SAN DIEGO -- Based on the metrics analysts from Pro Football Focus collect on a play-by-play basis, the San Diego Chargers' offensive line ranked as the worst in the NFL this week.
I'm not here to say the Chargers deserve to be ranked among the elite offensive lines like the Dallas Cowboys' and the Oakland Raiders', but San Diego's front five certainly isn't the worst.
I've always thought individual player evaluation is the hardest to quantify in football because so much of what you do on the football field is tied to what happens with the player next to you.
Coaches always emphasize players winning their one-on-one matchups anywhere on the field, determining who those battles are against, and whether they've been won or lost is hardest to do up front.
Sometimes, the only ones who know whether a player completed his assignment correctly are those in the huddle and the coaches calling the plays. Otherwise, it's really guesswork understanding what an offensive or defensive lineman was asked to do on an individual play.
But if we just take a step back and look at the numbers that really matter and evaluate San Diego's offensive line performance through that lens, it's hard to make a case that the Chargers are the worst starting front five in the NFL.
Chargers score points: Last I heard, scoring points is important to winning games in the NFL. And San Diego is No. 3 in scoring, averaging 29.2 points a contest. Philip Rivers obviously has a lot to do with that, but he's not playing against air. Angry edge-rushers like Von Miller and Cameron Wake are trying to sack him on every play.
As Pro Football Focus notes, the Chargers have given up 147 pressures this season. Only the Indianapolis Colts have given up more, and that definitely is not a great number.
What they fail to note is the Chargers have thrown the ball 371 times, which is No. 6 in the NFL. And San Diego's front five has allowed 25 sacks. So San Diego's sack per pass attempt is No. 19 in the NFL.
Chargers run the football: It's hard to have the worst offensive line in football when it is clearing lanes for the No. 3 rusher in the NFL. But that's what San Diego has in runner Melvin Gordon.
As Pro Football Focus notes, Gordon has gained 518 of his 838 rushing yards (61.2 percent) after contact, breaking 28 tackles to make it happen.
But in watching every snap Gordon has taken as a pro, he clearly has had more daylight to maneuver in his second season than his rookie year, and that's a credit to offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt and improved run blocking up front, not only by the offensive line but tight ends, running backs and receivers.
Chargers stay on the field: Continuity up front is important. The Chargers played 24 offensive line combinations last season, tied for third-worst in the NFL. This season, San Diego's starting front five of King Dunlap at left tackle, Orlando Franklin at left guard, Matt Slauson at center, D.J. Fluker at right guard and Joe Barksdale at right tackle have started seven of 10 games together this season.
Only Dunlap and Barksdale have missed starts in 2016. That consistency and durability has resulted in an improved performance by San Diego's offense.
Addition of Slauson solidified group: The Chargers have looked for a solid anchor of the offensive line since Nick Hardwick retired after the 2014 season, and they have found it in Slauson. The 30-year-old longtime guard turned center has provided leadership up front and taken responsibility from Rivers in making some of the initial line calls at the line of scrimmage pre-snap.
"I told him [Rivers] when I came in that I want to be in charge of setting it -- at least give me something to do here," Slauson said. "Because I had heard in the past that wasn't always the case. So I said, 'Hey Phil, coming in here let me try and take something off your plate.'
"At least let me start things -- take our base rules and base principles and start it there. And then if you want to change from there, you can do whatever. But he's always making sure we're put in the right spot as far as identifications, who we're sliding to, sorting and all that. It's been great all year with him."
There's room for improvement: While not the worst offensive line in the NFL, the Chargers definitely can get better. Barksdale is tied for sixth in the NFL with eight penalties on offense called against him this season. And the Chargers have to figure out how to run the football even when defenses stack the box against Gordon like the Miami Dolphins did last week.
