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The Philadelphia Eagles won the 2011 offseason, signing multiple big name free agents, bringing a roster into each week's game full of stars and household names. But, an NFL game is not always dependent on the big names. So, what lesser known name will be a focus point for the Philadelphia Eagles as they play the Miami Dolphins today?
I asked that question to Jason B, the managing editor of SB Nation's Bleeding Green Nation blog.
"On offense, keep an eye on the line. Evan Mathis at LG has been having a fantastic year and rookie C Jason Kelce has fit into this scheme Howard Mudd has installed perfectly," replied JasonB."On defense, there really aren't a lot of candidates. DT Derek Landri only plays limited snaps but plays them incredibly hard. Another guy might be Brian Rolle, a rookie linebacker, who also gives max effort on every play and has made some good things happen as a result."
JasonB was not kidding with Mathis' play. Pro Football Focus has Mathis graded as the best left guard in the game, and the second best guard. His grade in run blocking is ridiculous, nearly twice that of any other guard in the league. As for his pass blocking, in the 768 snaps Mathis has played, he has allowed no sacks, three quarterback hits, and nine quarterback pressures.
Kelce doesn't grade out nearly as well as Mathis, but he is still doing really well in the pass blocking for a rookie center. He has only allowed one sack, with five quarterback hits, and 18 quarterback pressures in 844 snaps played.
Rolle, meanwhile, has amassed 40 tackles in his 485 snaps, grading as the 20th best 4-3 outside linebacker.
Make sure you keep an eye on all of those guys JasonB mentions. One of them may just be the guy that jumps out and makes the big play today.