Pocket Protectors

No, not those plastic pen holders that keep the ink from ruining your new 50-50 Stafford Button Collar JC Penny dress shirt; I'm talking about those unsung heroes that make the difference between hoisting a trophy and crying in the locker room.

Yeah, we know names like:

Roethlisberger, Ward, Polamalu

and

Warner, Fitzgerald, James

Names worth noting for their excellence on Sunday, no doubt. We heard them because they touched the ball. But watch the highlight reels:


http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80e36f66

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80e3622b


All four teams had big plays in games that were a lot closer than the die-hard fans want to admit. How do big plays happen? How do long passes get made? How does McNabb hit Curtis in the third quarter? Why doesn't he connect with Jackson with only two minutes left? Who's creating and then protecting that pocket?


With respect to the Eagles and the Ravens, both of whom played excellent football, it all comes down to the Offensive Line. When you watch the clips you can see that when plays work its because the O-Line does a great job; when plays fall apart, its because the O-Line looks like Swiss cheese.

How many times do I have to say it? You can have the best Quarterback, the Best Running Backs and Receivers, but they won't make the highlight reel without a great Offensive Line.


So today let's acknowledge and give credit to names like:

Hartwig, Kemoeatu, Stapleton, Simmons, Colon, Capizzi, Essex, Hills, Parquet, Starks

Sendlein, Lutui, Wells, Brown, Gandy, Ketih, Vallejo, Pope

You wont find their names on the NFL.com Game Center site, no-one is reporting their stats, and that's a mistake. Without great performances by these guys, we'd be looking at a different match up in two weeks.


Who are the unsung heroes where you work? The down-in-the-mud, grind-it-out-every-day front line workers without whom you'd never be able to make the big plays?

You better acknowledge them, and acknowledge how much you need them, or next year they may be playing for someone else, racking up championship rings while you cry in the locker room.