Tag: NFL offensive line rankings

The Lions lines did not fare well vs. Eagles in Week 1

Detroit’s offensive and defensive lines didn’t have enough success in the Lions Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles

Heading into the 2022 season, the Detroit Lions emphasized winning at the line of scrimmage on both offense and defense. In the Week 1 shootout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the lines did not fare too well overall.

ESPN’s Seth Walder calculates the win rate percentages for each lineman on both sides of the ball and the overall lines in each game. It’s a pretty good metric for seeing who played well and who struggled.

Sure, some Lions had very nice individual performances in specific metrics. Right tackle Penei Sewell finished second in run block win rate for all offensive tackles, and center Frank Ragnow tied with several others at his position with a perfect win rate in pass blocking. Ragnow’s win rate here starkly contrasts with his Pro Football Focus grading for the game, incidentally.

The team success rates, however…

Detroit’s defense ranked 24th in pass rush win rate at 35 percent, and a dismal 29th in run stopping at 25 percent. On offense, OL coach Hank Fraley’s group was 22nd in pass block win rate at 58% and 23rd in run blocking with a 69 percent win rate. The Eagles line had the highest pass rush win rate of any team in the league in Week 1.

Note that linemen don’t always square off directly against other linemen, which makes the percentages look funky.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbx8sj47vkwrznr player_id=none image=https://lionswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=80750]

PFF grades the Lions with the best run blocking through Week 6

Taylor Decker and the Lions run blocking has been better than the RBs they’re blocking for

Through the first six weeks of the 2020 NFL season, no offensive line has done a better job of run blocking than the Detroit Lions. They’re simply the best, better than all the rest, as Tina Turner would warble.

The Lions do indeed have the top run blocking grade from Pro Football Focus through the Week 6 games. Detroit’s line has earned a run block grade of 80.3 from PFF. That edges out Cleveland and Green Bay for the top honor.

New offensive line coach Hank Fraley has molded a powerful, assertive unit that is doing a great job at creating run creases and sustaining blocks without getting called for holding. Center Frank Ragnow and left tackle Taylor Decker both grade out as elite in run blocking at their positions, as does WR Danny Amendola.

The analysts at Pro Football Focus see the blame for the oft-sputtering Lions ground game not on the line but rather the running backs themselves. Detroit’s runners are ranked 31st with a lowly 62.3 grade.

The pass protection has also been solid. Detroit has earned a grade of 73.5, which ranks 12th.

[lawrence-related id=52284]