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There were some fairly significant offensive line injuries in Week 15. Buffalo’s starting center (Mitch Morse) suffered a concussion that could keep him out of Week 16. Denver lost right guard Quinn Meinerz, Chicago had Teven Jenkins suffer a neck injury, and the Titans gave Dillon Radunz a shot at left tackle only to have him suffer a knee injury.
Which offensive line matchups are the best in Week 16? Which ones should be avoided? Read below to find out.
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Champ of the Week
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens struggled to move the ball in their Week 15 loss to the Cleveland Browns, but their offensive line played a stellar game. Baltimore finished the game with 198 rushing yards and 7.1 yards per carry but was unable to punch it into the end zone.
In total, the Ravens' offensive line allowed just six pressures. All five offensive linemen had a PFF grade above 68.0 and just one offensive lineman (right tackle Morgan Moses) had a pass-blocking grade under 76.1. While it didn’t result in a victory, it was another dominating effort up front for Baltimore’s offensive line.
Chump of the Week
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina offensive line was overwhelmed by the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15. Carolina allowed three sacks and 10 pressures against the Steelers and especially struggled on the interior.
The combination of Brady Christensen, Bradley Bozeman, and Austin Corbett finished with a PFF grade under 51.0 and gave up six of the team’s 10 pressures and one sack. However, their run game was stifled. The Panthers finished the game with just 16 carries for 21 yards (1.3 yards per carry).
The Panthers offensive line had played well throughout the season, but Week 15 was not a shining example of strong play.
Week 16 Matchups to Target
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Seattle Seahawks
Kansas City’s offensive line has been clicking in recent weeks and is asserting itself up front. Despite needing overtime to beat the one-win Texans in Week 15, Kansas City racked up 313 passing yards and 189 rushing yards on offense.
Looking ahead to Week 16, the Chiefs will have a great matchup against the Seattle defense in the trenches. Seattle is PFF’s 28th-ranked pass rush and 18th-ranked run defense so far this season. Outside of Uchenna Nwosu (48 pressures, nine sacks), few players have gotten to the quarterback.
The Seahawks have a strong secondary, but Mahomes should have plenty of time to find his weapons downfield in this game.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Atlanta Falcons
As mentioned earlier, the Ravens' offensive line has been dominating this season, which is bad news for the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons are PFF’s 31st-ranked pass rush and 13th-ranked run defense this season. Conversely, Baltimore is currently the top pass-blocking offensive line in the NFL. They are currently PFF’s fifth-ranked offensive line.
The Ravens could be getting Lamar Jackson back this week, which will add more consistency to the team’s passing attack. Baltimore’s offensive line matches up well with Atlanta’s weaknesses, which should mean another big day for J.K. Dobbins as a rusher. Expect Baltimore to roll up front this week.
Cleveland Browns at New Orleans Saints
The Browns' offense is starting to find its footing with Deshaun Watson at the helm. Cleveland had just 140 passing yards and a touchdown but averaged 4.3 yards per carry against a strong Baltimore defense in Week 15’s victory.
Now, Cleveland will get to face a Saints defense that is bottom-12 in PFF’s run defense and pass rush categories. Only one player in New Orleans has over 30 pressures this season (Marcus Davenport) and he has only played in 12 games this season. Two of their top three sack leaders are off-ball linebackers.
Deshaun Watson should have ample amounts of time to throw this week and the Browns’ run game continues to roll.
Week 16 Matchups to Avoid
Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans
Houston’s offensive line has fallen off after a strong start to the season. As a unit, Houston’s five offensive linemen are averaging the 30th-ranked pass-blocking offensive line (59.18 PFF grade), 26th-ranked run-blocking line (58.3), and 32nd overall PFF grade (58.3).
That’s not great news with one of the best defensive lines coming into town. Jeffery Simmons continues to generate consistent pressure (four pressures and one sack in Week 15) and DeMarcus Walker, Rashad Weaver, and Bud Dupree have done their best to offset the loss of Denico Autry.
It’s going to be difficult to trust any Houston offensive players against one of the best defenses at bringing pressures in the NFL this season. Fade the Texans (if you weren’t already) in Week 16.
Cincinnati Bengals at New England Patriots
The Bengals are on fire, winning their last six games to give them a shot at the top overall seed in the AFC. Despite all the positives on offense, the Bengals' offensive line has struggled throughout the six-game winning streak, specifically right tackle La’el Collins.
The Bengals secured a win against the Buccaneers in Week 15, but gave up seven pressures and produced a collective PFF grade of 56.5. Just one lineman (right guard Alex Cappa) had a PFF grade above 63.1.
Their Week 16 opponent, the New England Patriots, have an array of pass rushers to attack Cincinnati’s recent struggles. Three different players (Matthew Judon, Deatrich Wise Jr., and Josh Uche) have at least 39 pressures. Both Judon (16) and Uche (11) have double-digit sacks.
The Bengals have the personnel on offense to overcome inconsistent offensive line play (see the entire 2021 season), but New England can still cause problems for Burrow in the backfield.
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