Offensive Line Woes Continue For Patriots

The New England Patriots came out as the clear winners in the battle of the rookie quarterbacks in week two. And while they harassed Zach Wilson and showed some encouraging steps all across the board there remains a clear concern. While Patriots nation collectively will moan and complain about the lack of scoring points it is all in line with working in a rookie quarterback into a complex system. It also is a symptom of the vast overhaul that the team finds themselves in the midst of. However, the most pressing concern is just as important and has the potential to smooth over many of the rocky patches for the offense in the future. It also is the least likely to see vast improvements. What is it? The offensive line. 

The Good News

The interior of the line has looked decent and figures to gel even more. David Andrews looks like the veteran that they need him to be and Shaq Mason has had his good moments. Michael Onwenu has slid over to guard and taken over for departing teammate Joe Thuney. He looks good for the most part. In both run and pass blocking, he has scored well. Can he improve? Most certainly.

And the good thing for rookie quarterback Mac Jones’ development is that the interior of the offensive line has been a strength. Not being as mobile as the typical young thrower, having the ability to climb the pocket a few steps before passing is better than having pressure in your face and scrambling outside. And not surprisingly the team favors running behind the guards as part of their overall scheme. According to PFF, 15 of the 24 rushes against the Jets took advantage of the middle of the line. And the mobility of both Onwenu and Mason is an asset to the run game. The ability for them to pull and hit the point of attack with force provides a positive.

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The Bad News

When Trent Brown went down with a calf injury in the first drive of the season against the Miami Dolphins, it really put a kink in the team’s plan. Losing an important starter in the first quarter has the potential to scrap any well-thought-out plan. And it did. Sophomore Justin Herron looked overmatched, just as he did during the preseason. Going to newcomer Yasil Durant at least seemed to prevent further woes. And to top it all off Isaiah Wynn has been slow to ramp up. Whether it is just normal beginning of the year struggles or he is getting used to Michael Onwenu on his right side. He is underperforming at the worst time possible.

The optimism surrounding this minor calf strain has me nervous. Last year with the Raiders he missed the first month of the season to a strain suffered in the opening drive of the season. If this is something that lingers, the Patriots offensive cohesiveness will suffer. 

During the Jets game, the entire line had difficulties containing the pass rush for Mac Jones. The push of the four down lineman and stunts made it seem as though they were rushing many players. In reality, they only blitzed on five snaps and dropped a large number of players in coverage. 

Mac Jones performed well against the Miami blitz but struggled against the blanket cover the Jets presented him. This should clean up in time as he gains more experience and is able to decipher what he is seeing quicker. But it will mean very little if he does not get help from those guys up front. He has been pressured on 21 of his 73 dropbacks through 2 games. 

The offensive line was supposed to be a strength of the team and is needed for both the run game and the development of their rookie quarterback. The injury of Trent Brown and Isaiah Wynn’s struggles threaten to derail the positives of this entire team. It is priority number 1 to fix and fix quickly.