FOXBORO, Mass. — The boos have been loud when the New England Patriots allowed two sacks on Jacoby Brissett’s first three drop backs in opposition to the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. An an identical lead to Drake Maye’s debut begin possible would make for an much more deafening response.
As a result of the reality is issues are totally different when the way forward for the franchise is behind middle.
Mike Onwenu appears to grasp that.
“Being our first-round decide, you wish to defend him and preserve him secure,” Onwenu informed NESN.com within the locker room Wednesday. “It’s undoubtedly intensified and also you wish to do higher and be higher.”
It’s undoubtedly intensified and also you wish to do higher and be higher.
Patriots beginning offensive lineman Mike Onwenu
That’s to not say Patriots offensive linemen now will strive tougher in entrance of Maye than they did Brissett. They didn’t permit the very best strain fee within the league by 5 weeks as a result of it was a veteran journeyman and never the third general decide.
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However the group accountable for defending Maye will face much more scrutiny ought to their struggles proceed. The complete group will.
“On the finish of the day it don’t matter who in there,” middle Nick Leverett informed NESN.com. “I deal with it as if my mama again there. I wish to defend to the perfect of my means, all of us do. We take delight and anytime we mess up we take it to coronary heart. If Drake again there, you undoubtedly wish to preserve the child clear.”
The struggles of the offensive line have been a number one motive many thought the Patriots ought to preserve Maye on the bench. The Patriots are one of many worst groups within the league in go blocking metrics, along with their league-high strain fee. Whether or not or not Brissett was beneath siege was roughly a coin flip.
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Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo harassed the offensive line wouldn’t play a consider Maye’s debut date. He saved to his phrase when he formally named Maye the starter Wednesday.
“Each group, even this early within the season, continues to be attempting to determine who they’ve, what they’re as a company and their identification,” Mayo stated. “What I might say, look, we’re good with Drake. Each group doesn’t have a, let’s say, a ‘one’ receiver or ‘one’ operating again. They don’t have these sorts of issues, however I might say that Drake goes to make us a greater soccer group immediately and going ahead.”
There’s an argument to be made that New England’s offensive line is in a greater spot — not nice — getting into their Week 6 recreation in opposition to the Houston Texans. For the primary time this season, the Patriots will begin the identical offensive line in consecutive contests. In the meantime, Vederian Lowe was an improve at left sort out Sunday and Onwenu again at proper guard introduced the Patriots with higher returns on the bottom.
Onwenu believes it can function a bonus for Maye.
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“Yeah, that’s for any quarterback,” Onwenu stated. “You need the identical guys in entrance of you. Simply to know they’ve performed with one another, they know whether or not it’s selecting up blocking or simply enjoying collectively, basically.”
It gained’t be a straightforward activity in opposition to a Houston protection that leads the league in strain fee with defensive ends Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. persistently wreaking havoc. However with New England’s franchise signal-caller thrust into the combination, it’s a problem the offensive line must meet head on.
