5 Immediate Changes That Will Make the Patriots Playoff Contenders
By Tyler Maher
5. Upgrade the Offensive Line
Football games are often won and lost in the trenches, and that's why the Patriots have been losing so many games lately.
Their offensive line is terrible, especially at tackles. Injuries have played a part in that, but New England simply didn't have much talent there to begin with.
When your offensive line breaks down, the rest of the offense does too. The Patriots are built to run the ball but can't get any traction on the ground, ranking 26th in rushing yards and 29th in yards per carry. Mac Jones is constantly under pressure and is forced to rush his throws, resulting in costly turnovers. When he does get throws off, he doesn't have receivers who are capable of reeling them in.
The best offenses usually have strong offensive lines that protect their quarterback and open up holes in the run game. If New England wants to fix its offense and salvage Jones, that would be a great place to start.
Otherwise, anything else the Patriots do is just window dressing. Playing a new quarterback or trading for a No. 1 receiver won't move the needle much if the O-line is still a sieve.
So start there, and figure the rest out later if you have to.
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