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NORTHBROOK, Ill. (STATS) - Some of the best offensive line play of the season led to a pair of 300-yard passing performances in Atlanta and helped create some high drama Sunday afternoon. But at the end of the day, the New Orleans Saints were just a bit better with their protection - and a lot smarter with their decision-making.
Because of it, they went back to the Big Easy with a big victory.
The Saints graded out with a 2011 single game-best 112.8 in this week’s New York Life Protection Index, nipping the Falcons’ almost-as-impressive score of 106.4 in what turned out to be a 26-23 overtime nail-biter at the Georgia Dome. The NYLPI is a proprietary formula created by STATS LLC which measures pass protection by using metrics such as length of passes, penalties by offensive linemen, sacks allowed and quarterback hurries and knockdowns.
Of course, it was the pass protection that helped get the two teams to overtime. Once there, it was a lack of run-blocking - and a curious call - that helped end the game.
Coach Mike Smith called upon Atlanta’s line to help convert a 4th-and-1 at their own 29, but Michael Turner was stuffed by an attacking New Orleans defense for no gain. Four plays later, the Saints kicked the winning field goal, increasing their division lead to 1 1/2 games over the second-place Falcons.
“I felt like if we’re not going to be able to move the ball 2 or 3 inches then we’re probably not going to win the football game,” Smith said.
Smith’s faith in his unit’s run-blocking may not have been rewarded on that particular play, but both teams put on a pass-protection clinic for more than 60 minutes.
New Orleans’ offense is ranked tops in the league - and, not coincidentally, the season’s cumulative NYLPI - and most of the praise tends to go to Drew Brees for his outstanding play and leadership. But protection from a dominant offensive line is a big reason he’s been able to rack up all those passing yards and victories.
Brees ranks third in quarterback rating, has thrown 23 touchdown passes and leads the NFL with 3,326 passing yards while completing over 70 percent of his attempts. He does it behind a line that is averaging a league-high NYLPI of 86.2 for the season.
On Sunday, Brees was not sacked and knocked down just once in completing 30 of 43 passes for 322 yards and two scores.
Yet Matt Ryan and the Falcons’ front five were almost just as good.
The Saints breached Atlanta’s protection for one sack in 52 pass attempts and knocked Ryan down three times, but he was able to complete 29 of those passes for a season-high 351 yards and two TDs.
Unfortunately for the Falcons, however, the game will not ultimately be remembered for the way they kept their quarterback clean.
“We’ve just got to get a couple inches. Make that play and move on,” center Todd McClure lamented.
Unlike the display put on at the Georgia Dome, the Kansas City Chiefs couldn’t do much of anything up front as their 12.9 NYLPI was the lowest of the week and played a significant role in their 17-10 loss to Denver. The performance easily eclipsed the team’s previous season low of 38.0 set a week ago in a 31-3 loss to Miami.
The dismal effort from the front five against the Broncos included four sacks, 12 knockdowns and just 140 passing yards. Even more importantly, the defeat may come at the price of Kansas City’s starting quarterback, as Matt Cassel could be done for the year after hurting his right hand during a fourth-quarter sack.
Tyler Palko would step in for Cassel, but he has just four games - none starts - of experience over two seasons.
Somewhat coincidentally, the bottom two teams in the Week 10 NYLPI may have both lost their passers for the season to injury. Houston’s Matt Schaub hurt his right foot on a quarterback keeper in the second quarter of Sunday’s 37-9 rout of Tampa Bay.
Schaub hurt the foot on a run, but his offensive line didn’t provide much help when he went back to pass, posting a Texans’ season-low score of 26.9. In just 15 attempts, it allowed three hurries, one sack and one knockdown while getting whistled for two false starts and a pair of holding penalties.
Now coach Gary Kubiak will turn the reins over to Matt Leinart following next week’s bye.
While the Chiefs and Texans lick their wounds, the Dallas Cowboys have won back-to-back games behind strong performances from the O-line as Tony Romo has been touched just once.
The latest effort resulted in a season-high NYLPI of 109.7 - good for second this week, just behind the Saints and ahead of the Falcons - as the Cowboys eased past Buffalo 44-7. Romo wasn’t sacked for a second straight game and was hurried just twice while completing 23 of 26 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns.
Strong performances across the board have Dallas gaining confidence and sitting just one game back of the NFC East-leading New York Giants.
“We are learning a little bit about who we are and what we can do and what we are capable of doing,” Romo said. “We are starting to get better as the season keeps progressing.”
