Offensive line paves way for New Orleans

Much has been made of Super Bowl XLIV’s super quarterback match up. The typical glamour positions have grabbed national headlines, soaking up the media spotlight, and perhaps the most crucial players in both high-flying offenses have once again gone unnoticed.

The New Orleans Saints offensive line is used to this by now. The unsung group boasts a starting five that sent three players to the Pro Bowl and allowed only 20 sacks in the 534 times Brees dropped back for a pass this season. Despite performing an entire season without All-Pro left tackle Jamaal Brown, the unheralded line fueled the No. 1 offense in the NFL, including a sixth-ranked rushing attack. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound Jermon Bushrod has been taking on the daunting task of replacing Brown.

“In the beginning, we were kind of worried after Jammal got injured,” left guard Carl Nicks said. “But Jermon had held his own, blocking [Saints teammates] Will Smith and Bobby McCray in practice. And he waited his turn. He never pouted or anything like that. He put that time to good use.”

Bushrod has faced many of the premiere pass rushers in the NFL this season and for the most part, has been met with success. With the help of additional blockers, Bushrod held Minnesota Vikings pass rushing specialist Jared Allen sackless, a key to Brees’s championship game success.

“We’re a team, an offensive line, that has goals to do great things,” Bushrod said. “We just want success. I understood my role the first two years. I was inactive for most of the games. The truth of it is, it was a blessing. I got to learn a lot from Jammal Brown. I got to learn from all the guys.”

To his own credit, Nicks has quickly become a part of one of the best two-guard tandems in the NFL. Nicks, a 6-foot-5, 343-pound guard from Nebraska, is known for his power blocking, driving opposing defensive lines towards their own end zone. His counterpart, pro bowl right guard Jahari Evans, brings to the table the agility and light feet of a running back, pulling across the line and blocking downfield with ease.

Pro Bowler Jon Stinchcomb rounds out the line at right tackle. A second-round pick by the Saints in 2003, Stinchcomb has steadily moved his way up the depth chart to become a reliable contributor. Stinchcomb excels in the area of run blocking. As one of the strongest members of the team, he is regularly seen plowing the way for Saints running backs Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush.,

Exemplary of the Saints blocking group’s versatility, the largest member – backup 6-foot-7 tackle Zac Strief ­– often lines up as an eligible receiver in three tight end formations for New Orleans. Though he hasn’t caught a pass yet this season, Strief would not rule out the possibility of a lineman for once grabbing the spotlight on football’s biggest stage.

“I’ve got great hands,” Strief said, “but you just haven’t seen them yet.”

The line caught a break when it was announced that Pro Bowl defensive end Dwight Freeney would not be at full strength on Sunday, having torn a ligament in his ankle. The Colts still boast two solid pass rushers in Roger Mathias and Raheem Brock, but the fact that the Saints will not have to devote an extra blocker to hindering Freeney may prove crucial.

Against a statistically poor Indianapolis Colts rush defense, an outstanding game will be required from the group in order for the Saints offense to get rolling. It should be expected, however, that the low profile group will once again deliver, as they have all season long.

 All quotes compiled from Super Bowl XLIV media day.