Jones: Patriots Missing Mankins For Baltimore Game?
BOSTON (CBS) - It's only Tuesday, but already a lot is being made about New England's postseason history against Baltimore, and it's not pretty for the Patriots.
New England has dropped two of the three meetings (and let's face it, it should have been all three if not for a Billy Cundiff chip shot miss), and Tom Brady didn't play particularly well in any of those games, even the winner.
The Patriots have struggled against this Ravens team, and while the history between the two franchises has absolutely no bearing on the outcome of Saturday's game, it's important to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each team in order to form a judgment.
New England's biggest weakness, by far, is their offensive line.
The Ravens, meanwhile, were tied for second in the NFL in sacks (49), with bookend pass rushers Elvis Dumervil and Terrell Suggs wreaking havoc on opposing offenses all year.
"The Patriots offensive line has been shaky, and it's a line whose depth has been tested this year," said 98.5 The Sports Hub's Adam Jones Monday night.
"One of the things I'd like to re-investigate is dealing away Logan Mankins for a fourth round pick* and Tim Wright, an effective piece of the Patriots offense. But I do wonder, the offensive line has been shaky, Nate Solder has regressed, and I look at that combination on the left side and wonder how much of that has to do with Mankins. Is this the best offensive line we could roll out there against a pretty fearsome pass rush in Baltimore?"
Would the Patriots be in a better spot if they still had Logan Mankins?
Listen below for the full discussion:
Tune in to Saturday's Patriots-Ravens AFC Divisional Round playoff game on 98.5 The Sports Hub -- the flagship station of the New England Patriots. Pregame coverage begins at 1:30pm with Patriots Preview, and stay tuned for three full hours of postgame coverage following the game. Tune in to a special edition of Patriots GameDay on WBZ-TV at 11:30am on Saturday, with Patriots 5th Quarter on myTV38 immediately following the game.
*New England owns Tampa Bay's fourth round pick, which is the first overall pick of that round
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