Patriots offensive line dominates 1-on-1 drills in second padded practice
The defense made some plays in the first day of padded 1-on-1 drills at Patriots training camp. In the second full-pad practice, the offensive line bounced back in a major way.
New England’s projected starting O-line of Isaiah Wynn, Michael Onwenu, David Andrews, Shaq Mason, and Trent Brown dominated their 1-on-1 matches against the defensive linemen and edge rushers on Thursday in Foxborough. They combined for a 16-1 “record” in their matchups, and spurred the offense to a 22-17 overall record in the drill.
It’s simple: did the O-lineman hold his block, or did the pass-rusher get by him? Almost every rep, the starting O-linemen stood the defender up. Andrews “lost” his first rep against defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, after appearing to mishandle his snap in the driving rain. But it was all offense from there on out, in terms of the starters.
Onwenu went 5-0 in his matchups, while Mason and Wynn each went 3-0 and Brown went 2-0. The defensive players projected to be starters or regulars, by comparison, went 5-10. Godchaux won all three of his reps, beating Andrews once and James Ferentz twice.
Linebacker Matt Judon had two reps during this period, getting a “win” over guard R.J. Prince and a “loss” to Brown. Josh Uche, meanwhile, lost his only recorded rep to third-year tackle Yodny Cajuste, who also scored a win over Deatrich Wise.
The latter, who signed a four-year extension with the Patriots in the offseason, went 1-4 in his reps. He grabbed a win over Korey Cunningham but lost to Cajuste, Wynn, and Onwenu.
Lawrence Guy, meanwhile, went 0-4. This was all against starters in the “marquee matchups” of the drill, so to speak. Guy lost twice to Onwenu, and once each to Andrews and Mason.
Time for the defense to get one back in the next padded practice. But either way, the Patriots O-line asserted its dominance on Thursday, and reminded onlookers that they remain an elite unit.
MORE: Patriots Training Camp Notebook, Day 8
Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @mattydsays. You can also email him at [email protected].
