The 90 Illini #39: Brandon Henderson
One thing about football that I understand but I don't think I really understand: offensive linemen can play every snap no sweat; defensive linemen can't play every snap or they'll be falling over by the end of the game.
When I talk about this subject my mind goes to Kevin Carter. Kevin Carter was a defensive end for YOUR St. Louis Rams. In Super Bowl 34, on the Titans final drive – the drive that ended with Mike Jones tackling Kevin Dyson on the one yard line as time expired – Kevin Carter took himself out of the game. There was a famous clip of a mic'd up Dick Vermeil seeing his star defensive end take himself out of the game, going over to him, and saying "final minute of the Super Bowl and you're taking yourself out?" (something Vermeil later apologized for).
But Tennessee had just come back from 16-0 to 16-16 and, after the one-play Rams drive to re-take the lead, the Rams defense had to go back out on the field for what had to feel like their 100th play of the fourth quarter alone. After all of those defensive snaps, Kevin Carter knew that his backup would be much more productive in the game than the effort he could give in that moment.
You'll never see that from an offensive lineman. That's not because they're "tougher" or anything. And it's certainly not because they're in great shape. It's just... easier to play 15 consecutive snaps on offense than it is to play 15 consecutive snaps on defense. Part of that is chasing ballcarriers, of course. If it's a short pass, defensive linemen are trained to immediately turn and pursue the ball downfield. But part of it is also that it's apparently much easier to block someone than it is to try to get off a block.
The reason I bring this up: sometimes, if you avoid any offensive line injuries throughout a season, you'll see barely any snaps for backup offensive linemen. I'll flip through some team's snap count on PFF and if they haven't had injuries you'll see all of the offensive linemen have snap counts like 681, 679, 679, 674, and 670, with the starters really only coming off the field in blowouts or when they were shaken up for play or two. And when you look at the defensive snap counts, those same number of snaps went to six, seven, or eight different defensive linemen.
