When the overwhelming experience for an NFL offensive line has been to weather change throughout a season, that generally isn't a good thing.
Accordingly, it hasn't been for the New Orleans Saints (5-10), as they prepare for their Sunday home finale against the Raiders (3-12) at noon in the Caesars Superdome.
New Orleans only has had six games this season featuring the starting offensive line from the season opener – left tackle Taliese Fuaga, left guard Lucas Patrick, center Erik McCoy, right guard Cesar Ruiz and left tackle Trevor Penning.
Only Fuaga, the team's first-round draft pick, and Penning have started every game. In two of the six games the starters began, they didn't finish intact due to injuries to McCoy and/or Patrick.
Entering Sunday there have been two starters at left guard (that likely will increase to three Sunday, with Oli Udoh poised to open), four at center and two at right guard.
"Unfortunately, we've been dealing with it all year," Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi said. "But the good news is Shane Lemieux, who's going to play center for us, has had a bunch of reps this year.
"Oli and Landon (Turner), those guys have also had a bunch of reps. But every game that Erik's not in there, we miss him for sure and the same with Lucas.
"We need those other guys to step up, just like we have all year. We need the cohesion there. The good news is they've had reps this year, so hopefully that experience pays off."
Lemieux will make his second start at center, and Udoh will make his first. Ruiz has made the second-most starts this year, 11 at right guard. In the five games he was unable to play, Young started.
The continuous flux on the line – and the injury-ravaged receiver position – obviously has been a hindrance to the offense and most certainly has affected rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler, who'll make his fifth start Sunday. A different five opened in three of Rattler's first four starts, and that number will increase to four out of five Sunday.
New Orleans has averaged 11 points and 284 yards in his starts, with the line absent starters and the receiving corps having Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed available once as a starting tandem. And Shaheed was injured and underwent season-ending surgery after that game, against Tampa Bay.
"Everybody that's up this week has game experience," Ruiz said. "Most everybody we've got right now has played at some point this season, so at some point we've all got to play together. It's just picking up from where we left off last time.
"The communication, we all practice it. Everybody has been working together from Day 1, so the communication is always there. The emphasis to protect the young quarterback is important; the emphasis to protect all the quarterbacks is important. You hold that emphasis every week."
