Photo: Bob Self, USA Today Sports

Upgrades

New Orleans up 9

The Saints' left guard situation looks vastly improved for Week 8. After Lewis Kidd saw snaps in Week 6, Calvin Throckmorton (hip) returned and played all but one snap last Thursday against Arizona. The starter Andrus Peat (chest), has also returned to practice and has participated in a limited fashion. Off ten days' rest, the Saints' line could have several interior options for this week's home game against Las Vegas. The Saints' W-L record has been rough, but the offense has been productive. The line grades third overall.

Carolina up 3

This is the odd situation where an injury caused an upgrade. With center Pat Elflein going to the IR with season-ending hip surgery, Bradley Bozeman took over last week in the big win against Tampa Bay. Bozeman was a high-profile free agent addition this summer, but when he missed a couple of weeks with an ankle sprain, Elflein stole the job. The model always rated Bozeman more highly than Elflein, and the Week 7 rushing attack confirmed that assessment. The Panthers offensive line grades 14th overall before facing a vulnerable Falcons defensive front.

Miami up 16

Pro Bowl left tackle Terron Armstead (toe) returned to action last week and played 100 percent of snaps against Pittsburgh. Although Armstead has not been practicing, this is usual behavior for the veteran. His return was timed well, as his replacement Greg Little has been limited in practice with an Achilles tendon injury. Brandon Shell has settled in at right tackle, which is good news as Austin Jackson has not been seen at practice lately. The team has one more week in the IR window to decide if Jackson will be designated to return. The Dolphins offensive line grades 16th this week before an extremely choice matchup at home against Detroit.

Washington up 10

After missing several weeks recovering from thumb surgery, Sam Cosmi returned to practice this week in full. Cosmi is one of the more underrated young right tackles in the league, and his return to health means the coaches can return Cornelius Lucas to the swing role. Overall the Commanders' offensive line has been playing better, and their skill positions combined for 166 yards rushing in the upset win over Green Bay last week. The line grades 20th before traveling to Indianapolis to face an unsteady Colts' defensive front.

Downgrades

Tampa Bay down 2

Left guard Luke Goedeke injured his foot last week against Carolina and has not practiced this week. Nick Leverett saw 20 snaps in replacement of Goedeke, and the former undrafted player out of Rice is slated to get his first career start this Thursday against Baltimore. Although some sources have Leverett playing better than Goedeke, the model gives the short-term edge to the player who has played more with the other four starters. The team had some good news last week as center Ryan Jensen was rumored to be advanced in rehab and could return this year. But for this week, the Buccaneers drop to eighth overall.

Buffalo down 6

Right tackle Spencer Brown continues to be out of practice with an ankle injury. Brown had been seen in a walking boot during the bye week and told reporters it was a bad sprain. While the team has not officially ruled Brown out for their home game this Sunday Night against Green Bay, all signs point to David Quessenbery getting a start in place of Brown. Quessenbery is an aggressive run blocker but is not as good in pass protection as Brown. From Brown's comments to the press, the starter is eager to return, but the line suffers a modest downgrade in the near term. The Bills' offensive line grades 10th this week.

New England down 10

Center David Andrews was forced from last week's Sunday Night Football loss with a concussion, and he has not practiced this week. James Ferentz replaced Andrews for the final eight snaps of the game and will likely get the start this week against a tough New York Jets defensive front. While both Andrews and Ferentz are undersized by league standards, Ferentz has more difficulty dominating defensive tackles, and he could have a rough time this week against Quinnen Williams. In other news, Isaiah Wynn was listed with a shoulder injury, but Marcus Cannon took 100 percent of snaps at right tackle last week. It could be a benching for Wynn. The Patriots' line grades at 18th overall.

Green Bay down 21

The Packers worked last week reconfiguring their line. The new lineup was supposed to be David Bakhtiari at left tackle, Elgton Jenkins to left guard, Jon Runyan to right guard, and Yosh Nijiman to right tackle. Late in the week, David Bakhtiari told coaches his knee "wasn't right," and rather than shuffle the line again, coaches started Zach Tom at left tackle against Washington. Tom is a good rookie and the line held up, allowing zero sacks of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Still, the shuffle, plus losing their best player in Bakhtiari, adds up to significant change. Bakhtiari told reporters he doesn't know what the knee will be like from week to week, so he's taken out of the model until he can prove his health. The Packers' offensive line grades 24th this weekend, just before facing a tough Buffalo defense on the road.

NY Giants down 5

Right tackle Evan Neal was forced from last week's win over Jacksonville and while the team has said nothing about his knee injury, beat reporters from Alabama report it's a 3-4 week MCL sprain. Tyre Phillips replaced Neal for most of the game, 58 snaps, and will likely get another start this week. Phillips is more of a natural guard, but he has proven versatility from his time in Baltimore. Phillips was not practicing due to a toe injury, but he's in the model for now. At left guard, Ben Bredeson also left the game with a knee injury and has not practiced this week. Rookie Josh Ezeudu played 61 snaps in place of Bredeson, and Ezeudu will likely get his first career start this weekend at Seattle. Due to crowd noise, this is a tough spot for any road team, and the NY Giants' line falls to 26th on the loss of two starters.

Arizona down 1

With center Rodney Hudson (knee), still out, Billy Price made his first start as a member of the Arizona Cardinals, taking all snaps at center. At left guard, Max Garcia hurt his shoulder, and Cody Ford replaced him during the game. Ford actually played well and could be an upgrade if he lives up to his pre-draft hype. In other news, tackle D.J. Humphries played 100 percent of snaps on Thursday Night Football but has appeared on the injury report with a back injury. If Humphries can't go, Josh Jones would be the next man up. However, Humphries is included in the model for now. Still, with injuries at center and guard, the Cards' offensive line falls to 28th this week. They have a tough matchup this week on the road against Minnesota, who is well rested and coming off the bye. The Cardinals have 14 players on their injury report, while the Vikings only have one.

NY Jets down 11

Devastating news out of New Jersey, as right tackle Alijah Vera-Tucker was placed on IR with a torn triceps suffered in the win at Denver. Cedric Ogbuehi replaced Vera-Tucker in the game and will likely get the start this week against New England. Mike Remmers, signed a few weeks ago, is another veteran option at right tackle. But there's no way to sugar-coat this news: this injury seriously hurts this group. Vera-Tucker was their best lineman, playing at Pro Bowl, possibly All-Pro level starting at every position this year but center. The Jets' line look to recover this week at home, but they fall to 29th in the latest rankings.

Seattle down 2

Right guard Phil Haynes suffered a concussion last week against the Chargers and has not practiced. Jake Curhan, normally the swing tackle, took his place and played extremely poorly. This is a downgrade, but the X factor here is veteran Gabe Jackson. Jackson has been recovering from hip and knee injuries and has been out of commission for a month. But Jackson did show up at practice this week in a limited fashion. The model has Seattle as 30th with Curhan but would rank as high as 25th with Jackson. We might not know until gameday inactives are announced whether this is an upgrade or a downgrade. Until Jackson can prove his health, we're erring on the side of caution.

Tennessee down 6

Right guard Nate Davis has missed the last two games with a foot injury, and his absence wasn't a surprise. What was a surprise was the poor play of former second-round pick Dillon Radunz in his replacement. Radunz is projected to be more of a tackle than a guard, but that doesn't explain the mistakes like false start penalties. The head coach has been unsparing in his public descriptions of Radunz, calling out the young player to do better. In other news, left guard Aaron Brewer (toe) and center Ben Jones (knee) have not practiced this week, but they are still included in the model. The Titans' offense has been decent of late, but the right guard situation is troubling. The line falls to 31st before facing an underrated Houston defensive front.

Chicago down 6

Right tackle Larry Borom played 100 percent of snaps during Monday Night Football but was placed in the league's concussion protocol this week. Borom had an uncharacteristically bad game last week against Matthew Judon, and it's possible the injury was affecting his play. Should Borom not be able to go, Riley Reiff would likely see his first action of the season. Lucas Patrick only lasted ten snaps at center before leaving with a toe injury. Lucas' injury might be serious enough to require a stint on IR. Sam Mustipher returned to the lineup in place of Patrick, while Michael Schofield say 100 percent of the snaps at right guard. The group overall looked better with Schofield in the lineup, but the possible loss of Borom would drop the Bears' offensive line to 32nd before facing a tough Dallas defensive front.

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