New England Patriots: Bryan Stork’s Return Would Provide Major Boost
Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
The New England Patriots offensive line could be in store for a major boost come Super Bowl Sunday as one of their most physical linemen is getting more healthy by the day.
Rookie center Bryan Stork is back practicing with his teammates after missing the entire AFC Championship game and a portion of the divisional round game with a knee injury.
Stork returned to the practice field on Thursday, but many seemed to overlook it amid the “Deflategate” controversy.
Stork practiced for the second day in a row on Friday, in a limited capacity, participating in the team’s walk through at Gillette. He was sporting a brace on his right leg.
The anchor of New England’s offensive line suffered the knee injury in the second quarter of a physical battle opposite the Baltimore Ravens a couple of weeks ago. In that game, Stork did a tremendous job in handling Pro-Bowl nose tackle Haloti Ngata.
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Assuming Stork keeps progressing forward, the Patriots will likely have him available to help combat a physical and active Seattle Seahawks front seven on Feb. 1 in Glendale, Arizona.
Now the Seahawks defense ranked 20th in the regular season with just 37 total sacks as a unit, but they tackle well as a group. The Patriots will need to be stout up the middle, especially when it comes to rushing the football. Their linebackers play a downhill style and fill the gaps with authority.
Guys like Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, Bruce Irvin, K.J. Wright and Bobby Wagner need to be accounted for. They need to put in their place early on and shown that they won’t be allowed to dictate play.
Stork’s physicality and toughness plays perfectly to the style in which Seattle’s defense prides itself on. The Patriots will have to establish a ground game with LeGarrette Blount if they’re going to keep the defense honest. Having Stork back in the middle and leading the charge will be a game-changing factor.
With that said, Stork isn’t afraid to smack the opposition square in the mouth. Dishing out a taste of their own medicine could be the perfect remedy to defeat the Seahawks defense. Engaging Seattle at the point of attack and establishing the line of scrimmage will set the tone for Tom Brady and the passing attack.
Look for Stork to play a major role in further bolstering an offensive line that’s already playing with confidence and coming off a dominant showing against the Indianapolis Colts.