Green Bay Packers guards T.J. Lang (left) and Josh Sitton joke around after a victory against the Cleveland Browns in 2013. The two are close friends. Credit: Mark Hoffman

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Green Bay — Saturday nights before home games can be a treat for many of the Green Bay Packers.

The team stays in a local hotel, and players are given the option of rooming alone. For many with young children or a spouse that steals the sheets, the serenity can be downright blissful.

But not for Josh Sitton and T.J. Lang, Green Bay's big, strong, physical — and extremely chummy — guards.

"I think we're the only two who have roommates at home games," said Sitton, Green Bay's left guard. "We like hanging out together. We get bored alone and we like to be together."

Lang seconded that emotion.

"Josh and I are both creatures of habit. We like to do the same thing over and over again," said Lang, who plays right guard. "And it gets pretty boring when you're in your own room for a couple hours. We like to room up and have someone to talk to, so we're not just sitting there stressing about the game."

Sitton and Lang might be the closest thing the Packers have to an old married couple.

They share several interests, including a handful of outdoor sports. Both men love to work movie quotes into the conversation.

They room together throughout training camp, on the road and at home. And no two players on the roster do a better job of keeping things loose.

Oh, and most importantly, they might be as good as any guard combination in football.

"Those two, especially together, it's like a comedy show," Packers second-year center JC Tretter said. "But they handle their business, day in and day out. They do what they're supposed to do and they do it extremely well.

"I pick each of their brains daily. I think the way they understand the offense is very impressive. Just the nuances of it and the way they understand the entire picture of what's going on is really impressive. Their mental side of the game is very impressive. Really, just awesome players and awesome guys."

Last week, one AFC personnel director was asked to rank football's top guard duos. He listed Philadelphia's Evan Mathis and Todd Herremans first, San Francisco's Mike Iupati and Alex Boone second, and Sitton and Lang third.

Jerry Kramer and Fuzzy Thurston (1958-'67) are undoubtedly the best guard combination in Packers history. Marco Rivera and Mike Wahle (1999-2004) arguably rank second, while Sitton and Lang are quickly joining the discussion.

Sitton, now in his seventh season, has become the line's elder statesman. Sitton was a second-team All-Pro selection by the Associated Press last season, a 2012 Pro Bowler and the Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2010 by the NFL Alumni Association.

Sitton plays with the nastiness that coaches love. Sitton is both agile and powerful in the run game, and his impressive strength makes it tough for even the game's elite inside rushers to make much headway.

Lang, in his sixth season, is one of the more underrated guards in football. He's played all five positions on the offensive line, made a seamless transition from left guard to right guard last year, and has been a model of consistency since moving into the starting lineup in 2011.

Lang is one of the Packers' top finishers in the run game. And while Lang has some limitations athletically, his smarts and toughness are off the charts.

"Being one of the best guard duos in the league is something that we definitely pride ourselves on," Sitton said. "We've worked to be in that conversation. We work our butts off and we definitely go out their and work our (tails) off and enjoy the time together. We really pride ourselves on being great."

The odds of this pair becoming great seemed slim five years ago.

Sitton had a quick start to his career and moved into the starting lineup by his second season. Things were tougher for Lang, though.

Lang was partying hard, and took a step backward during the Packers' 2010 Super Bowl season. When Daryn Colledge left in free agency that offseason, Sitton immediately got in Lang's ear.

"I remember having conversations with him telling him how much we needed him to step up and kind of straighten his (expletive) out," Sitton said. "I knew how good he could be. We had a few talks and that's really when our friendship kind of blossomed, I guess."

Lang thinks back to that time, and is thankful Sitton took a "tough love" approach.

"He's been a guy, especially when I was young, in my first or second year and not playing a lot and not really living life like I should, he's a guy that came to me and said they needed me to grow up a little bit," Lang said. "He was one of the guys that helped me turn from the partying and we just kind of stayed bonded."

That's for sure.

Sitton was in Lang's wedding last month. Both are extremely close with the other's family. And they've built a bond that's rare in this revolving door sport.

"When I was a young player coming in, I saw Cliffy and Tausch and couldn't believe how long they were together," Lang said of former tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher. "Even (Jason) Spitz and Daryn Colledge had that, as well. And it's just something that builds throughout the year. It's not often you get to spend five or six years together. It's pretty special."

The play of both Sitton and Lang have helped the Packers offense remain special.

Green Bay has scored 1,410 points in the last three seasons — an average of 470 per year. That's the most in franchise history over a three-year span, and trails only New England (1,514) and New Orleans (1,422) since 2011.

The Packers ranked third in total offense in both 2011 and '13. And Green Bay's seventh-place finish in rushing offense last year was its second-best mark since 1971.

Fans are inclined to follow the football and rarely spend their time eyeballing guards. But these two are worth watching.

Because if it wasn't for Sitton and Lang, there's no way Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers' high-powered offense would work like it does.

"I think we've had a good thing going for the last three years," Lang said. "I think it's just something that we've both grown into. I see the kind of player he is and he's finally getting the recognition, the All-Pro. I definitely have the same kind of goals.

"We haven't really talked about being the best tandem in the league, but it's something that both of us bring out that competitiveness in each other. I know Josh is a great player and I want to be the player he is, if not better. And if he's second-team All-Pro, he wants to be first-team. We're both always striving to get better and I think that's what makes us grow year in and year out."

Sitton agreed.

"Working with T.J. has been a lot of fun," Sitton said.

"Pretty much any time him and I are involved in anything, we're keeping it light. We try and keep it light everywhere. We know when it's time to work, but we like to have fun. It's been a great combination."

This story appeared in Packer Plus Magazine