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| Please note, Week 10 is omitted so as to not cause confusion. The Patriots did not play in Week 10 as it was their BYE. As a result, the figure jumps from 9 to 11 along the "Weeks" axis for the sake of accuracy. |
The Patriots will play the Indianapolis Colts Sunday with an offensive line, shuffled by a recent knee injury to center Bryan Stork. That storyline has reopened the season-long conversation about the effectiveness of the offensive line at keeping pressure off quarterback Tom Brady.
The above figure is an analytic representation of the sacks and QB hits allowed by the Patriot offensive line (Week 10 BYE week omitted). Those two statistics prove telling in the judging of a offensive line. Very simply, when the quarterback is not getting hit and/or sacked, the line is keeping control of defenders pressing their way. When the QB is getting knocked down, that means the defenders are beating them.
A quick glance at the Patriots OL numbers this season shows rather sporadic work at different points in the year.
The first four games of the season, which were marred with inconsistencies within most every part of the team, involved six sacks by New England opponents. Tom Brady was hit 18 times in those games and, consequentially finished Week Four's loss to the Chiefs with a season completion percentage of 61.1 and a four game passer rating of 80.95.
Following the abysmal start though, the OL locked down and allowed just 9 sacks over the next 10 games. With less pressure, Brady himself turned his season around. He threw for two or more touchdowns in all ten of those games and successfully lead his team on a seven game win streak that toppled many of the NFL's best teams.
After the Patriots clenched the AFC East and soon after, the number one spot in the conference, the offensive line ran into trouble once again.
They allowed four sacks in back to back games against the Jets and Bills. Tom Brady was hit 17 times in just those two games alone and was forced to run far more than he would have liked. In the finale against Buffalo, the offence was rendered stagnant partially because of the Bills pass rush. Brady threw for just 80 yards before being pulled from the game in the third quarter.
Things ended up slightly better two weeks later in the Divisional Playoff game vs Baltimore. Allowing just two sacks, the offensive linemen managed to keep the Ravens off Brady long enough to let him make his throws. He was still hit nine times, far too many for an offensive line as physically powerful as the Patriots'.
The Patriots will go up against the Colts without Bryan Stork and yet they cannot feel bad for themselves. Stork was not the entire OL and at times this season, the unit as a whole played a shutdown game for the team.
If they can get the same results that they did between Week 4 and Week 15 Sunday in the AFC Title Game, all will be well. If they choose to keep with the trend set in the first four games of the year as well as the last three, than look to the running backs to bail Brady and company out of this one.
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