Here we are, fellow offensive line junkies, after 16 weeks of the regular season. Thanks for all those who have read these reports. The final offensive line notes are here:
DET – C Dominic Raiola suspended after infamous stomping incident against Chicago.
For those who haven’t seen it, here is Raiola’s crime. Because of this, the league has suspended Raiola for one regular season game. Raiola had a prior incident this season, against New England, and has been on the radar of the league’s disciplinarians. One game seems like a somewhat light penalty; however this is a division title game against Green Bay. In his place, Travis Swanson will get the start. Swanson was drafted to replace Raiola and he has seen game action in place of Larry Warford (who made his return to the lineup last week). The spotlight will be bright on Swanson and it’s anybody’s guess if he will be up for the challenge. My prediction is he will be mostly fine, but could make a key rookie mistake at any point. In this particular game, it could be the difference between winning and losing.
BAL - LT Monroe and RT Wagner left the game against HOU.
The Ravens lost both starting tackles in the loss against Houston, as J.J. Watt predictably had a field day against the backups. Right tackle Rick Wagner (foot) was placed on injured reserve today and will miss the remainder of the season. This is non-trivial loss for the unit, as Wagner had been playing at a high level this season. The status of left tackle Eugene Monroe is unknown at this point. Should Monroe not be able to go, James Hurst would likely get the start. There’s also a possibility either Kelechi Osemele or Marshal Yanda bumps out to right tackle, making room for Penn State rookie John Urschel in the lineup. Yanda played the position in the fourth quarter last week, and reading between the lines, that could happen again. This whole situation is a downgrade for the Ravens, who need the win this weekend and will go all out to field their best lineup.
SD – C Chris Watt and RG Johnnie Troutman exited the game last week against San Francisco.
Johnnie Troutman injured his knee during the game and was placed on injured reserve this week. Jeremiah Sirles took his place, marking his first career action. Sirles appears likely to make his first career start this weekend in Kansas City. Guard Kenny Wiggins was signed from the practice squad to take Troutman’s spot on the roster. At center, Chris Watt was forced from the game with a left ankle injury, and his status for this weekend is unknown. Trevor Robinson took his place during the game and could be expected to get the start if Watt can’t get healthy by game time. This is not great news for a line that has been battered by injuries this season.
NYJ – C Nick Mangold carted off the field against NE.
The injury looked nasty at the time, and both teams took time to check on Mangold, playing in his twentieth episode of this rivalry. Fortunately the x-rays were negative and the team is calling it a bad ankle sprain. Despite being on crutches and wearing a protective boot, Mangold maintains he will play in the season finale against Miami. Should that not come to pass, Dalton Freeman actually played fine in replacement duty. He wasn’t as good as Mangold but not nearly as bad as some of the other backup centers around the league. After the change the team worked mostly from the shotgun formation, to give the quarterback extra time. This is an interesting situation, not from any playoff perspective, but to see exactly how tough Nick Mangold can be. I wouldn’t bet against him.
DAL – RT Doug Free has stress fracture in his left ankle, will try to play on Sunday.
Free was inactive for Sunday’s romp over Indianapolis. Jeremy Parnell took his place and there was obviously no problem with the Cowboys’ offense. This is one of those borderline injuries that offensive linemen have historically played through. Free has not been ruled out for the game. It’s questionable if Free will be at top effectiveness and the team could look to sit him before the playoffs. While the Cowboys technically need to win to improve their playoff seed, and possibly get a first round bye, it will take a rare set of outcomes for that to occur. Most likely the Cowboys will be the three seed no matter what, and Free could probably use the extra week of rest.
Other News:
HOU – RG Brandon Brooks was forced from the game last week and the coaches are calling him ‘day-to-day.’ In his place Derek Newton slid over from RT and Tyson Clabo entered the lineup for Newton. That is a decent enough lineup and there is no downgrade to the Texans’ line, either way.
WAS – LT Trent Williams has been playing in pain with a shoulder injury. He missed a few plays in last Saturday’s win over the Eagles, and the team is calling him a game time decision. Forced to speculate, Williams is likely to gut it out for one more week.
CHI – RG Kyle Long missed the first game of his career with a hip injury suffered late in the week. Ryan Groy started in his place. It is not clear if Long (considered the Bears’ best lineman) will be able to go this week.
ATL – RG Jon Asamoah was inactive last week with a back injury but has since returned to practice and is expected to be full go for this weekend’s “divisional title game” against Carolina.
MIA – Another notable OL video, this one of an early snap.
It has been a real pleasure making these reports for our subscribers. As usual, if you have a question about a team not specifically talked about in this article, please feel free to contact me via twitter or in the Shark Pool.