Why the Green Bay Packers will win the Super Bowl: The offensive line

T.J. Lang: Tweeting champ is also lineman par excellence

Green Bay Packers right guard T.J. Lang is probably more well known for his tweets following the 2012 “Fail Mary” game in Seattle than anything else … and that’s because he is simply one of the best in the game at his position.

Here’s the tweet that earned records of numbers of retweets back in 2012:

He goes about his business with skill and technique and when paired with Josh Sitton, his counterpart on the left side of the Packers line, they are considered at the top of the NFL for what they do.

Drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round (109th overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft, Lang is one of four starters on the Packers’ O-line who are fourth or fifth round picks. Only Bryan Bulaga, the Packers’ right tackle is a first round selection.

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Brought to Green Bay out of Eastern Michigan, the little known Lang made an impression right away. Though it wouldn’t be until his third season, 2011, that Lang would become a full-time starter, his reliability has been unquestioned. Starting on the left side his first two years as a starter, Lang made the switch to the right side without complaint two seasons ago and with the change, both he and Sitton have blossomed as solid linemen.

Since 2011, he has missed only one game, that being in 2012.

While Sitton gets the Pro Bowl nods, those who evaluate linemen for a living understand that Lang is as good, if not better than his teammate.

Consider Pro Football Focus … they rank the guy third in the entire league … just one place above his buddy and partner in crime, Sitton.

Lang played 966 snaps in 2014 and had an overall rating of +23.1. His pass blocking was rated at +9.9, while being penalized just twice, allowing one three quarterback sacks, two quarterback hits and 12 quarterback hurries.

Green Bay Packers guard T.J. Lang. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Those are some pretty phenomenal numbers for a fourth round draft pick and nobody knows anything about.

As he heads into seventh season in Green Bay in 2015, Lang once again joins what head coach Mike McCarthy calls the best offensive line unit he’s ever coached.

That’s pretty high praise for an organization that’s put a lot of effort into the offensive line given that they’ve been responsible the past two-plus decades protecting two guys by the name of Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers.

There’s a reason the Packers have had just two starting quarterbacks (with the exception of half of 2013 when Rodgers fractured his clavicle) since 1992.

Lang is one of the spokes of the wheel that has kept the team’s quarterbacks healthy over the years.

He’s also one of Ted Thompson‘s top draft choices of the past decade.