McDaniels, line were dialed in – Patriots – Boston.com

What people miss about the preseason, especially with line play, is the Patriots don’t do many things as far as protections and schemes. There are a lot of straight dropbacks. The blockers are asked to do a lot of one-on-one blocking, both in the run and pass games. They don’t keep the backs or tight ends in to help. So, yes, if you leave the Patriots’ offensive linemen on an island, they are going to have their struggles at times. Maybe more than their share. But if you construct a plan like offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels did for the Titans, and the Patriots execute like they did, team blocking is going to be in a position to be successful.