Ranking New England Patriots offensive linemen’s efforts against Tampa Bay
Here’s how I rank New England Patriots offensive linemen in the pre-season game against Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
1) Nick Kaczur (RT/LT)
2) Stephen Neal (RG)
3) Dan Koppen (C)
4) Matt Light (LT)
5) Ryan O’Callaghan (RT)
6) Logan Mankins (LG)
7) Russ Hochstein (C)
8) Mike Elgin(LG/C/RG)
9) Wesley Britt (LT)
10) Brian Barthelmes (RG)
11) Gene Mruczkowski (RG/C)
12) Clint Oldenburg (LG/LT)
13) Corey Hilliard (RT)
Second-string guard Billy Yates didn’t play because of injury.
I give Kaczur the nod over Koppen and Neal because he played more (starting right tackle and second-string left tackle). Kaczur, Neal, Koppen, Light, O’Callaghan, Mankins, Elgin, Hochstein, Britt, and Barthelmes all get passing grades. Mruczkowski, Oldenburg, and Hilliard don’t. One might question how O’Callaghan, who didn’t even start, could get a higher ranking than Mankins, and one might answer that Mankins’s starting job is etched in stone while Kaczur and O’Callaghan are believed to be battling for the starting job at right tackle.
There was one play in the first quarter where the second-string unit appeared to be overwhelmed by an overload blitz over the left side. Kaczur and Elgin both blocked to their outside, leaving a blitzing linebacker in the gap between the two untouched. Fortunately, second-string quarterback Matt Cassel had a good read on the situation and unloaded the ball over the middle - where it was caught for a first down - before he was sacked. A couple of point on that play: Elgin blocked the right man, although he didn’t do it all that effectively. The Pats’ o-line had big men on big men, but perhaps Kaczur should have filled the inside gap instead of the outside lane? It would have helped considerably had fullback Sammy Morris picked up the blitzing linebacker instead of wheeling left as a dump-off option. Seriously, starting quarterback Tom Brady shouldn’t have to take it in the mouth for every first down he throws for. The big backs (Morris, Heath Evans and Garrett Mills) have got to stay in and pick up the blitz in those situations. I caught a few plays in a game between Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers from last weekend and what do you know? That exact same situation took place in the fourth quarter, with the left tackle blocking outside leaving a run-away lineman, rookie defensive end Larry Birdine, free to steamroll Steelers quarterback, former Boston College QB Brian St. Pierre. The difference was that St. Pierre was looking to his right, apparently oblivious to the defensive overload to his left, while Cassel displayed situational awareness.
The importance of timing was illustrated by the difference in execution of screen passes between the first and third units. First-string interior linemen Mankins, Koppen, and Neal slobberknocked people left and right on screen plays while third stringers Elgin (in his capacity as third-string right guard), Mruczkowski (in his capacity as third-string center), and Oldenburg (in his capacity as third-string right guard) blew almost every block when they were sent out on screen passes. Getting those plays right takes a lot of practice, which the third-string unit isn’t likely to get much of even in training camp.
