The start to the season has a simple theme: pass pro good, run blocking bad.
Mac Jones was only pressured 4 times in 33 dropbacks which is the second lowest pressure rate of any week 1 game. Unfortunately, Trent Brown allowed a free rusher that resulted in a strip sack for a TD which I think skewed how a lot of folks viewed what was actually a good day.
View: https://twitter.com/tkyles39/status/1570455724010115073?s=20&t=qTrFTSFpfvxOs9cMz381tQ
Football Outsiders has them 8th in adjusted sack rate to start the season (can't complain about a top 10 unit in pass pro).
PFF and Next Gen Stats also give the Patriots line high marks in week 1:
View: https://twitter.com/benbbaldwin/status/1569696375788507136?s=20&t=Ch2MjUFmfUrfiOvZ--gGzw
Wynn, Onwenu, and newbie Cole Strange had perfect days (Onwenu had a couple late reactions but recovered). In particular Strange is already paying dividends:
View: https://twitter.com/PFF_Patriots/status/1570110255576629251?s=20&t=qcwlfjyMHAxHKnzJc5j5LQ
But like Willie Soke says in Bad Santa, "They can't all be winners." Trent Brown had a bad day at the office in pass pro giving up 2 sacks and a hit as well as a holding penalty. He also had an up and down day as a run blocker. Aside from Trent Brown the line generally communicated in pass protection well. David Andrews also had a forgettable day giving up a hurry and getting flagged.
The run blocking on the other hand was abysmal. This is the OL thread but honorable mention to Jonnu and Hunter Henry who sucked wind as run blockers.
View: https://twitter.com/benbbaldwin/status/1569697716728389633?s=20&t=Ch2MjUFmfUrfiOvZ--gGzw
Yikes. And if you watch the all-22 you don't even need to know anything about offensive line play to see how badly these guys lost on an individual basis. I think @Super Nomario had a stat that they had the most stuffs and negative runs of any team.
I know there was complaints about running duo on that crucial 3rd and 3 that got stuffed but hear me out (duo looks a lot like a gap/power pull run but instead of a puller there are two double teams instead). It was a super light box and this team in theory and on paper has the kind of lineup that should be really good executing gap/power and downhill types of runs. They should be able to blow the doors off of a light box with duo. What happened? A comedy of errors. Cajuste whiffed on one half of a combo block and knocked out Onwenu. Trent Brown couldn't get to his block and Andrew got knocked back on his combo with Strange. 2/5 guys got beat badly, and really 4/5 guys failed to do their job on this block. Strange did his part on the combo with Andrews but then couldn't even think about coming off of it and getting a man downfield (which is what he is supposed to do in that case). Think about it another way: they lost a 5 on 3. 92, who had an incredible day especially against the run, single-handedly defeated the play.
Everyone made mistakes and as a unit and as individuals they lost way too much. Let's see if they can iron things out going forward but as a rule I really do not like Onwenu and Trent Brown in outside zone.
Mac Jones was only pressured 4 times in 33 dropbacks which is the second lowest pressure rate of any week 1 game. Unfortunately, Trent Brown allowed a free rusher that resulted in a strip sack for a TD which I think skewed how a lot of folks viewed what was actually a good day.
View: https://twitter.com/tkyles39/status/1570455724010115073?s=20&t=qTrFTSFpfvxOs9cMz381tQ
Football Outsiders has them 8th in adjusted sack rate to start the season (can't complain about a top 10 unit in pass pro).
PFF and Next Gen Stats also give the Patriots line high marks in week 1:
View: https://twitter.com/benbbaldwin/status/1569696375788507136?s=20&t=Ch2MjUFmfUrfiOvZ--gGzw
Wynn, Onwenu, and newbie Cole Strange had perfect days (Onwenu had a couple late reactions but recovered). In particular Strange is already paying dividends:
View: https://twitter.com/PFF_Patriots/status/1570110255576629251?s=20&t=qcwlfjyMHAxHKnzJc5j5LQ
But like Willie Soke says in Bad Santa, "They can't all be winners." Trent Brown had a bad day at the office in pass pro giving up 2 sacks and a hit as well as a holding penalty. He also had an up and down day as a run blocker. Aside from Trent Brown the line generally communicated in pass protection well. David Andrews also had a forgettable day giving up a hurry and getting flagged.
The run blocking on the other hand was abysmal. This is the OL thread but honorable mention to Jonnu and Hunter Henry who sucked wind as run blockers.
View: https://twitter.com/benbbaldwin/status/1569697716728389633?s=20&t=Ch2MjUFmfUrfiOvZ--gGzw
Yikes. And if you watch the all-22 you don't even need to know anything about offensive line play to see how badly these guys lost on an individual basis. I think @Super Nomario had a stat that they had the most stuffs and negative runs of any team.
I know there was complaints about running duo on that crucial 3rd and 3 that got stuffed but hear me out (duo looks a lot like a gap/power pull run but instead of a puller there are two double teams instead). It was a super light box and this team in theory and on paper has the kind of lineup that should be really good executing gap/power and downhill types of runs. They should be able to blow the doors off of a light box with duo. What happened? A comedy of errors. Cajuste whiffed on one half of a combo block and knocked out Onwenu. Trent Brown couldn't get to his block and Andrew got knocked back on his combo with Strange. 2/5 guys got beat badly, and really 4/5 guys failed to do their job on this block. Strange did his part on the combo with Andrews but then couldn't even think about coming off of it and getting a man downfield (which is what he is supposed to do in that case). Think about it another way: they lost a 5 on 3. 92, who had an incredible day especially against the run, single-handedly defeated the play.
Everyone made mistakes and as a unit and as individuals they lost way too much. Let's see if they can iron things out going forward but as a rule I really do not like Onwenu and Trent Brown in outside zone.
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