It’s not sexy, but the offensive line is a massive aspect of the NFL and lately, the Denver Broncos line is gelling at the perfect time.
Much publicity will go to the play of Case Keenum, Phillip Lindsay and many others, but sometimes overlooked is the performance by the offensive line. Throughout the season, the Denver Broncos have rotated more offensive linemen than a game of musical chairs. Lately, Garett Bolles and company are playing its best football to date.
The Broncos lost three of their five starters on the offensive line. THREE! That’s a shocking number. Yet, the Broncos are fighting their own storm with the play of Connor McGovern, Bolles, Jared Veldheer, Elijah Wilkinson and Cyrus Kouandijo. No player has been criticized more than Bolles in the last three seasons. Bolles is proving to be a very solid run blocker. At times, his technique is vanished protecting the quarterback. However, the latter happened a few weeks ago.
As an entire unit, the offensive line is averaging a sack and a half given up last three games. Let that sink in for a moment. That’s an incredible number. We mentioned on Predominantly Orange before the season about the offensive line’s continuity. It’s also up to next man up mentality to ensure better play occurs. Despite all the massive changes, the Broncos are playing very well.
For example, Connor McGovern’s move to center was criticized by some due to his recent play at guard and since the team lost Matt Paradis. McGovern’s stepped up in the role and provided balance, stability and same strength we seen at guard.
This is a huge testament to successful versatility. In the past, John Elway has shown strong interest in swing tackles or offensive line in general. Obviously, recent past signings never materialized, but this is something Elway envisioned when Menelik Watson and Donald Stephenson were brought in.
Right now, the depth on the offensive line is proving to be much stronger than we all thought. It is a large reason to why the Denver Broncos beat the Los Angeles Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers. They even were a field goal away to win against Houston.
Broncos Country should be pleased with the play of Case Keenum, Phillip Lindsay and others. But, the offensive linemen deserve strong praise for the play of late.