Sig Stats: PBE, Offensive Tackles

This week we've been looking at a selection of our Signature Stats and highlighting some of the best performers from the 2014 season. While we are confident that our player grades give the best picture of overall performance, these unique stats let us look at specific aspects in a way that standard statistics cannot.

In this article we want to identify the offensive tackles who shone in pass protection, by noting those who excelled in our Pass Blocking Efficiency (PBE) statistic. PBE tallies the sacks, hits and hurries allowed by each lineman on a per snap basis, with sacks carrying the greatest weight.

(Note: only linemen who protected the passer on at least 350 snaps were considered)

Left Tackles

Leading the way without giving up a single sack was Andrew Whitworth, he only let his quarterback hit the ground once on his way to a terrific 98.7 PBE. That's the best mark recorded by any starting tackle in the eight seasons we have on record, the second-best was the 98.3 set by former Carolina Panther Jordan Gross back in 2007, when he played on the right. Whitworth was helped by having a quarterback in Andy Dalton, who tied for second-fastest in the league with an average Time to Throw of just 2.39 seconds. Even so, Whitworth's performance was remarkable, he managed to go the entire season without a negatively-graded game in pass protection.

Joe Thomas finished with the second-best PBE score, having twice led the league in this category (2011 and 2012), and never finished far from the top. Our highest grading tackle in 2014, Jason Peters, finished fourth, only grading negatively in pass protection once all season. Branden Albert, the Miami Dolphins' left tackle failed to make the list after having his season cut short by injury, however, his 97.6 PBE from 313 snaps in pass protection would have seen him tie for second overall with Thomas.

Right Tackles

Ricky Wagner was our highest-graded pass protecting right tackle in 2014, so it's no surprise to see him atop the PBE list; not bad at all for a player drafted at the tail end of the fifth round in 2013. He saw limited action as a rookie but broke out in 2014, conceding just two sacks and one hit all season.

Another second-year player, Ryan Schraeder, claimed second place. Schraeder gave up three sacks and 18 total pressures after taking over as the Falcons' starting right tackle in Week 8, though his year was somewhat spoiled when he conceded two sacks and three hurries in the Falcons' crucial Week 17 game against the Panthers. Our highest-grading right tackle, Sebastian Vollmer, tied for third along with Demar Dotson. Dotson was the only right tackle on this list to also start on the left, playing the final three games there and giving up one sack, two hits and four hurries in the process. Without that stint at left tackle, Dotson's PBE sat at 96.6, tying for the lead with Wagner.

Rookie Watch

The members of the 2014 tackle class failed to make much of an impression in their first season, with no rookie tackles making the cut at either position. However, the most encouraging debutant was Taylor Lewan of the Tennessee Titans. In 10 appearances (six starts at LT) Lewan gave up four sacks and 11 total pressures in 203 pass-protection snaps, to lead all rookie tackles with a PBE of 95.4, a respectable score for first-year player.

Pass Blocking Efficiency and the rest of our signature stats can be found in our Premium Stats section, along with the full array of player grades.

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