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The Redskins Offensive Line Has Been Doing Some Damage Recently

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It is challenging to overlook a team when they produce 230 net rushing yards and average seven yards per carry against an opponent. It is especially challenging to overlook a team that does that against an opponent, who, entering the matchup, had allowed just 73.3 rushing yards per game.

Thus, it proved to be too difficult for NFL media analyst Shaun O'Hara to overlook what the Washington Redskins accomplished against the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday, in what appeared to be the vision that general manager Scot McCloughan had for this team when he drafted Brandon Scherff with his first overall pick, signed Trent Williams to a long-term contract last season and saw the cohesiveness that offensive line coach Bill Callahan was establishing.

"Going into it, we know how strong their front was and just coming in we knew we had to have a good day today and hats off to them," center Spencer Long said after the Redskins' 27-20 victory. "They got one of the best D-lines in the league, but we got one of the best O-lines in the league. Super pumped with the way we came away with it today."

O'Hara, accordingly, chose the Redskins as the “NFL Offensive line of the week,” and honor that felt necessary with just a cursory glance at the above statistics. The former offensive lineman also noted that the Redskins stopped an Eagles defense ranked second in scoring defense and averaged 3.5 sacks per game.

"On his nine runs running behind the left side of the offensive line -- LT Trent Williams and LG Shawn Lauvao -- Jones averaged 10.2 yards per carry," O'Hara writes. "Williams did a great job at the point of attack and was very crafty when on the back side of some big runs."

He continues:

"One of the toughest things to do as a center is reaching the wide defensive tackles, and Spencer Long, who has filled in for Trent Williams after he went down with an injury in Week 3, did that especially well for Washington on Sunday. Right guard Brandon Scherff had one of his best games since the Redskins drafted him fifth overall in 2015, as he more than held his own against Fletcher Cox. Kudos to the Redskins' line this week, as nobody expected them to win the battle at the line of scrimmage. And then, of course, there was the way Washington iced the game -- there is no better feeling than salting away a win with a 57-yard run in your four-minute offense."

So yes, hugs and handshakes for surprising those that didn't know about the strides the Redskins offensive line has taken over the last year. But let's take a closer look at the dominance and hurt that this O-line has been inflicting upon opponents over the last several weeks.

Through some helpful Vines and Twitter videos, watch how Brandon Scherff has his way with Cox during some of these matchups, and then shoves him to the ground

"I thought our preparation was really really good this week, and like I said Coach Callahan prepared us real well," Scherff said after the game. "We talked about the situations and they happened exactly as he called it. It's all about preparation and just going out and doing it."

Spencer Long has also been doing a nice job filling in at center for Kory Lichtensteiger. In this clip, watch him take on Beau Allen to his left and keep him contained just enough so that running back Rob Kelley can slip right through the collapsing hole and gain a first down.

"We got a lot of heart on this team and I hope people are starting to see the type of people we have on this team right now," Long said.

And then there is Trent Williams, who makes getting to the second level of blocks look extremely easy. These clips display his athleticism and his uncanny ability to be physical to a point of agony for opponents.

"There's sometimes we could've done better and sometimes we played pretty good," Williams said of the line's play last week. "We're just looking for that constant level of above average play. We want to be considered one of the best units in the league. We know that we have to put it on tape to get in that consideration. We're going to continue to work our butts off every day, continue to study and continue to make strides as a group."

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