LA Chargers: Grading the dismal 2020 offensive line
C Dan Feeney
Before we start with getting into how Feeney graded, it’s important to again mention the circumstances of his season. While he was expected to start at left guard, Feeney had to switch over to center due to the Pouncey injury.
Here’s what I don’t get-why wasn’t Scott Quessenberry given more consideration for starting center in 2020? For one, this would’ve allowed Feeney to remain at his natural left guard position.
Secondly, Quessenberry played a large enough sample size last year to say he was a solid blocker. On 639 2019 center snaps, Quessenberry allowed just one sack and 11 pressures. No one would say he was a dominant center, but he showed he could play the position well enough.
With most of his snaps at left guard in 2019, Feeney allowed a whopping five sacks and 43 pressures. If the coaching staff thought Feeney would improve at left guard in 2020, it would be one thing. That’s understandable enough. But I don’t get why they thought they could convert Feeney to center and have better results than if they had just kept Quessenberry there.
All of that aside, Feeney played all of his snaps at center in 2020 and performed poorly. Out of PFF’s 36 graded centers, Feeney ranked 35th. He technically allowed fewer pressures than he had previously, but you’re also not dealing with too many edge rushers up the middle at center.
There were only three games where Feeney managed to record zero pressures allowed. Two of them came at the beginning of the season at Cincinnati and vs. Kansas City. In those games, it almost seemed like there was a method to the coaching staff’s madness. Then, well, back to reality. Feeney allowed two sacks and nine pressures in the next three weeks.
Like with Tevi and Lamp, I feel like I’ve seen enough of Feeney to know that he ultimately isn’t the answer at the center position. With Quessenberry still on the roster, it’s hard to really make an argument as to why Feeney should be back in 2021 at all. He’s been bad at both guard and center plus the depth options are better than him.
Playing the second worst football out of 36 centers is a decent summary for Feeney’s 2020.