Saints, Eagles thrive behind men in the trenches

NEW ORLEANS -- On separate practice fields this week, hundreds of miles and a time zone away from each other, Drew Brees and Jeff Garcia both called their offensive lines tremendous.

The two seasoned quarterbacks weren't referring to the size of the players who have cleared the way for their success this season: They were praising the effort by their front lines.

For all the playmakers the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles have in the backfield and at wide receiver, Brees and Garcia know they are fortunate to have continuity and consistency on their offensive lines.

"My first two years in the NFL as a starter, we went through 10 or 12 offensive linemen. It was a shuffle," Brees said. "When those guys are able to play together ... the communication level is so great. That's a special group that we have. It definitely helps that they can stay healthy and be in there."

It's helped Brees and the Saints (10-6) secure the second seed in the NFC playoffs, good for a first-round bye and a home game against the Eagles (11-6) Saturday night in the divisional round.

Going into the season, the Saints' offensive line was believed to be among the team's biggest potential weaknesses. Not just by observers, but by the linemen themselves.

"We definitely were the question mark on the team, at least on offense," center Jeff Faine said. "We had this kind of a ragtag group."

Faine, in his own words, had been "run out of Cleveland." He ended up in New Orleans after a draft-day trade last spring.

Jammal Brown, the Saints' top pick in 2005, was expected to be good someday, but in only his second year he was moved from right tackle to left, meaning he'd have to face some of the best defensive ends in the league while protecting the right-handed Brees' blind side.

Guard Jahri Evans is a rookie who played at Division II Bloomsburg last season. Right tackle Jon Stinchcomb had never started and missed all of last year with a torn patellar tendon.

And guard Jamar Nesbit, now in his eighth season, hadn't been a full-time starter for several years.

"I don't blame anybody for doubting us. The thing was that we were unproven," Faine said. "We took it as a challenge. It was one of those things where we took it upon ourselves to be successful and to work hard for each other and to get it down and get it right."

New Orleans allowed only 23 sacks, fourth fewest in the NFL. They protected Brees well enough that he led the league in passing with 4,418 yards.

New Orleans, which had the No. 1 offense in the league, also rushed for 1,761 yards as a team, with Deuce McAllister surpassing 1,000 yards rushing for the fourth time in his six-year career.

Philadelphia's offensive line was not expected to be a weakness. But good lines don't always hold together, driven apart sometimes by adversity or injury.

Veteran tackles Jon Runyan and William (Tra) Thomas, center Jamaal Jackson and guards Shawn Andrews and Todd Herremans have started all 17 games.

They stayed together through Philadelphia's midseason swoon and helped Garcia become an effective replacement when star quarterback Donovan McNabb was lost for the year with a knee injury.

They allowed only 28 sacks, the Eagles' lowest total in a quarter century. McNabb and Garcia combined to throw for 4,309 yards and 31 touchdowns during the regular season.

Meanwhile, Brian Westbrook ran for a career-best 1,217 yards to go with 699 receiving yards, often on short passes coming out of the backfield.

"They've been really pushing the other teams' lines down the field. They've dominated these last few weeks," Westbrook said. "It's the best offensive line that I've been around since I've been here. Those guys deserve a lot of credit."

Cohesion is key with the offensive line, where mix-ups in blocking assignments can result in marquee players getting drilled for drive-stalling losses.

"All of us like each other," Faine said of the Saints' front five. "Most offensive lines, you've got a division. We all get together every week for dinner. We do things together and it's just a special group, for sure."

That, and staying healthy, has helped them develop a togetherness that they recognize not only in how well they communicate, but also how well they perform together during those times when they can't communicate, Faine said.

"To be able to know what the other's going to do without actually having to say something -- that's what you get with playing with the same guys day in and day out," Faine said. "Maybe in an away game you can't hear, and you just know that the guy next to you is going to be there."

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)