The New England Patriots offense hasn’t looked like itself for the vast majority of the season. Through 10 games, the Patriots currently rank 12th in offensive DVOA, which is terrible by New England’s standards. Most of these struggles come down to the offensive line, as the Patriots currently rank 24th in ESPN’s Pass Blocking Win Rate metric. Tom Brady is at the point in his career where he needs a little more help than he used to, and fortunately, help is on the way in the form of Isaiah Wynn.
The Patriots activated Wynn from the short-term injured reserve and the former first-round pick should take the field in Week 12. Offensive tackle is probably the most important non-quarterback offensive position, so Wynn’s return should improve every facet of the offense. Let’s take a deeper dive into how Isaiah Wynn can positively impact the pass and run games and lift New England’s offense back to its’ elite form.
How Isaiah Wynn Improves the New England Patriots Offense
The Passing Game
There truly is no overstating how big an impact a tackle makes on the passing game. While quarterbacks are obviously the most important piece to an offense, having a dependable tackle can be the difference between a good and great passing attack. Looking around the league, there are quite a few quarterbacks who experience a considerable drop in production without their trusty protectors. For example, Carson Wentz and the Eagles scored 10 points against New England with Lane Johnson on the field, but didn’t score a single point after the right tackle left the game with an injury. This wasn’t a one-week fluke, as Wentz’ career numbers drop considerably without Johnson. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is in a similar boat, as he’s not nearly the same when playing without left tackle Tyron Smith.
Some players like Russell Wilson are able to produce at an elite level regardless of their protection. At one point in time, Brady could do this as well. Brady is still one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but he’s no longer capable of doing it all on his own. He still has the ability to put up elite numbers, but he’ll need some protection if he’s to play like a top-three quarterback.
Fortunately, Isaiah Wynn should completely revamp the offensive line. As previously mentioned, New England currently ranks 24th in ESPN’s Pass Blocking Win Rate, and Marshall Newhouse has been the weakest part of a bad offensive line. Through nine games (Newhouse wasn’t on the roster in Week 1), the journeyman tackle has allowed six sacks and has a 61.0 PFF grade.
We’re obviously dealing with a small sample here, but Isaiah Wynn looked considerably better during his time on the field. While he’s only played in 82 snaps, the left tackle managed to completely shut down Bud Dupree and currently owns a 72.8 PFF grade. Even if he can only play at a league-average level, he still represents a considerable upgrade on Newhouse. Given extra time to throw, Brady should be better equipped to go through his reads instead of just locking in on Julian Edelman.
Isaiah Wynn in the Running Game
Isaiah Wynn projects as a better pass blocker than a run blocker, but the second-year pro can still improve New England’s success on the ground. So far, the unit ranks 18th in rushing DVOA and averages just 3.3 yards-per-attempt. While some of this has to do with the underwhelming performances of the backs themselves, most of the subpar results stem from poor blocking. In addition to Wynn, the Patriots also lost David Andrews and James Develin for the duration of the season. The Patriots aren’t going to be able to replicate their run-heavy strategy from 2019, but Wynn should be able to turn the rushing attack from below-average to league-average.
The Patriots love to call stretch runs, and those types of plays require athletic offensive linemen in order to be effective. At 6’-2” and 310 pounds, Wynn is relatively undersized for the average NFL tackle. However, what he lacks in size, he easily makes up for in foot speed. Marshall Newhouse is slow on his feet and simply didn’t have the ability to block men on the move. This led to defenders getting into the backfield and blowing up plays before they had a chance to develop. Wynn should be able to land these blocks, which should lead to more productive plays on the outside.
Another instance where Wynn's mobility could've helped on a play where Newhouse wasn't exactly tasked with an easy assignment for his skill-set.
Tries to cut off Nathan Gerry, but can't get in front of the LB in time pic.twitter.com/qs167o0APr
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) November 19, 2019
Assuming he can stay healthy, Isaiah Wynn’s return should lead to a massive improvement in the passing game and a modest improvement in the run game. The Patriots are already Super Bowl favorites with a relatively lackluster offense and should distance themselves from the rest of the league if Wynn can stay healthy and play up to his potential.
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