Football games are often won in the trenches. When looking at the upcoming Championship Game of the European League of Football, the Frankfurt Galaxy (9-1) and the Hamburg Sea Devils (7-3) both have more than solid offensive lines that even feature five All-Star players.  

Let’s have a closer look at the offensive lines of both teams and their performances throughout the 2021 season.

Frankfurt Galaxy (9-1)

25.0 Sacks Allowed | 122.4 Ø Rushing Yards | 4.3 Yards Per Rush

The Frankfurt Galaxy (9-1) have one of the best offensive lines in the European League of Football. Just like on the defensive line, the offensive line has immense depth and high-quality players.

Overall, the offensive line allowed 25.0 sacks throughout the entire 2021 season, including the South Conference playoff game. They helped their running backs, quarterbacks, and occasionally wide receivers to rush for an average of 122.4 yards per game. This resulted into a 4.3 yards per rushing attempt.

All-Star left tackle Yannic Kiehl missed the South Conference playoff game due to an injury which is why he was replaced by Nils Hampel on the starting line-up. The other four starters against the Cologne Centurions (5-5) were right tackle Darnell Minton, right guard Lars Hampel, All-Star center Joachim Christensen, and left guard Sven Fischer.

Interestingly enough, the Galaxy offensive line allowed seven sacks and 14 tackles for loss in both regular season matchups against the Sea Devils combined. In other words, 28% of their total sacks allowed came in only two games against the Sea Devils. The other 72% were allowed during the other nine games the team played in the regular season and the playoffs.

However, they were able to contribute to one rushing touchdown in each of the two games and 160 combined rushing yards on 55 combined carries. Consequently, the Galaxy offense and their offensive line was only able to produce 2.9 yards per rushing attempt against the Sea Devils defense compared to 4.3 yards per rushing attempt over the course of the season.

Hamburg Sea Devils (7-3)

28.0 Sacks Allowed | 147.1 Ø Rushing Yards | 4.6 Yards Per Rush

The Hamburg Sea Devils (7-3) have a decorated offensive line as three out of their five starters are All-Star players; right guard Timo Winter, left guard Robin Fensch and left tackle Keanu Ebanks were all voted to the European League of Football All-Star team by the fans and coaches.

Over the course of the inaugural season, the offensive line allowed 28.0 total sacks, including the North Conference playoff game against the Wrocław Panthers (6-4). They also supported the Sea Devils skill-position players to run for an averageof 147.1 yards per game. As a result, the Sea Devils had a slightly better outcome of yards gained per rushing attempt which stands at 4.6 yards on average.

A healthy offensive line in the North Conference playoff game allowed the usual five starters to be in the starting line-up against the Panthers: right tackle Dennis Kenzler, All-Star right guard Timo Winter, center David Weinstock, All-Star left guard Robing Fensch, and All-Star left tackle Keanu Ebanks.

In the two games played against the Galaxy in the regular season, the Sea Devils offensive line allowed six sacks and 19 tackle for loss. On top of that, the Sea Devils offense and its offensive line was unable to find the endzone on the ground in both contests and gained 159 total rushing yards on 53 carries. Consequently, the Sea Devils offense and its offensive line were only able to run for 3.0 yards per rushing attempt against the Galaxy compared to 4.6 yards per rushing attempt over the entire season.  

If you would like to see the five All-Star offensive lineman and the rest of both offensive lines play in the Championship Game, you still have the chance to purchase tickets via Ticketmaster.

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