four games.
Upcoming Opponent: Chicago Bears
- Chicago has by far the least effective pass rush in the NFL, generating pressure on just 20.0% of snaps. They’re also allowing 4.7 yards per rush.
2. Green Bay Packers (Up 1)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Zach Tom
LG Elgton Jenkins
C Josh Myers
RG Jon Runyan
RT Yosh Nijman
- David Bakhtiari had an appendectomy and is likely still on the shelf. Rookie Zach Tom has allowed five total pressures on 168 pass-blocking snaps this season.
- Green Bay’s offensive line has allowed the third-lowest pressure rate in the NFL despite frequent personnel changes over the season.
Upcoming Opponent: Los Angeles Rams
- Counterintuitively, the Rams' pass rush has been better with Aaron Donald out of the lineup. Leonard Floyd has 16 pressures in the last three weeks and will primarily face Nijman at right tackle.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (Up 1)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Orlando Brown Jr.
LG Joe Thuney
C Creed Humphrey
RG Trey Smith
RT Andrew Wylie
- Thuney returned this past week against Denver and didn’t allow a single pressure across 44 pass-blocking snaps.
- The line was flagged for just one penalty.
Upcoming Opponent: Houston Texans
- Over the last few weeks, edge rusher Ogbonnia Okoronkwo has shown much-improved play. He has seven pressures in the last two games, notably earning the best PFF pass-rushing grade of his season last week. He will face both tackles at times in the game.
4. Baltimore Ravens (Down 2)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Ronnie Stanley
LG Ben Powers
C Tyler Linderbaum
RG Kevin Zeitler
RT Morgan Moses
- Back at left tackle, Stanley allowed four pressures against the Steelers in Week 14, more than his previous season total up to that point.
- The Ravens rank seventh in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency on the season. They have allowed 90 pressures from 440 pass-blocking snaps.
Upcoming Opponent: Cleveland Browns
- Myles Garrett is the primary threat, but Jadeveon Clowney just tallied six pressures against the Bengals, his best game since Week 2. Both tackles may be under siege in Week 15.
5. New England Patriots (Up 1)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Trent Brown
LG Cole Strange
C David Andrews
RG Michael Onwenu
RT Conor McDermott
- Strange didn’t allow any pressure on Monday night against the Cardinals, the fourth time all season he has kept a clean sheet in pass protection.
- Onwenu has one below-average pass-blocking grade all season and has surrendered eight pressures across almost 500 snaps of pass protection.
Upcoming Opponent: Las Vegas Raiders
- Maxx Crosby is backing up last season’s breakout year with another outstanding campaign. His 59 pressures rank third in the league, and he will severely test right tackle Conor McDermott.
6. Atlanta Falcons (Down 1)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Jake Matthews
LG Colby Gossett
C Drew Dalman
RG Chris Lindstrom
RT Kaleb McGary
- Atlanta’s line has allowed just 78 pressures all season, the second-best total in the league. However, they rank 10th in pressure rate.
- The Falcons are the most run-heavy team in football, calling run plays on 52.5% of their offensive snaps.
Upcoming Opponent: New Orleans Saints
- Marcus Davenport is the biggest threat on the Saints defensive line. He has 30 pressures on the season and primarily lines up opposite the left tackle.
7. Cleveland Browns (No Change)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Jedrick Wills Jr.
LG Joel Bitonio
C Hjalte Froholdt
RG Wyatt Teller
RT Jack Conklin
- Cleveland’s offensive line was responsible for six penalties last week against the Bengals, an absurd volume of negative plays.
- The Browns offensive line has now dropped to sixth in PFF run-blocking grade after being destroyed by Cincinnati’s defensive front.
Upcoming Opponent: Baltimore Ravens
- The Ravens are allowing 3.8 yards per carry this season, the third-best mark in the NFL.
8. San Francisco 49ers (Up 1)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Trent Williams
LG Aaron Banks
C Jake Brendel
RG Daniel Brunskill
RT Mike McGlinchey
- The offensive line allowed just four total pressures against Tampa Bay this past week.
- San Francisco is one of only seven teams whose line has surrendered fewer than 100 pressures on the season (95).
Upcoming Opponent: Seattle Seahawks
- Seattle’s run defense has collapsed in recent weeks, and they are now allowing 4.9 yards per carry on the season.
9. Detroit Lions (Down 1)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Taylor Decker
LG Jonah Jackson
C Frank Ragnow
RG Logan Stenberg
RT Penei Sewell
- Detroit's interior linemen allowed eight pressures against Minnesota, but the tackle tandem combined for just one.
- The Lions rank seventh in yards before contact per carry (1.7) this season.
Upcoming Opponent: New York Jets
- The Jets rank top-five in pressure rate (37.9%) despite blitzing at the second-lowest rate (16.2%). Quinnen Williams will be a serious problem for Detroit’s interior.
10. Chicago Bears (Up 2)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Braxton Jones
LG Cody Whitehair
C Sam Mustipher
RG Teven Jenkins
RT Riley Reiff
- Chicago’s offensive line ranked 31st in the NFL to start the season and has just climbed into the top 10 — one of the biggest transformations in the NFL.
- Chicago’s line ranks seventh in PFF run-blocking grade on the season.
Upcoming Opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
- Five different Eagles defensive linemen have at least 28 pressures on the season. They can generate pressure all across the defensive front.
11. Carolina Panthers (Up 3)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Ikem Ekwonu
LG Brady Christensen
C Bradley Bozeman
RG Austin Corbett
RT Taylor Moton
- No line has allowed fewer total pressures than the 71 the Panthers have given up over the season.
- No starter on the line has a PFF pass-blocking grade below 67.2 for the year.
Upcoming Opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
- Edge rusher T.J. Watt will test Moton at right tackle, but Watt has just one high-quality PFF game grade since his return from injury.
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Up 1)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Donovan Smith
LG Nick Leverett
C Robert Hainsey
RG Shaq Mason
RT Josh Wells
- Smith allowed four pressures and was flagged twice, one of which negated a deep touchdown.
- The Bucs line ranks second in PFF pass-blocking efficiency and fifth in PFF pass-blocking grade, both aided by Tom Brady’s 2.33-second average time to throw, the league's quickest mark.
Upcoming Opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
- When he has been 100% healthy, D.J. Reader has arguably been the NFL's best defensive tackle this season. He will cause major problems inside, and Trey Hendrickson is a problem Donovan Smith will struggle to solve when he is in this kind of form.
13. Minnesota Vikings (Down 3)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Christian Darrisaw
LG Ezra Cleveland
C Garrett Bradbury
RG Ed Ingram
RT Brian O’Neill
- Blake Brandel allowed 13 pressures at left tackle with Darrisaw out with a concussion, but seven of those were sacks.
- The Vikings' offensive line ranks second in the NFL in PFF run-blocking grade.
Upcoming Opponent: Indianapolis Colts
- DeForest Buckner isn’t having his best season, but he is still a massive mismatch as a pass-rusher for a player like Ed Ingram. Buckner has 33 pressures this season.
14. Seattle Seahawks (Up 3)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Charles Cross
LG Damien Lewis
C Austin Blythe
RG Gabe Jackson
RT Abraham Lucas
- Seattle abandoned the run against Carolina, and the line still surrendered only six pressures across 43 pass-blocking snaps.
- This line began the preseason ranked 32nd in the NFL before steadily climbing into the top half, thanks to unexpectedly solid play from both rookie tackles.
Upcoming Opponent: San Francisco 49ers
- San Francisco’s defense is allowing just 3.4 yards per carry against the run this season, by far the best mark in the league.
15. Dallas Cowboys (Down 4)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Tyler Smith
LG Connor McGovern
C Tyler Biadasz
RG Zack Martin
RT Josh Ball
- The Cowboys lost Terence Steele to a season-ending injury this past week. Steele was having a career year and has the best overall PFF grade of any Dallas lineman this season.
- Ball earned a pass-blocking grade of 24.5 across 26 snaps after coming in for Steele. He may be replaced by veteran Jason Peters at some stage.
Upcoming Opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
- No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker had a breakout game this past week, notching a sack and three pressures against the Titans. He primarily works against the left tackle.
16. Las Vegas Raiders (No Change)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Kolton Miller
RG Dylan Parham
C Andre James
RG Alex Bars
RT Jermaine Eluemunor
- Rookie Dylan Parham surrendered four pressures against the Rams and finished with a PFF pass-blocking grade of 12.5 on Thursday night.
- The Raiders line ranks ninth in PFF pass-blocking grade but 24th in pressures surrendered.
Upcoming Opponent: New England Patriots
- The Patriots rank third in pressure rate as a defense (38.7%). Matthew Judon (58), Deatrich Wise Jr. (45) and Josh Uche (34) each have at least 30 pressures coming off the edge.
17. Denver Broncos (Up 1)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Calvin Anderson
LG Luke Wattenberg
C Graham Glasgow
RG Quinn Meinerz
RT Cameron Fleming
- Wattenberg surrendered three pressures on just 20 pass-blocking snaps after he came in to play left guard against the Chiefs.
- Denver’s line ranks 13th in PFF pass-blocking grade and is one of the more balanced units in the league.
Upcoming Opponent: Arizona Cardinals
- Nobody on Arizona’s defense notched more than two pressures against the Patriots on Monday night. They rank 23rd in pass-rushing grade and 28th in run-defense grade as a team.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers (Up 5)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Dan Moore Jr.
LG Kevin Dotson
C Mason Cole
RG James Daniels
RT Chukwuma Okorafor
- Every member of the line allowed at least one pressure against Baltimore this past week, with Okorafor leading the team with three pressures surrendered.
- Pittsburgh’s line is significantly better as a pass-protecting unit than it is run-blocking. They rank eighth in pass-blocking efficiency.
Upcoming Opponent: Carolina Panthers
- Brian Burns leads the Panthers with 59 pressures, working primarily against the left tackle, but he has fewer decisive wins than in previous years.
19. Cincinnati Bengals (Down 4)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Jonah Williams
LG Cordell Volson
C Ted Karras
RG Alex Cappa
RT La’el Collins
- Four of the five starters on this line allowed multiple pressures against the Browns, with Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney ending the game with six pressures each.
- Cincinnati’s line now ranks 28th in PFF pass-blocking grade and tends to be exposed whenever it faces an elite pass-rusher.
Upcoming Opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Tampa Bay has lost all of its significant pass-rushers to injury this season, with off-the-ball linebacker Devin White arguably their best remaining rush threat.
20. Miami Dolphins (Down 1)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Terron Armstead
LG Robert Jones
C Connor Williams
RG Robert Hunt
RT Brandon Shell
- Miami’s line surrendered just six pressures against the Chargers this past week. It is not the reason the offense is suddenly misfiring.
- Miami’s line ranks eighth in PFF run-blocking grade as a unit, giving them an obvious direction to pivot as an offense going forward.
Upcoming Opponent: Buffalo Bills
- Gregory Rousseau has four pressures in each of his last two games and is the biggest threat now that Von Miller is out. Rousseau will run up against Brandon Shell most often.
21. Washington Commanders (Down 1)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Charles Leno Jr.
LG Andrew Norwell
C Nick Martin
RG Samuel Cosmi
RT Cornelius Lucas
- Washington’s line ranks 30th in PFF pass-blocking efficiency, surrendering 159 pressures on 502 pass-blocking snaps, but they rank 22nd in pass-block grade.
- This group has ranked as high as seventh this season and as low as 29th.
Upcoming Opponent: New York Giants
- Dexter Lawrence is a force on the interior this season. He has a PFF pass-rush grade of 91.5 and 48 pressures to his name.
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (Up 2)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Cam Robinson
LG Tyler Shatley
C Luke Fortner
RG Brandon Scherff
RT Jawaan Taylor
- Jacksonville’s line ranks last in PFF run-blocking grade and is the only unit in the league below 50.0.
- They also rank fourth in PFF pass-blocking efficiency and are one of only seven teams to surrender fewer than 100 pressures on the season. They are the most one-dimensional line in football.
Upcoming Opponent: Dallas Cowboys
- Dallas has the best pass rush in the league. Micah Parsons is a true Defensive Player of the Year front-runner who will test both tackles, Cam Robinson in particular.
23. New York Jets (Up 3)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Duane Brown
LG Laken Tomlinson
C Connor McGovern
RG Nate Herbig
RT George Fant
- Musical chairs on the offensive line continues with the Jets. George Fant is the latest starter at right tackle.
- New York’s line has improved its position in the rankings for four straight weeks.
Upcoming Opponent: Detroit Lions
- Rookie Aidan Hutchinson enjoyed a breakout game last week against the Vikings with his best performance as a pro. He has 39 pressures on the season and will work both sides of the line.
24. Indianapolis Colts (Down 2)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Bernhard Raimann
LG Quenton Nelson
C Ryan Kelly
RG Will Fries
RT Dennis Kelly
- Nelson hasn’t earned a PFF game grade above 90.0 all season and is on pace for the worst season grade (68.6) of his NFL career.
- Only the Bucs' line has committed fewer penalties than Indianapolis' (20).
Upcoming Opponent: Minnesota Vikings
- Za’Darius Smith still leads the league in pressures (70), with half of them coming inside against interior linemen.
25. Los Angeles Chargers (Down 4)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Jamaree Salyer
LG Matt Feiler
C Corey Linsley
RG Zion Johnson
RT Trey Pipkins
- Foster Sarell allowed 18 pressures across 175 pass-blocking snaps. Trey Pipkins has allowed 25 in 434 and should significantly upgrade the right tackle spot when he returns.
- The Chargers are averaging just 0.9 yards before contact per carry this season, the third-worst mark in the league. They are one of only three teams under a yard.
Upcoming Opponent: Tennessee Titans
- Tennessee’s defense allows just 3.6 yards per carry, the second-best mark in the league against the run. Jeffery Simmons has the potential to ruin the day of both Chargers guards from his defensive tackle spot.
26. Buffalo Bills (Down 1)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Dion Dawkins
LG Rodger Saffold
C Mitch Morse
RG Ryan Bates
RT Spencer Brown
- Buffalo’s line is sliding ever more toward problematic. This is their lowest ranking of the season.
- The Bills rank tied for the league lead in yards before contact on average (2.0) but are 27th in run rate as an offense.
Upcoming Opponent: Miami Dolphins
- Miami’s defensive front has depth, and the team blitzes at the fourth-highest rate in the NFL. They will cause problems for Buffalo’s pass protection across the board.
27. Arizona Cardinals (No Change)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Josh Jones
LG Cody Ford
C Billy Price
RG Max Garcia
RT Kelvin Beachum
- Jones had the best PFF game grade of any Cardinals lineman against New England on Monday night. He has a chance to earn himself consideration as the team’s long-term left tackle.
- The Cardinals line ranks 30th in PFF run-blocking grade on the season.
Upcoming Opponent: Denver Broncos
- Denver’s line still ranks sixth in pressure rate this season, but they are average in the run game. Baron Browning hasn’t earned an above-average PFF pass-rushing game grade since Week 6.
28. New Orleans Saints (No Change)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT James Hurst
LG Andrus Peat
C Cesar Ruiz
RG Calvin Throckmorton
RT Ryan Ramczyk
- Hurst and Ramczyk have PFF pass-blocking grades of 74.9 or better on the season. Nobody else is above 62.9.
- First-round rookie Trevor Penning has started to get game time as an extra lineman after his injury but seems some way from displacing Hurst as a starter.
Upcoming Opponent: Atlanta Falcons
- Only Chicago has a worse pressure rate than Atlanta. They are significantly better against the run but struggle to apply pressure.
29. Houston Texans (Up 1)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Laremy Tunsil
LG Kenyon Green
C Scott Quessenberry
RG A.J. Cann
RT Tytus Howard
- Tunsil allowed just one pressure against Dallas and Micah Parsons but was spooked into false starting on back-to-back plays late in the game in obvious passing situations.
- Houston is tied for the worst average yards before contact per rush figure in football at 0.8 yards.
Upcoming Opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
- Chris Jones is the biggest problem on the Kansas City defense. He will destroy rookie Kenyon Green first and foremost but can line up over the defensive front.
30. Los Angeles Rams (Up 1)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Ty Nsekhe
LG Matt Skura
C Brian Allen
RG Coleman Shelton
RT Rob Havenstein
- Havenstein allowed five pressures and had three penalties against the Raiders and Maxx Crosby on Thursday night.
- The Rams line has allowed 158 total pressures on the season, the fifth-most in the league. They rank dead last in pass-blocking efficient on the season.
Upcoming Opponent: Green Bay Packers
- Rashan Gary still leads the Packers in pressures despite not playing since Week 9. Kenny Clark is now the biggest threat, aligning on the interior where he will test the Rams' guards.
31. New York Giants (Down 2)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Andrew Thomas
LG Nick Gates
C Jon Feliciano
RG Mark Glowinski
RT Evan Neal
- Neal coughed up eight total pressures against the Eagles for a PFF pass-blocking grade of 20.2 despite playing 52 of the 64 possible snaps.
- Andrew Thomas has allowed three sacks this season, and they have all come in the last three weeks.
Upcoming Opponent: Washington Commanders
- Washington’s defense blitzes at the fifth-highest rate in the NFL. Montez Sweat and Jonathan Allen each have over 45 pressures this season and can threaten the edge and interior of the line.
32. Tennessee Titans (No Change)
Projected Week 15 Starters:
LT Dennis Daley
LG Aaron Brewer
C Ben Jones
RG Nate Davis
RT Nicholas Petit-Frere
- Tennessee’s line is the third-most penalized group in the NFL — they have been flagged 36 times as a group.
- The Titans are tied for the lowest average yards before contact figure in the NFL (0.8 yards). Any rushing success they have had this season has been Derrick Henry-driven.
Upcoming Opponent: Los Angeles Chargers
- The Chargers are allowing 5.4 yards per carry in the run game. This is a meeting of weakness on weakness when it comes to the run game.
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