Patriots' Offensive Line Takes Another Hit as Scoring Woes Persist
New England placed a starting guard on injured reserve as questions mount about how the offense is being run around Drake Maye.
The Patriots' offensive line problems got worse this week. New England placed guard Greg Van Roten on injured reserve Tuesday with a thigh injury, per ESPN, further thinning out the protection in front of quarterback Drake Maye.
The move comes as New England's offense is already under a microscope. The Patriots are last in the NFL in points per game on offense at 9.7, according to ESPN, a number that has fueled a broader conversation about whether the team is putting Maye in position to succeed. An ESPN video segment posed the question directly, asking whether the coaching staff is deploying Maye the wrong way. ESPN's reporting on the offense's struggles framed the issue as whether Maye and his supporting cast can settle in and start scoring more consistently.
The scrutiny follows a rough Week 3, when the Patriots got blown out, per ESPN, which grouped New England among five teams from last season's playoff field that lost games that stung: the Seahawks fell to a backup quarterback, the Panthers were hit by injuries, and the Chargers and Texans dropped to 0-3.
Between the beat-up offensive line and the league-worst scoring output, the Van Roten injury only adds to the pressure on New England's coaching staff to find answers before the losses pile up further.
Sources
- Patriots place offensive lineman Greg Van Roten (thigh) on IR
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