The Lane Breakdown: Questions still remain for the Patriots’ offense after 27-13 win against the Browns

I’m not going to talk about the New England Patriots’ defense. I’m not going to talk about how the unit forced three turnovers on the Cleveland Browns’ first six plays on Sunday. Or about how Lawrence Guy somehow intercepted a shovel pass, which I didn’t think was even possible. I could basically copy and paste articles that I’ve written weeks ago, but I’m not going to do that. You deserve better than that.

Instead, I’m going to talk about the offense. In particular, the offensive line. Isaiah Wynn should be coming back to practice this week, and he will be a welcome addition when’s he’s eligible to play after the bye — it’s been a while since I’ve seen Tom Brady throw so many passes into the dirt or simply throw them away. I think some of the reasons for that are simple. He doesn’t have a ton of faith in his receiving options right now, and he doesn’t have a ton of faith in his offensive line.

The receiving options are getting better. Mohamed Sanu came over in a trade from the Atlanta Falcons, and the more time he has to work with Brady, the better their chemistry will be. N’Keal Harry is also expected to come off injured reserve this week, and Brady has already put in work with Harry this offseason to build a rapport with the first-round rookie receiver.

The offensive line is a little more up in the air. Wynn is expected to come off IR, as I mentioned, but we’ve seen him in less than two NFL games. He’s now going to be heavily relied on as the left tackle on the Patriots’ line. Marshall Newhouse has done his best to fill in, and, at times, has been okay. The line also took a hit on Sunday because Shaq Mason was out, which also created a hole. James Ferentz held up pretty good in his first career start, but the continuity of the line was a bit off without the normal starters in.

Do the Patriots have a ton to worry about? No, they don’t. Their defense is playing fantastic, the offense is playing fine, and we all know it will eventually get better. But the offensive line is an issue that bears close watching. If you can’t block anyone, you’re not going to win the big games, and, although they will never tell you this, that’s all the Patriots need to be concerned about now.

Pat is a host of The Patriot Nation Podcast

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