Patriots offensive line woes show after disastrous start
The New England Patriots switched things up on the offensive line at the start of their Sunday Night matchup against the Denver Broncos. But instead of an early Christmas present, the line delivered a lump of coal in the opening minutes. It was Vederian Lowe who got the start at left tackle over Trent Brown and Conor […]
The New England Patriots switched things up on the offensive line at the start of their Sunday Night matchup against the Denver Broncos.
But instead of an early Christmas present, the line delivered a lump of coal in the opening minutes.
It was Vederian Lowe who got the start at left tackle over Trent Brown and Conor McDermott, and James Ferentz took over for Atonio Mafi, who replaced Cole Strange last week.
Ferentz was completely beat on the opening play of the game, allowing the Denver to rush Bailey Zappe and get the strip sack. To make matters worse, the Broncos recovered.
Their stint on the field didn't last long, with Brown and Mafi coming on for the Patriots third offensive drive of the game.
The fumble recovery allowed the Broncos to start with the ball in the red zone. However, the Patriots defense did what they have been doing all season, stepping up when it was most needed.
After three attempts, Denver was presented with a 4th down and made the choice to go for it rather than kick the field goal. And the defense stopped them, providing the Patriots with the ball back.
New England proceeded to go three-and-out, with the Broncos doing the same thing. And the Patriots did it once again on the next drive.
The offensive line has been a problem all season, with star tackle Trent Brown dealing with injuries. And now they have lost Strange for the season, placing him on injured reserve.
One thing is for sure: this isn't the start to a primetime game that anyone hoped for.
