Patriots gridiron news: Time for Dwayne Allen to do his job
New England Patriots tight end Dwayne Allen has not been the player the team or fans have expected him to be thru five weeks of the season.
Things can change, but the decision not to re-sign Martellus Bennett and give up a fourth-round pick for Dwayne Allen is not looking so good for the New England Patriots.
Not only has Allen been non-existent in the passing game, he hasn’t been consistent in the blocking game. On a team that strives off doing the smaller things to help the team win, to say Allen hasn’t lived up to his potential is an understatement and he knows it.
"“I certainly haven’t played up to my potential,” Allen said on Tuesday, via ESPN."
The criticism is starting to mount for the 6-foot-3, 265-pound tight end, especially after last Thursday night’s game in which the team was without Rob Gronkowski. Allen did not see a single target in the game. Considering depth at tight end was the main objective in acquiring him, it has been disappointing that he hasn’t been more of a receiving threat.
In fact, just a handful of targets all season long could only mean he is still struggling to grasp the offense beyond his blocking role.
"“The non-verbal communication between quarterback and receivers, certain things Tom expects – when you’re not able to execute those things, you’re not out there as much,” Allen said, regarding his lack of targets this season."
In an offense that does have Gronkowski, wide receivers Chris Hogan, Brandin Cooks and Danny Amendola, Allen is not expected to be a major contributor. However, he should be a viable option for Tom Brady in situations where those players are doubled or taken out of the game.
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Although right now, his main focus is on helping with the pass protection of Brady, Allen must find a way to find that trust in the passing game that Bennett developed with No. 12.
With Rob Gronkowski’s injury history, the team may need him any given week.
Tom Brady’s shoulder
Speaking at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady stated that he is not concerned about his injured left shoulder or about playing in Sunday’s showdown with the New York Jets.
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"“I’m good. I’m not worried about it,” he said. “I’ll be there Sunday. Don’t worry about that. I’ll be there.”"
Although Brady has played through pain many times before, the injury he has suffered due to the hits he has taken is concerning.
The team has to find a way to protect their quarterback better. At his age, the amount of abuse his body takes could prevent him from playing until he’s 45!
Injury report
Although both Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady are expected to play on Sunday, neither of the team’s star players practiced on Wednesday.
Two other players, Eric Rowe (groin) and Nate Solder (not injury related) also did not practice. Rowe’s absence puts his availability on Sunday in doubt.
Next: Patriots gridiron news: Season now rests on the shoulder of Tom Brady
Rex Burkhead, Marcus Cannon, Stephon Gilmore, Dont’a Hightower, Elandon Roberts and Matthew Slater were all limited on the practice field. There doesn’t appear to be any concern about any of those players availability against the Jets.