Can be a Dud No. 3 – Pick a Guard, Any Guard
In the second half of the season, Gary Kubiak began employing a guard rotation that saw rookie Max Garcia spelling veterans Evan Mathis and Louis Vasquez both to preserve their long-term health as well as keep them fresh within each game. As a result, Garcia has accelerated his progress as a rookie and Mathis and Vasquez are as healthy as they’ve been all season, now heading into the most important games of the year.
Not only has the rotational system been good for health and development, it’s also yielding positive results in the statistics as well.
Since Week 8, Denver has rushed for more than 100 yards seven times and gone 6-1 in those games. Mathis was graded the best run-blocking guard in the league all season by Pro Football Focus and the combination of Garcia and Vasquez have allowed just two sacks in over 1,400 snaps. Garcia has been at his best in the running game, which Denver figures to rely heavily on in the playoffs.
Thanks to the high level of skill with all three of these guards, plus the rotational system now in place, one of these guys can afford to not be at his best because there’s someone behind him to step in and pick up the slack. Head coach Gary Kubiak and offensive line coach Clancy Barone just need to keep their eyes peeled and have a quick hook if any one of them starts to struggle.
Individually, one can have an off day, but there are too many other weak links on Denver’s offensive line for the guards, as a unit, to come up empty.
