New England Patriots: 5 unsung heroes of the 2018 NFL season
Dante Scarnecchia
The success of the 2018 New England Patriots hinged on the offensive line and boy did they produce.
With an aging quarterback who was less mobile during the regular season than he ever was (and that’s saying a lot), the offensive line had to be physical and effective to keep Tom Brady upright. They also displayed that physicality in a ground attack that proved elite during the season and throughout the playoffs.
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Individually, none of these names stand out as top offensive lineman in the NFL, but as a group, Trent Brown, Joe Thuney, David Andrews, Shaq Mason and Marcus Cannon stood out as one of the elite units in the league and the team has another Lombardi Trophy to show for it.
Not only did they limit the likes of Joey Bosa, Dee Ford and Justin Houston, they shut down Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh in Super Bowl LIII. While credit goes to the players, the ultimate credit goes to offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia for the job he continues to do with whoever he has to plug into this offensive unit.
You better believe Tom Brady is appreciative of the coach in charge of his protective unit.
"“I wouldn’t want to have anyone in the league other than the five guys I have up front,” Brady said following the AFC Divisional game. “Dante is the greatest offensive line coach in the history of the NFL.”"
As long as Scarnecchia is coaching, the New England Patriots offensive line will be more than okay. He has proved it over and over again.