2009 Offensive Line Analysis - New England Patriots

2009 Projected Starters:
Left Tackle: Matt Light
Left Guard: Logan Mankins
Center: Dan Koppen
Right Guard: Stephen Neal
Right Tackle: Nick Kaczur

2008 Injuries:
G Stephen Neal: Weeks 1 to 8
T Nick Kaczur: Weeks 7, 8

2008 Statistics:

ALY (Adjusted Line Yards): It is an alternate measure for yards per carry developed by Football Outsiders that takes into account various factors including down, distance, situation and opponent.
Source: www.footballoutsiders.com

Overview:
The New England Patriots have been known as one of the best offensive lines in the NFL for the past few years but last year, with Brady’s injury, they allowed 48 sacks. That was their highest sacks allowed total since 2000 despite returning the same five guys on the line. The even more interesting statistic is that the Patriots averaged 4.4 yards per carry, the best performance for the running game since 1983.

At left tackle, the Patriots can count on the 31-year old Pro Bowler Matt Light. He is a strong tackle at 6’4” and 305 lbs who does very well against physical defensive linemen but doesn’t have the footwork to keep up with speedy defensive ends. Last season, he allowed 7.5 sacks ranking 23rd amongst left tackles and it became obvious that he is starting to lose a step. He is however much better in run blocking because of his strength and could make the move to right tackle in the next few years in order to extend his career. Overall, Light is a slightly above average tackle but he’s not one of the best in the NFL and probably would not have been selected for the Pro Bowl in 2007 if he weren’t playing for the Patriots. The right side is weaker with former third round pick Nick Kaczur who will be playing in his fifth NFL season in 2009. Kaczur has good quickness but his technique and strength still need some work. He has shown good improvement after being drafted in the third round but he is considered the weak link on this line and is one of the reasons why the Patriots struggle when running to the right side. Unfortunately for him, he has not played all 16 games in any of his first four seasons due to injuries and will definitely have to stay healthy or the coaching staff might lose patience with him. The top backup at tackle is 6’7’ and 305 lbs Mark LeVoir who started two games last season in place of Kaczur. The Patriots also added depth in the 2009 NFL Draft by selecting Sebastian Vollmer in the second round and George Bussey in the fifth round.

At left guard, the Patriots have another Pro Bowler in Logan Mankins. Mankins was drafted in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Patriots and has since started all 64 regular season games for them. Mankins is one of the best guards in the AFC with his combination of footwork, technique, strength and awareness. He will struggle occasionally when pulling out or trying to get to the second level because of his lack of speed and pass protection also became somewhat of an issue last season. Mankins allowed five sacks which ranked him 26th amongst left guards but that number should improve this year with Brady back behind center. There has been a lot of inconsistency at the right guard position in the past two years due to injuries. Stephen Neal should be the starter but he has missed 15 starts in the past two years. Neal is considered another weak link on this line and is an average starter at best. He is a former wrestler who uses his athleticism very well to pull out and is excellent when blocking on screen plays. He is a decent pass protector but lacks the pure strength to open up holes down the middle in the running game. 31 year old Russ Hochstein was his replacement in 2007 and also started two games in 2008 after top backup Billy Yates went down with an injury. Hochstein was acquired in 2002 after being released by the Buccaneers and has since been very useful for the Patriots despite his inconsistency. He is a very versatile lineman with the ability to play the center and both guard positions. Yates also provides depth at guard and has started 11 games in the past three years but he has spent more time on the practice squad and injured list than the active roster since being signed from Miami in 2005. The Patriots also added Rich Ohrnberger in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft to hopefully take over for Neal in a year or two.

At center, the Patriots have one of the best in the NFL in Dan Koppen. Koppen was rewarded for his excellent season in 2007 by being named as a reserve for the Pro Bowl for the first time in his five-year career. In 2008, Koppen did not have as good of a season but was still a well above average center. Koppen is a leader for this line and is a master at recognizing defensive schemes in order to adjust the line. He is not the strongest lineman and will get overpowered by big nose tackles at times but he knows how to use his position well and gets the job done. He also has excellent footwork and good quickness that allows him to pull to the outside if required to do so. The Patriots added Al Johnson this off-season to backup Koppen; he has started 45 games in his six-year career in the NFL.

2009 Outlook:
The Patriots have a very old offensive line by NFL standards but to their credit, they added three offensive linemen in the draft which they will look to develop over the next year or two. In the nine games that the starting five played together in 2008, the running game averaged 4.6 yards per carry and Matt Cassel was sacked only 18 times. Tom Brady alone should make this line look better because he is able to get rid of the ball very quickly and the running game should be as good as last year with the same linemen coming back. The difference is that this year there is a lot more depth on this line and they should be able to deal with injuries much better than they have in the past. Overall, this line is probably not as good as it was a few years ago in pass protection because a few of these guys are starting to lose a step but it seems to have improved in run blocking.

See all of our 2009 Offensive Line Analysis Articles