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Buffalo Bills' Offensive Line Off To A Hot Start

Timothy T. Ludwig-US PRESSWIRE - Presswire

The Buffalo Bills have a rookie left tackle and are rotating two players at right tackle. The unit is hardly star-studded, yet through two games in the 2012 season, Buffalo's offensive line has been lights out.

Buffalo currently leads the NFL in rushing offense, averaging 198 yards per game - blowing the No. 2 Miami Dolphins out by an average of 27 yards per contest. C.J. Spiller, who has 292 rushing yards at over 10 yards per carry, is the NFL's leading individual rusher.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, has yet to be sacked in 51 passing attempts (all the while contributing 42 rushing yards on his own, by the way). Buffalo's offense has produced 56 points in two games; add in special teams contributions, and the Bills are currently the NFL's fourth-highest scoring team.

Continuity is perhaps the biggest factor in the team's success up front. Buffalo returned eight of the nine offensive linemen it began the 2011 season with this year, with the only newcomer being rookie Cordy Glenn, who has looked very competent in his first two pro starts at left tackle.

The rest of the starting offensive line remains the same; Erik Pears is the right tackle (though Chris Hairston - who got plenty of experience as a rookie - is taking reps there as well), and the interior trio of Andy Levitre, Kraig Urbik and Eric Wood remains intact, not to mention fully healthy. Hairston and Chad Rinehart are the top reserves once again, and even Sam Young and Colin Brown are back from last year's team (though neither has been active yet for a game this year).

Glenn and Levitre are the hot names at the moment; Levitre has been the best lineman on the team for quite a while now, and Glenn is receiving national recognition after an outstanding Week 2 performance in paving the way for several big Spiller plays during a win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Wood and Urbik have also been above average to this point, while the team has gotten steady play out of its right tackle platoon.

The group has not been perfect - Levitre has been flagged three times in two games (twice for holding), and Glenn has a hold under his belt, too - but it's been pretty close. When the group takes to the field in Week 3 against the Cleveland Browns, those watching could very well be viewing the two best offensive lines in football at the moment.