New England Patriots: 5 observations from ‘lights out’ win over Chargers
Offensive line won line of scrimmage
With the New England Patriots winning the toss and electing to receive the ball, you just knew Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels had something up their sleeves.
What they had up their sleeves was a power running game mixed with a quick passing game to chew up half the clock. In the drive that lead to a quick 7-0 lead, the offensive line really stood up by protecting Brady, blocking and getting out on quick screen passes.
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That was the theme the entire game as big Trent Brown, Shane Andrews and Shaq Mason really stood out in opening holes and getting out and blocking on screen plays. They did get a little help from a man named Rob Gronkowski, but overall they were physical, nasty and consistent.
The way they held both Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram at bay was monumental in allowing Brady the time to work his magic. They also took advantage of the Chargers decision to play seven defensive backs in the game by knocking them back and allowing the running game to control the clock.
Tom Brady certainly appreciated the work of his offensive line.
"“It was great,” Brady said when asked about the value of his blocking on Sunday. “Yeah, it was great, and we need everybody. We need all of our best players. There’s four teams left, or five right now, four soon. It’s going to take our best.”"
Going up against the Kansas City Chiefs next week in a hostile atmosphere, the offensive line will need to duplicate this performance to keep the crowd out of the game and the Chiefs’ offense off the field.