Patriots offensive lineman stresses they have to get better in one specific area
LONDON, England – The New England Patriots offensive line has had many ups and downs this season. And in the past two weeks, one issue has become abundantly clear that has stalled the offense on numerous occasions. "We didn't play the best. Didn't get the run game going," Onwenu told A to Z Sports. "So […]
LONDON, England – The New England Patriots offensive line has had many ups and downs this season.
And in the past two weeks, one issue has become abundantly clear that has stalled the offense on numerous occasions.
"We didn't play the best. Didn't get the run game going," Onwenu told A to Z Sports. "So it's not good when you can't run the ball."
"But I'll just say these last two weeks, we weren't able to run the ball or establish the run. So you can't really be productive without the run game," he added.
So how could the offensive line fix this?
"Just block," Onwenu said. "If you're not blocking your guys, there's not holes for the running backs. So I'll just say blocking better."
However, a part of the issue for the offensive line has been the constant changes.
Across the seven games this season, the team has been forced to use seven different starting offensive line combinations.
"These last couple of weeks, we've been kind of losing a guy every week, so it's not good," Onwenu said. "It's injuries. It's football. So it happens, but you don't like to see it."
But Onwenu isn't using that as an excuse.
"Yeah, I'm sure that plays a factor, but it doesn't matter," he explained. It's the NFL. We get paid to play. So the guys who are out there are supposed to play well and play good together. We just got to be better."
And while no one wants to see their teammate go down, it does provide an opportunity for other players on the team.
"It sucks for guys to get hurt, but it's a bright side for someone else to step in and someone else to get the opportunity to play and show that they belong in the NFL," he said. "For any guy that does get in when there's an injury, it's just an opportunity for them to play well."
Based on what happened in Sunday's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, it could be the eighth different combination in next weekend's matchup against the Jets.
Layden Robinson, who started at right guard, left the game with an injury and was replaced by Sidy Sow.
So if that's the case, Sow could move back into the starting lineup, but this time on the right side.
Let's see what happens.