Scott Zolak: Ja’Whaun Bentley is a big loss for the Patriots
On Tuesday’s edition of Zolak & Bertrand, Scott Zolak explained why Ja’Whuan Bentley is such a big loss for the Patriots defense.
Bentley looked like a different guy during the preseason…
Marc Bertrand:
Ja’Whaun Bentley is done for the year guys.
Scott Zolak:
That’s pretty bad.
Marc Bertrand:
That’s a problem.
Scott Zolak:
I thought looking at him and talking to him throughout the preseason, we got him for a couple production meetings, it felt to me like he changed his body style. You’ve been around the league for a while and you know he’s been injured before, but he took care of his body in the offseason, cut himself up. Dropped the fat, increased the muscle, and he looked quicker than me in preseason. Then he looked quicker to me in Cincinnati and I’m like holy cow. Bentley to me was sort of that just picking an A gap or B gap, run blitz him and that’s all he’s really good for. He’s a really good run stuffer, but running lateral, he had issues and he was able to move sideline to sideline throughout the course of that first game of preseason. And I’m like, holy cow, being a captain, being older, understanding how to take care of yourself and become an even more down player, being a first down, second down, maybe third down player, that you don’t have to take off the field.
With the addition of Sione Takitaki, which we’ll see here really at some point and Jahlani Tavai with the way he sort of transitioned his game, the athletic linebackers were going to be the better part of the front with Christian Barmore being out. Obviously, with Christian Barmore being in, you know, your front line is the heavy part of that front 7. And I thought with the transition of Tavai and Bentley’s ability now to not come off the field, the linebackers were going to be the strength and now you’re going to take a hit because Raekwon McMillan steps in and maybe they move Tavai inside and put McMillan on the outside.
Listen to the full segment!
Patriots Ups & Downs: Who stood out in a loss to the Seahawks?
DOWN: LT Vederian Lowe
Seattle Seahawks linebacker Boye Mafe sacks New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett. (Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images)
Pressure off the left edge was a problem all afternoon for the Patriots, and quarterback Jacoby Brissett mostly did a good-enough job to mitigate the damage. That was until he took a 9-yard sack in the fourth quarter on the play before the blocked field goal try. Lowe wasn’t the only player that allowed pressure on that play, but he was the most consistently troublesome offensive lineman out there.
UP: P Bryce Baringer
New England Patriots kicker Joey Slye (13) reacts with New England Patriots punter Bryce Baringer (17) in the third quarter of the NFL game at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. Photo Credit: Albert Cesare/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
Baringer is off to a great start this season, one of the few Patriots to string together two strong performances. He averaged 57 yards per punt, with a long of 67, three pinned inside the 20-yard line, and only one touchback in six tries.
