After how the offensive line performed during the 2024 season, it was beyond clear what the New England Patriots needed to prioritize during free agency and the draft. The new regime did just that by signing a few veterans and using the team's first-round draft pick on the best left tackle in the class to address one of the weakest areas of the roster.
Through the first nine games of the season, the revamped group has been a solid unit for the most part, but Drake Maye has been sacked far more than anyone is comfortable with. That is especially true over the last two weeks, as the second-year quarterback was sacked 12 times for a loss of 75 yards, with much of the blame put on the offensive line's shoulders.
Although they're not the sole reason for every sack, as Maye is among the top quarterbacks in the league in the time he spends in the pocket, they are responsible for a good portion of the hits. And that's not sitting well with them, according to veteran center Garrett Bradbury.
Garrett Bradbury isn't satisfied with the performance by the Patriots' offensive line
While speaking to reporters earlier in the week, Bradbury reflected on another six-sack game against Maye and revealed details of a conversation among the offensive linemen.
He spoke about how they were not happy with their performance and are dedicated to improving, which is exactly what you want to hear and the attitude you hope they adopt as they move into a crucial game against a very good Bucs team.
“We just talked about it; we were like ‘it wasn’t our best game.’ It makes everyone sick. 6 sacks yesterday, that’s not good enough … It’s everyone involved but that’s too many. We need to get that number lower. We can. And we have. I believe we will.”
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) November 3, 2025
— center Garrett Bradbury pic.twitter.com/KKsoXIeB2s
Considering they're about to face a very dominant defensive front on Sunday, it's crucial that we see an improved performance from the Patriots' offensive line as soon as possible.
We'll also need to see Maye protect himself better moving forward, as the more hits he takes, the higher the risk he gets injured, and the path that the Patriots are currently on would be derailed if he has to miss any time.
Given that Bradbury is a leader of his unit, his message and the shared disappointment in last week's showing are hopefully a good sign of what's to come. Beating the Bucs would send a strong message not only to the league but also to those doubting that the Patriots are the real deal, particularly those claiming their "easy schedule" is the only reason they're doing as well as they are.
It won't be easy, especially if Maye and his offensive line aren't any better than they have been over the last two weeks, but it's doable.