FOXBORO, Mass. — The New England Patriots did not do a great job of protecting Tom Brady through the first five weeks of the regular season.
Now, with the quarterback reportedly dealing with a shoulder injury that kept him out of Tuesday’s practice, his teammates are stressing the need for improved pass blocking.
“We definitely have to protect him better,” running back James White said Tuesday. “We haven’t been doing a great job. Everybody as a whole, we’ve got to do a better job in protection — everybody on the same page, just blocking as long as possible to keep that guy off the ground.”
Tight end Dwayne Allen added: “Guys make plays, but the biggest thing for us is to keep Tom clean.”
Despite the injury — reportedly a sprained AC joint suffered during a Week 4 loss to the Carolina Panthers and aggravated in last Thursday’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Brady is expected to play this Sunday against the New York Jets. He was at Gillette Stadium on Tuesday and appeared to be in good spirits during a brief appearance in the Patriots’ locker room.
Still, these numbers are troubling: Brady has been sacked 16 times this season — sixth-most among all NFL quarterbacks and on pace for a career high — and has absorbed 33 total hits.
“We hate to see him get hit,” left tackle Nate Solder said. “Keeping him clean, keeping him upright — that’s our goal every week.”
Some of Brady’s sacks have been the result of him holding onto the ball for too long, but Solder’s individual struggles haven’t helped matters. The Patriots’ longtime O-line pillar has allowed three sacks and 18 total pressures this season, according to Pro Football Focus, tied for eighth-most among all NFL offensive tackles.
“My goal right now is just to improve every week,” Solder said. “I haven’t had a lot of great plays, and I’ve had some bad plays. I’ve got to minimize those and start playing good and doing what I’m capable of doing, playing with this group and just improving every week.”
Thumbnail photo via Reinhold Matay/USA TODAY Sports Images
