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Patriots coach Jerod Mayo gives honest opinion on the state of the offensive line
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Patriots coach Jerod Mayo gives honest opinion on the state of the offensive line

New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo didn’t hold back when talking about the play of the offensive line during Sunday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

The Seahawks’ pass rush was unable to reach quarterback Jacoby Brissett due to the offensive line’s issues. The signal-caller was sacked three times and hit eight times in the game.

It made life difficult overall for the Patriots’ passing attack, which mustered just 149 passing yards. To put it in perspective, Patriots tight end Hunter Henry had 109 of those yards.

Mayo was blunt when asked about the play of the offensive line, a positional group expected to be a focus in the offseason. He went into more detail about his thoughts on the unit, as transcribed by Conor Ryan of Boston.com.

“I thought the pass protection was average at best,” Mayo said, appearing on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show.” “They were bringing guys from different sides of the field. Even when they rushed four, they could get back to Jacoby.

“It doesn’t have to be a sack to affect the passing game. Only bodies around the quarterback affect the passing game. We’ve got to do a better job of protecting Jacoby, and that goes for the offensive line, the running backs and the tight ends.”

The offensive line’s struggles could have a broader impact on the offensive line. It could create a difficult situation for rookie quarterback Drake Maye if the Patriots decide to start him at some point this season.

Time will tell if the line play can be improved. Sunday’s performance certainly left something to be desired.