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Patriots’ Trio of Rookie Offensive Linemen Impressive So Far

By Dan Orencole

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Less than a month ago, New England Patriots fans were all wondering if their beloved team would be without star quarterback Tom Brady for the first four games of the season. After Brady won his appeal, they rejoiced and could finally look ahead to the 2015-16 NFL season. After two weeks, the major question mark I had for the team coming into the season, the offensive line, has impressed greatly.

-= See Also: Rob Gronkowski On Ridiculous Pace As Patriots Move To 2-0 =-

After losing Dan Connolly to retirement this offseason, Bill Belichick made offensive guard a focal point in the 2015 NFL draft. He selected two in the fourth round, Shaq Mason out of Georgia Tech and Tre’ Jackson out of Florida State. Both have been joined on the line by undrafted rookie center David Andrews, as a result of the concussion suffered by starting center Bryan Stork, who was placed on the injured reserve is ineligible to play until Week 8.

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So far, Andrews has played every offensive snap this season, with Mason and Jackson seeing a lot of playing time as well. With a trio of rookies on the offensive line for the defending Super Bowl champions, the question was firmly in place as to whether or not they would be able to protect Tom Brady. In Week 2, New England went on the road to take on the Buffalo Bills. Ralph Wilson Stadium is a very hostile and loud environment for veteran players, let alone rookies. It was the test this offensive line needed and they rose to the occasion in a big way.

They held the Bills acclaimed defense to just two sacks on Brady. The three rookies recorded just one false start in the game, even with crowd noise being a major factor. It was on Andrews, who was also called for a hold earlier on the same set of downs, but New England was up big at that point and neither call killed the drive.

A major issue with rookie offensive linemen is traditionally penalties. With only two between the three of them, Mason, Jackson, and Andrews showed a sense of maturity in a challenging situation. Following the game, Belichick was asked about line’s performance and he said, “I thought they did a pretty good job. If I remember correctly, I don’t think either sack had anything to do with the offensive line.” Praiseful words from a coach not known for praising his players.

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After two weeks, everybody is talking about how good this offense is going to be this year, and some of the focus and admiration of this Patriots team deserves to go to these rookies, who held their own against the Rex Ryan-led Bills defense. Going into the game, some people thought is was as good as there is in the league. Offensive lineman is often a position that many look past, but anybody with football knowledge will agree that the games are won in the trenches.

This offense has the potential to compete with the 2007 Patriots offense. The NFL attacking Brady this offseason has fueled him. Rob Gronkowski is in his prime and is nearly impossible to cover. Julian Edelman may be even better than Wes Welker was on third down. Brady has the tools in place. It will all depend on the offensive line and more specifically these three rookies. So far, they have shown that they are beyond capable of protecting the great Tom Brady in his season of vengeance.

Next: Rob Gronkowski On Ridiculous Pace As Patriots Move To 2-0

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