What team had the best O-line ever? | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

What team had the best O-line ever?

Danny

Danny

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I know we'll get lots of different opinions on this one. I was just wondering who do you guys think was the best o-line ever. I can think of 3 right away. The Raiders and Dolphins of the early 70's are 2 of them and the Cowboys o-line of the early 90's.

The Dolphins line was great anchored by Langer, Kooch and Little.
The Raiders with Shell and Upshaw and the boys with Allen, Stephnoski and Williams.

Hard to pick one but I'll go with ours cos 2 are in the HOF and Kooch should be there too. Anyway, all opinions welcome.

Ozzy rules!!
 
Well, in recent memory I'm going to have to give it to Jimmy Johnsons O line when he was with Dallas. E. Smith just ran all over everyone and that was a direct result of the line. Plus consider how well Aikman did with that line, then compare that directly to how well he did his last 3 years when the O line was gone.
 
The redskins sported some fine lines in the 80's.. we were plastered by one in the superbowl .
 
The Packers had great lines in their championship years (Kramer, Thurston etc). Every team know the "power sweep" was coming but they were powerless to stop it. The Browns had a great line during the Jim Brown years and they seemed to keep it intact the whole time - Jim Brown didn't gain all those yardsall by himself: Hickerson, Wooten, Clark, Shafrath...
 
There were several great lines, but none could compare to dallas' line in the early 90's. Never has a more dominant line ever stepped on the field. Not to take anything away from Aikmen and Smith, but without that O-Line driving huge holes and giving insane amounts of time, I doubt either guy would be serious HOF candidates.

(I heard that line from several cowboy fans... it was my opinion at the time as well, but hearing them say it validated it in my mind)
 
One offensive line that was outstanding was the St Louis Cardinals line in the mid-1970's. The line was Dan Diedorf, yes the overbearing tv analysist, #72 at left tackle, the legendary and infamous Conrad Dobler #66 at left guard, Tom Banks #54 at center, Bob Young, one-time strongest man in the NFL later a really good guard for the Earl Campbell Houston teams good line coach and probably the poster boy for steroid abuse, #64 at right guard, and Roger Finnie #60 at right tackle. They were great at both pass protection and run blocking. Held the fewest sack record until Marino's time. With Dobler they frustrated and enraged defensive teams.
 
The Cowboys, in 92 & 93 they had Erik Williams**, Nate Newton*, Mark Stepnoski*, Mark Tuinei, Kevin Gogan, & they had a young Ron Stone & TE Jay Novacek*. Then in 95 they had Larry Allen*, Ray Donaldson*, Nate Newton*, Mark Tuinei*, & Erik Williams & Novacek*.

*=pro bowl that year
**=Erik Williams pro bowler in 93 not 92.
 
The best OL's I've seen is the Dolphins 70's line and the Steelers 70's OL's, both were surperb in every area..haven't seen line like them since...not even Jimmy's Dallas OL could control a game like those guys did..it was unbelievable..They both use the slow grind it out run attack, which took time, but no one could stop them..it set up the pass so beautifully..
 
I forgot to mention that the Oilers had a great line too once with Mike Munchak and Bruce Matheus as the anchors.

Ozzy rules!!
 
91' Redskins, 92' Cowboys, 93' Cowboys...

pretty much 3 out of the 4 teams the Bills had to play in the Superbowl...:mad:
 
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