New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo obtained too cute and in the end regretted his resolution.
The Patriots began their eighth completely different offensive line mixture in 9 video games after they took the sector towards the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on Sunday. This time, nonetheless, was attributable to coach’s alternative quite than injury-related necessity.
It didn’t repay.
“I believed that was the perfect factor to do for the group,” Mayo mentioned throughout a convention name Monday morning when requested why the Patriots began rookie Layden Robinson at proper guard quite than veteran Mike Onwenu.
Onwenu bumped to proper sort out, which dropped Demontrey Jacobs from the beginning lineup. The beginning group of Vederian Lowe-Michael Jordan-Ben Brown-Onwenu-Jacobs, from left to proper, seemed like the perfect unit in a Week 8 win over New York Jets.
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Titans defensive sort out Jeffrey Simmons took Robinson’s lunch cash within the early going. On New England’s opening drive, the two-time Professional Bowler beat the rookie for a stress on Drake Maye and earned a holding penalty. Simmons in all probability ought to have benefited from one other flag, too.
It was one in every of two pressures allowed by Robinson as Maye was pressured on 4 of his first 5 dropbacks.
“Look, they’ve a great entrance,” Mayo mentioned. “Ninety-eight (Jeffrey Simmons) undoubtedly is an issue.”
Positive is. And that’s precisely why it will have been sensible to maintain Onwenu, the group’s greatest inside participant, on the inside. Robinson hadn’t performed any offensive snaps in three of the earlier 4 video games. He was thrown into the hearth in entrance of Maye.
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Mayo and his employees benched Robinson and re-inserted Jacobs earlier than half.
Jacobs graded as New England’s greatest cross blocker, per Professional Soccer Focus. Robinson completed forward of Jordan and Brown, however that was in a single third of their pass-blocking snaps. Jacobs graded higher in working again than Robinson, as effectively. New England’s run blocking generally, nonetheless, was mystifying as working backs mix for 12 carries and 15 yards with 19 yards after contact.
Maybe continuity up entrance will assist the Patriots going ahead. Properly, if New England desires to maintain that continuity.
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