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By Sam Monson
January 8, 2015
2014 Bruce Matthews Award Winner
Marshal Yanda, RG, Baltimore Ravens
With no Evan Mathis for half of the season it looked destined for one of the three elite tackles to win the Matthews award this year. However, Marshal Yanda decided to take up the mantle of outstanding guard play. Yanda finished with a +43.4 grade, almost 20 points clear of the next best player at his position. He allowed exactly 16 total pressures, just one per game over the season, and even showed the ability to kick out to right tackle when the Ravens suffered injuries late in the year and needed a re-shuffle up front.
Yanda’s run blocking grade of +34.2 was nearly twice that of the next best guard, San Francisco’s Mike Iupati (+18.5), paving the way for a successful season from Justin Forsett, not exactly a dominant runner in ordinary circumstances. Baltimore averaged 5.6 yards per carry running either side of Yanda this season, significantly more than any other lineman on the team. His season was a picture of consistency, with impressive games almost every week, and even positive grades once he switched to tackle.
Marshal Yanda was a monster in the trenches this season and a worthy winner of the second annual PFF Bruce Matthews award.
