The Buffalo Bills offensive line has eliminated all initial doubt this season. After parting ways with Mitch Morse, there was serious concern that Connor McGovern could successfully transition to center in the NFL and if David Edwards was a starting-caliber guard. Since week one the group has been one of the NFL’s best units.
Being an offensive lineman is often considered one of the “most thankless” positions in sports. All the hard work is done in the trenches while all the skilled players get the news headlines. The line has paved the way for the second-best scoring offense, an MVP-caliber season from their quarterback, and the league’s 11th-best rushing attack.
– Dion Dawkins locking down Jared Verse. Dawkins has been using a powerful “snatch-trap” technique (0:06)
The Bills’ offensive line has been phenomenal in pass protection. Line coach Aaron Kromer’s group has not allowed a single sack in the last four games and has not allowed a sack in six of the 14 games played. The unit has allowed .93 sacks per game which is the lowest of Josh Allen’s career by almost half a sack a game. This season, Allen’s elusiveness and the line’s ability to protect have been the perfect symbiotic relationship.
-Ryan Van Demark shows off athleticism blocking 25+ yards on a jailbreak screen.
The run game has also been led by the big boys up front. Buffalo’s 125.7 rushing yards per contest ranks in the league’s upper half while the Bills are second in rushing touchdowns. Not only can the line protect, but they have been creating holes and getting strong pushes up front year-round.
– Bills love “tackle trap” with their athletic tackles in the run game. The opposite-side tackle will pull to kick out the unblocked defensive end while the rest of the offensive line down-blocks.
If and when Josh Allen wins his first MVP, major credit must be given to the offensive line. Aaron Kromer and his elite offensive line are the unsung heroes of the Bills season thus far.