Update, Nov. 11: The Eagles signed Brandon Brooks to a four-year contract extension.
There are five reasons the Eagles' offense has started to finally develop an identity and those five reasons are the offensive line. The right side, including center Jason Kelce, might be the best in football and lately it's showed in the running game.
The Eagles should now be identified as a power running team. They should make a living running between the tackles.
As a former offensive lineman in the league, I played with some greats. I played with Alan Faneca with the Steelers and he is a Hall of Fame finalist this year. From across the playing field, I witnessed the best guard to ever play the game, Hall of Famer Larry Allen.
But I must admit that I'm now covering a great one for the Eagles in Brandon Brooks, who is making his case as one of, if not the most dominant guards in the game today. Both pass blocking and run blocking, he is dominating his opponent.
During last week's Chicago Bears game, Brooks destroyed the backside blocks on inside zone running plays, which allowed Jordan Howard an opportunity to cut back and go untouched until reaching the secondary. Just watch the inside zone run play below on 1st & 10 with 13:15 in the first quarter. Watch how Brooks and Lane Johnson totally crush the entire right side of the line of scrimmage, allowing Howard to run for 12 yards.
Even on pass plays, Brooks stones defenders at the LOS, passes off stunts, and is mobile enough to get out on screen plays. One play that blew me away happened on a 1st-and-20 at the Eagles' 35-yard-line with 9:42 in the first quarter. Check it out below.
NFL
On a slow screen play (inside screen to the back), the first OL out in the screen blocks the defender that is responsible for covering the RB.
The second OL out in the screen blocks the force defender, who is on the numbers or hashes.
The third OL out in the screen blocks the defender that is trailing the screen behind the RB.
Brooks is the second OL on this play and he destroys a little defensive back that thought about making the play. He rolled him up and pancaked him!
Brandon Brooks is a monster and it's time he gets his hype. At times it sucks being an offensive lineman — the only time your name is being called is when you are in trouble, with either a holding call or false start. And forgive us all if we give up a sack! But it's time Brandon Brooks gets his praise.
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