Patriots’ offensive line potential against Bengals raises concerns originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
There are reasons to be optimistic about the future New England Patriots entering their season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Star receiver Ja’Marr Chase may not be available for CincinnatiThe Patriots’ defense has top-15 potential. And the Bengals are vulnerable against the run.
But if you’re wondering why the Bengals are 7.5-point favorites, look no further than the trenches.
The Patriots’ offensive line was plagued by injuries and inconsistencies throughout training camp and the preseason, and this could continue into Week 1, as Vederian Lowe He suggested to Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal that he likely won’t play Sunday because of an oblique injury he suffered about two weeks ago.
Vederian Lowe tells me his pulled muscle is improving and that he might do a little something at practice today. Didn't seem too optimistic that Sunday would be in play. Disappointed after having a solid camp.
— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) September 4, 2024
Lowe worked as a New EnglandThe left tackle starting from before his injurywhich forced the recruitment of free agents Chukwuma Okorafor to move from right to left, tackle and shift Mike Onwenu from right guard to right tackle.
In the meantime, Sidy Sowwho started at left guard in the Patriots’ final preseason game against the Washington Commanders but recently suffered an ankle injury, was not in uniform to start Wednesday’s practice, according to our Patriots Insider Phil Perry.
So who do the Patriots have left to form their starting offensive line on Sunday? Head coach Jerod Mayo noted Wednesday that the team is “still exploring” lineup options, but said the five starters will be “a form” of the group that started against the Commanders.
Based on this information, the Week 1 offensive line might look like this:
For those following the score at home, that’s a left tackle playing out of position (Okorafor), a left guard who spent most of the preseason playing center (Leverett) and a right guard making his NFL debut (Robinson) on the starting offensive line. While Andrews and Onwenu are established veterans, the latter was part of a unit that racked up plenty of penalties and Jacoby Brissett injured against Washington.
This group doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence, which is part of the reason Brissett will be center against Cincinnati instead of being a rookie. Drake MayeIf the Patriots want to prioritize the long-term development of the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, they need a more proven offensive lineman to go with him.
The Patriots-Bengals game is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. ET in Cincinnati.
