Tom E. Curran says the Patriots should have vetted Chukwuma Okorafor out more to make sure he was ok playing left tackle after playing on the right side all last season.
There are reasons to be optimistic about the New England Patriots entering their season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase may not suit up for Cincinnati. The Patriots' defense has top-15 potential. And the Bengals are susceptible against the run.
But if you're wondering why the Bengals are 7.5-point favorites, look no further than the trenches.
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The Patriots' offensive line was plagued by injuries and inconsistency throughout training camp and the preseason, and that could carry over into Week 1, as Vederian Lowe suggested to the Boston Sports Journal's Mike Giardi he probably won't play Sunday due to an oblique injury he suffered about two weeks ago.
Lowe was working as New England's starting left tackle prior to his injury, which forced free-agent pickup Chukwuma Okorafor to move from right to left tackle and shifted Mike Onwenu from right guard to right tackle.
Meanwhile, Sidy Sow, who started at left guard in the Patriots' preseason finale against the Washington Commanders but recently suffered an ankle injury, wasn't in uniform to begin Wednesday's practice, per our Patriots Insider Phil Perry.
So, who's left for the Patriots to roll out as their starting offensive line on Sunday? Head coach Jerod Mayo noted Wednesday the team is "still going through" lineup possibilities but said the starting five will be "some form" of the group that started against the Commanders.
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Based on that information, the Week 1 offensive line could look something like this:
- Left tackle: Chukwuma Okorafor
- Left guard: Nick Leverett (or Sidy Sow if healthy)
- Center: David Andrews
- Right guard: Layden Robinson
- Right tackle: Mike Onwenu
For those keeping score at home, that's a left tackle playing out of position (Okorafor), a left guard who spent most of the preseason playing center (Leverett) and a right guard making his NFL debut (Robinson) on the starting offensive line. While Andrews and Onwenu are established veterans, the latter was part of a unit that racked up multiple penalties and got Jacoby Brissett injured versus Washington.
This group doesn't inspire much confidence, and it's part of the reason why Brissett will be under center against Cincinnati instead of rookie Drake Maye. If the Patriots want to prioritize the long-term development of the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, they need a more proven offensive line blocking for him.
Kickoff for Patriots-Bengals is set for 1 p.m. ET in Cincinnati.
