New England Patriots: Four Takeaways From Win Over Buffalo Bills
By Cyrus Geller
Oct 12, 2014; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New England Patriots center Ryan Wendell (62) during the second half against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium. New England beats Buffalo 37 to 22. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
1. Offensive line stands up
It wasn’t the prettiest performance, and there was a time late in the second quarter where I honestly feared for Brady’s life. But after losing Dan Connolly, and missing Bryan Stork to begin the game, this offensive line pulled together and held up against the best pass rushing team in the NFL.
Nate Solder and Sebastian Vollmer struggled on the edge early, as Jerry Hughes and Mario Williams were the only two Bills players to record a sack, and it is pretty troubling to see the two most talented New England lineman to struggle this bad through six games. I think Solder has regressed even more than Vollmer has, which is worse, considering he is the one protecting Brady’s blindside. These two need to correct their mistakes on the edge, and they need to do it fast.
However the inside of the offensive line played better, keeping Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams off of Brady for the majority of the game. They didn’t get any sacks, and only had one quarterback hit apiece. I am not saying the interior lineman were perfect, because believe me, Jordan Devey was far from perfect, but considering the circumstances (injuries, caliber of opponent), they played well, and gave me hope for the future.