Getty Bill Belichick has some issues to resolve with his offense.
The New England Patriots offense was a mess in the preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders. Finding the right person or people to point the finger of blame at is difficult.
Still, the Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard laid into massive Patriots offensive lineman Trent Brown when describing the major problems with some of the protection issues that have stagnated New England’s attack in training camp and the preseason.
Greg Bedard on Trent Brown: “It’s Like He’s Running His Own Play From the Old Playbook”
By many accounts, the Patriots offensive line is out of sync. Bedard spotlighted a few plays from the disappointing performance against the Raiders.
He surmised what he believed to be each O-lineman’s responsibilities and then blasted Brown’s decision-making and execution of the play.
“Brown never leaves his double team with [Cole] Strange, even though the rookie is there, and Brown’s decision allows the linebacker to run completely free into the backfield,” Bedard describes a run play blown up in the backfield by the Raiders.
“It is completely baffling what Brown is doing,” Bedard continues. “It’s like he’s running his own play from the old playbook.”
At one point in Bedard’s breakdown, he calls Brown out:
“On some plays, you wonder what he’s doing and if he’s really trying.”
Former defensive coordinator and Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia has taken over as the primary play-caller for the Patriots. The transition from the sometimes complex but steady offense run by former Patriots offensive coordinator and current Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels hasn’t been smooth.
Bedard wasn’t done slamming Brown’s play.
“For some reason, Brown thinks he is responsible for the backside linebacker, which he has no chance in hell at blocking,” Bedard wrote. “It should have been Andrews. That has to be coaching. Another debacle. Stuffed run, holding penalty.”
Can the Patriots get things together by their Week 1 opener against their AFC East rivals, the Miami Dolphins? Based on how inept the offense looked, there is reason to have doubts.
Insult to Injury for the Patriots
New England was manhandled 26-3 in the preseason finale, and the offensive line’s woes have been discussed ad nauseam. The Patriots now find themselves suffering from a lack of depth at key positions thanks to recent injuries to add more issues to performance problems.
Rookie wide receiver Tyquan Thornton is expected to miss 6-8 weeks after having surgery to repair a fractured clavicle. Thornton was the only promising speed option amongst the wide receiver group. Before Thornton’s injury, there might have been a chance the Patriots would trade disappointing veteran Nelson Agholor. Because he’s the only potential speed threat in the WR room, that might not be a wise decision.
The still-strong running back group took a hit as well. Potential James White replacement Ty Montgomery was carted off the field. Here is a look at the play Montgomery was injured on per Ben Brown of the QB List:
Here’s the play where Ty Montgomery got injured. It’s not immediately clear what happened, but the fact that he stayed down on the ground for a while is not a good sign
According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the injury was to Montgomery’s ankle, but the severity was still unknown. At some point, Patriots Nation would likely appreciate some positive news.