Up until this past season, one of the areas we overlooked when handicapping NFL betting lines was a team’s offensive line. In the NFL, it seems to be a general consensus, that the quarterback will be the one to cheer if the team wins, and blame if the team loses. However, consider that the teams with the best quarterbacks also have the best sports betting offensive lines. Aaron Rodgers was able to be named MVP of Super Bowl 45, because he was sacked less than Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. With that in mind, today we will be looking at the importance of a strong offensive line. Chicago Bears – Last season, despite making it all the way to the NFC Championship game, the Chicago Bears defense ranked amongst the worst in offensive line protection. The Bears were an awful nine six and one against the spread last year, due in large part to a terrible offensive line. While Bears starting quarterback Jay Cutler was ridiculed by his peers for being removed from the game, the one part of the Bears offense that took hardly any heat by our recollection, was the offensive line. However, this is completely wrong, as the Bears offensive line in 2010, had the proverbial smack down laid on it time after time. In total, the Bears offensive line gave up a league worst 56 sacks last season. What’s more, in order to change things up, the Bears allowed long time center Orlin Kruetz to sign with New Orleans in the offseason. Despite his popularity amongst teammates and fans, Kruetz ranked as the third worst center in the NFL last season according to football statistics site Pro Football Focus. Kruetz lack of focus was a huge reason why the Bears couldn’t make it to the Super Bowl. Pittsburgh Steelers – Although star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was suspended for the first four games of last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers still managed to make it to their third Super Bowl in the last six years. The Steelers were one of the top offensive teams in the league last year, using a great running game to compliment a strong passing game. Yet, amidst all of the positives, the Steelers had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL a year ago. The incompetence of the Steelers offensive line was a strong contributor to the loss in the biggest game of them all, the Super Bowl. Pittsburgh was the eighth worst team in the NFL in sacks allowed, with 43. Furthermore, the Steelers used a rookie at center in Maurkice Pouncey for the majority of the year. Although he was a rookie, Pouncey is and was considered by many to be the star of the offensive line. What this means is, that when Pouncey went down to injury in the AFC Championship game, the Steelers offensive line was never the same. The importance of an offensive line essentially rests on the importance of the center, as he is the ring leader.
