BY NICK ST. DENIS
The New England Patriots' offensive line, with so many moving parts, was questionable in the preseason.
But after one week of regular-season play, quarterback Tom Brady is feeling good about his wall of protection.
"Those guys have really worked hard throughout the course of the entire preseason; to see how the roster may have sorted itself out and the different position battles that have taken place," Brady said. "The guys that were in there last weekend competed extremely hard for the entire game. I thought they performed great."
Brady was sacked just once for an eight-yard loss.
"I had a lot of time back there to make my reads and make my throws," Brady said. "Communication was great, especially playing on the road in your first game, with really a new center – there's quite a bit of communication that takes place between the quarterback and the center. Like I said, stuff that we can continue to build on. I have a ton of confidence in those guys; I always have."
New England's offensive trench unit also paved the way for running back Stevan Ridley's 125 yards rushing on 17 carries.
The Patriots' offensive line was in question with left tackle Nate Solder taking over for the retired Matt Light, as well as guard Brian Waters not returning to the team. Dan Connolly also moved from center to guard.
But it appears Dante Scarnecchia, one of the best offensive line coaches in the league, is once again doing his thing.
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