Top Offensive Line in the League Resides in Buffalo?

[BillsWin]

I'm not the kind of guy to get too high or two low this early in the season. I didn't jump ship after that week one debacle and I'm not shouting, 'Super Bowl!' to my neighbors while runnin around the yard wearing only my Bills' zubaz pants.

But, when I look at our offensive line two games into this season, and combine that with all of last season I like what I see.

For years we had to put up with some of the worst offensive lines I've ever seen and even when we finally brought in some talent, it flopped.

When I look at our line now I start right in the middle.

Wood is one of the best centers in the league when healthy. He is gritty, nasty and mean but more inportantly, he's a charismatic leader and has the intelligence to back it up. He's the leader of this line and you can tell the unit responds to him.

I don't think there is a more well-rounded, versitile guard in the league than Andy Levitre. I can't say enough about this kid, he's a downhill blocker with an amazing ability to play just about anywhere on the line. But he's at his best at left guard and I'd almost say he's dominant at times.

I loved Urbik coming out of college and think the Bills staged a coup by getting him the way they did.

He's not our best lineman but he's a big body who I think has gotten better and better the more he's played.

Pears is an old school road grader. He's mean too. I like mean. He's probably the least talked about lineman on the roster but I tell you what, that may be a good thing. Because he's silently one of the more consistent right tackles we've had in a long time.

Who've brings us to Glenn, who I was extremely surprised to see drop out of the first round. In fact, I remember considering him at 10!

He's a talented young player with a chip on his shoulder, he's progressing faster than I could have imagined or hoped for and Buddy is drooling over him.

Practically said he spanks it to game film of this kid.

He's a pro bowl athlete learning arguably the most important position in football aside from QB.

The jury is out but I'd say he has a bright future.

I don't know if we have the best offensive line in the league but I'd rate it top five.

At the moment, I'd say statistically they're number one and have potential to be great for a few years which is very pleasing.

[Mahdi]

This unit can be the best in the league by mid-season and if the Bills are doing well, they might even be recognized as such outside of Buffalo.

Please sign Andy Levitre now!

[DraftBoy]

Our OL has played very well very early and that's a credit both to their own ability in run blocking and our scheme in pass blocking.

[Stewie]

Credit also to Ryan and CJ. They're both making the OL's job easier.

For all his faults, Fitz is doing a great job of getting rid of the ball. And CJ is being CJ.

[jdaltroy5]

At this point in the season, we DO have the best OL in the league. Leading the league in rushing and sacks allowed. Hard to argue with that.

Not only that, but the average age is 26. This OL could potentially be together for another 4 or 5 years with only having to replace Pears with Hairston on the outside.

I think Glenn is going to be special. The guy is an absolute monster with quick feet. He was my favourite pick in the entire draft and I couldn't believe he fell to us.

[mysticsoto]

Credit also to Ryan and CJ. They're both making the OL's job easier.

For all his faults, Fitz is doing a great job of getting rid of the ball. And CJ is being CJ.

I'd say the opposite. The OL is making Ryan and CJ's job easier - not the other way around. Everybody is gushing over CJ and he is doing well (though occasionally makes a wrong choice in direction to go to) - but clearly has much better vision now. But I absolutely feel the majority of kudos should be going to the OL so far. They are looking fantastic! Maybe one of the best Olines the Bills have ever had! Still early in the year, and injuries could cripple us, but I look forward to seeing how they fare against a top D like the 49ers. That game should tell us alot about where our Oline truly stands.

[BertSquirtgum]

Now only if the Bills had a quarterback who could throw an accurate pass 20 yards down the field....

[Generalissimus Gibby]

I could be wrong, but has Fitz even been sacked this year?

[jdaltroy5]

I could be wrong, but has Fitz even been sacked this year?
Nope. Nothing even close from what I remember.

[Skooby]

That's the scary part here because even on the rollouts, Fitz has been pretty much all alone throwing the ball (sometimes to the ground).

[mysticsoto]

Interesting...this site has the 2011 Bills Oline ranked at #4. Would love to become #1 this year!!!


4. Buffalo Bills (24th)

Run Rank 12th, Pass Rank 2nd, Penalties Rank 6th
Quite the turnaround for a Bills line that did a great job giving it’s quarterback sufficient time, and making life easy for their running backs. The impressive thing is how well the Bills did despite suffering a number of injuries, cutting short the breakout year of Demetrius Bell (+6.8) and forcing a number of positional shifts.
Best Player: It’s a testament to Andy Levitre (+13.3) that despite having to play center and left tackle at various points of the year that he still put forth such a strong season. One of the better left guards on the year, how good could he be if he was allowed to flourish in one spot?
Worst Player: It’s always tough to pick on a rookie, but Chris Hairston (-8.0) was the weakest of links in his 475 snaps. He didn’t embarrass himself, but such was the quality of the line that he was the only candidate for this category.

http://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2012/02/23/ranking-the-2011-offensive-lines-part-2/

[mysticsoto]

Another article praising the Bills Oline:


Buffalo Bills' Offensive Line Off To A Hot Start
The Buffalo Bills (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/buffalo-bills) have a rookie left tackle and are rotating two players at right tackle. The unit is hardly star-studded, yet through two games in the 2012 season, Buffalo's offensive line has been lights out.
Buffalo currently leads the NFL in rushing offense, averaging 198 yards per game - blowing the No. 2 Miami Dolphins (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/miami-dolphins) out by an average of 27 yards per contest. C.J. Spiller (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/108613/c-j-spiller), who has 292 rushing yards at over 10 yards per carry, is the NFL's leading individual rusher.
Ryan Fitzpatrick (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/3219/ryan-fitzpatrick), meanwhile, has yet to be sacked in 51 passing attempts (all the while contributing 42 rushing yards on his own, by the way). Buffalo's offense has produced 56 points in two games; add in special teams contributions, and the Bills are currently the NFL's fourth-highest scoring team.


http://www.buffalorumblings.com/2012/9/18/3351450/buffalo-bills-offensive-line-cordy-glenn-andy-levitre

[DMBcrew36]

Can they stay healthy?

[Ed]

I really like our depth too with Hairston and Rinehart. I think Rinehart will get a chance to start somewhere next year. I don't know who our OL coach is, but they deserve a lot of praise too.

Drafting Wood and Levitre were probably a couple of the best decisions of the Jauron era.

[EDS]

Offensive line has played great so far this season, no question about it. While it is still early, they have definitely exceeded my expectations to date.

[mysticsoto]

Nice to see Sullivan positive on something of the Bills. Usually he's the negative one:


Sullivan: Bills' O-line isn't gettting enough respect
All right, class. Time for your weekly football quiz. What's the second-biggest cliche among offensive linemen - besides, of course, that they prefer run blocking to pass protection? You, the big curly-haired guy with his hand up in the back of the room. Mr. Wood, can you enlighten us?
"The least amount that people are talking about us, the better," said Bills center Eric Wood. "When you're talking a lot about an offensive line, it's generally negative."
Offensive linemen are actually a pretty diverse lot. Some prefer to operate in silence.
I spent 15 futile minutes trying to get an actual opinion out of Erik Pears last year. John Fina treated reporters like vermin scattering through the locker room. Joe Devlin wanted to kill me once.
But other O-linemen have been among the most quotable Bills. Kent Hull, bless his Mississippi soul, was the best of them all. Ruben Brown never met a notepad or microphone he didn't like. I swear he made some of those Pro Bowls because other players loved hearing him talk. Wood is among the most insightful men on the current team.
Whether they talk or not, offensive linemen are usually smart. They have opinions, even if they choose to keep them to themselves. And yes, when no one is talking about them, it usually means they're doing a good job. But you can't tell me the Bills' linemen don't wish they could get more respect around the NFL.
Last year, the Bills allowed the fewest sacks in the league (23). They plowed the way for a running attack that led the AFC in yards per carry at 4.9. But did you hear anyone in football calling them one of the best units in the game?

http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120917/SPORTS/120919100/two-bills-drive

[kishoph]

I was just watching some of the game again and the O-line was not just good, they were dominant, Levitre and Glenn have stood out, but the whole line has played equally good, I don't see a weak spot on the line right now. If there is one, it maybe the health of Pears, but with Hairston's play while rotating with Pears, there's been no drop off (I think Hairston may eventually start). The line is also young, Pears being the oldest at 30, so they have a lot of years to really become a great unit. As far as stats go, aside from leading the league in rushing yards and average yds. per rush, they have not given up a sack (only team to do so) and have allowed only 6 QB hits (2nd fewest in the league). They've been penalized 4 times, 1 holding each for Levitre and Glen and a false start each by Glenn and Hairston. Added to the lines success so far this season has been the play of the TE's, Lee Smith is a monster, who's been eating up LB's and DB's and Scott Chandler's blocking has really improved. I always believed that a big part of winning is played in the "trenches" and right now the Bills look good on both sides of the ball down there.