Marshal Yanda is "the best guard in football"

From Andy Benoit's "Week 13 Film Review: Cowboys Thrown Off Rhythm"

December 6, 2011

A closer look at some of the games from Week 13, with the benefit of film review:

Ravens O vs. Browns D

With rain pouring and the field sloppy, the Ravens went with a basic plan and ran the ball down the Browns’ throats. Guards Ben Grubbs and Marshal Yanda were simply spectacular. Yanda, with his mobility and ability to land well-angled blocks multiple times on a single play, has been arguably the best guard in football. This was the second time in a month that Cleveland’s defense gave up over 260 yards on the ground. Not coincidentally, the last time was against Houston, an offense that has a zone-blocking scheme similar to Baltimore’s. The Ravens wanted to get the Browns playing laterally so that Ray Rice could identify cutback lanes and, in general, rely on his speed and acceleration. Rice was masterful in showing the necessary patience and vision for that. The Browns should be concerned about the continued ineffectiveness of first-round rookie defensive tackle Phil Taylor (his partner, Ahtyba Rubin, was not much better this game). The only defender who won his matchup on the line was second-round rookie end Jabaal Sheard, who, with power amplified by quickness, got the better of Michael Oher all game.