FOXBORO, Mass. — Don’t feel bad if Dave DeGuglielmo never responded to your text message.
The New England Patriots offensive line coach, a Cambridge, Mass., native, wasn’t only receiving criticism from the media when his unit struggled to start the season. He also heard it from his friends and family. DeGuglielmo took over for longtime Patriots assistant Dante Scarnecchia, and after the team traded All-Pro guard Logan Mankins, it looked like the offensive line would never recover.
“It affects people differently because it’s their team,” DeGuglielmo said Tuesday at Gillette Stadium. “This is part of their everyday experience. They live for the Patriots. They live for Sundays.
“I guess those that have better access to you sometimes feel like they have a freedom to text you with comments that express their frustration, and it’s part of the business. I don’t mind it. I pretty much ignore it and delete it or respond with humor. People outside of the building don’t understand how the business works, so I can understand their reaction is different than mine.”
The Patriots have won five consecutive games, and the offensive line has shown major improvement. Starting tackles Nate Solder and Sebastian Vollmer have become more comfortable playing next to guards Ryan Wendell and Dan Connolly. DeGuglielmo said Wendell and Connolly have had a “calming effect” on rookie center Brian Stork, as well, since both players have started at his position in the past.
“I don’t think there’s any magic formula,” DeGuglielmo said. “The men have worked hard, stayed focused. They’ve done everything we’ve asked them to do. Everybody’s kept a positive attitude, they’re responding well to the game plans and how we’re approaching things. I don’t know if I can pinpoint one thing or another. They’ve just worked very hard, and I’m glad they’re having some level of success doing what they do.”
Solder received a ton of criticism after a slow start to the season, but DeGuglielmo had high acclaim for the fourth-year pro, who’s signed through 2015.
“If you look throughout a career of any player, there are ups and downs, highs and lows,” DeGuglielmo said. “That’s just how it is. He’s a tremendous athlete, tremendous player — very smart, very dedicated, very serious. Things started clicking, every week — we just had this discussion (Monday) — he’s gotten better and better and better, and he’s becoming one of the elite tackles in the league.”
DeGuglielmo wouldn’t say that the Patriots have decided on Solder, Connolly, Stork, Wendell and Vollmer as their starting offensive line just yet, despite their success.
“I don’t know we’ve settled on anything,” DeGuglielmo said. “That just seems to be the guys that have played.”
Those five players have made up the best combination for the Patriots this season, and a little continuity wouldn’t hurt to end the season. Just don’t text that advice to the O-line coach.
Photo via Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports Images
