Have you been asking yourself the question, "Just how many offensive line combinations have the Buffalo Bills used this season?" The answer is twelve so far. On Sunday the Buffalo Bills will use their 13th and 14th offensive line combinations of the season and that's if nobody gets hurt. Please, God, let nobody get hurt.
Part of the reason for the high number is the substitution the coaching staff employed early in the year. To keep guard Eric Wood and tackle Demetrius Bell from re-aggravating their injuries and remain effective the entire game, the Bills freely substituted within the game for a series here and a series there. Sometimes it was one at a time and other times it was both together. The result was four line combos in the first two weeks:
Week 1-5 starters
|
Left Tackle |
Left Guard |
Center |
Right Guard |
Right Tackle |
|
D. Bell |
A. Levitre |
G. Hangartner |
E. Wood |
C. Green |
Weeks 1-2 reserves
|
Left Tackle |
Left Guard |
Center |
Right Guard |
Right Tackle |
|
J. Meredith |
A. Levitre |
G. Hangartner |
E. Wood |
C. Green |
Weeks 1-2 reserves
|
Left Tackle |
Left Guard |
Center |
Right Guard |
Right Tackle |
|
D. Bell |
A. Levitre |
G. Hangartner |
C. Howard |
C. Green |
Weeks 1-2 reserves
|
Left Tackle |
Left Guard |
Center |
Right Guard |
Right Tackle |
|
J. Meredith |
A. Levitre |
G. Hangartner |
C. Howard |
C. Green |
When the Bills cut Jamon Meredith and the numbers increased in reserves.
Week 3-5 reserves
|
Left Tackle |
Left Guard |
Center |
Right Guard |
Right Tackle |
|
D. Bell |
A. Levitre |
G. Hangartner |
K. Urbik |
C. Green |
Week 3-5 reserves
|
Left Tackle |
Left Guard |
Center |
Right Guard |
Right Tackle |
|
C. Howard |
A. Levitre |
G. Hangartner |
E. Wood |
C. Green |
Following the bye week, the Bills had to make some changes when Cornell Green became the first starter to succumb to injury. It wasn't a bad thing but did add Cordaro Howard to the mix at right tackle.
Week 7-9 starters
|
Left Tackle |
Left Guard |
Center |
Right Guard |
Right Tackle |
|
D. Bell |
A. Levitre |
G. Hangartner |
E. Wood |
C. Howard |
|
Left Tackle |
Left Guard |
Center |
Right Guard |
Right Tackle |
|
D. Bell |
A. Levitre |
G. Hangartner |
K. Urbik |
C. Howard |
Howard went down to a shoulder injury in Week 9 where Wrotto replaced him adding another new starting lineup for Week 10 and 11.
Week 9 reserves
Week 10-11 starters
|
Left Tackle |
Left Guard |
Center |
Right Guard |
Right Tackle |
|
D. Bell |
A. Levitre |
G. Hangartner |
E. Wood |
M. Wrotto |
When Wood went down in Week 10, Urbik stepped in with his third right tackle beside him and that group of five has started for the last two weeks.
Week 9-11 reserves
Week 12-13 starters
|
Left Tackle |
Left Guard |
Center |
Right Guard |
Right Tackle |
|
D. Bell |
A. Levitre |
G. Hangartner |
K. Urbik |
M. Wrotto |
In Week 13, Hangartner goes down to a knee injury forcing Urbik to center and Howard to RG. Then Urbik went down to injury forcing Levitre out of position for the first time all season. Ed Wang stepped in for his first NFL experience at LG.
Week 13 reserves
|
Left Tackle |
Left Guard |
Center |
Right Guard |
Right Tackle |
|
D. Bell |
A. Levitre |
K. Urbik |
C. Howard |
M. Wrotto |
Week 13 reserves
|
Left Tackle |
Left Guard |
Center |
Right Guard |
Right Tackle |
|
D. Bell |
E. Wang |
A. Levitre |
C. Howard |
M. Wrotto |
When the Bills host the Cleveland Browns this week, Eric Wood will get his first start in the NFL at center while Howard and Wang will platoon at RG. Howard is still not fully healed from his shoulder injury.
Week 14 starters
|
Left Tackle |
Left Guard |
Center |
Right Guard |
Right Tackle |
|
D. Bell |
A. Levitre |
E. Wood |
C. Howard |
M. Wrotto |
Week 14 reserves
|
Left Tackle |
Left Guard |
Center |
Right Guard |
Right Tackle |
|
D. Bell |
A. Levitre |
E. Wood |
E. Wang |
M. Wrotto |
Grand total is fourteen offensive line combinations with ten different offensive linemen. Good luck Ryan Fitzpatrick. you're going to need it.