Bedard's Breakdown: Hard to judge Patriots' offense vs. Panthers because o-line never let it get started

If you have a second, say a little prayer for the Patriots' offensive linemen.

They're about to get put through a hell week by Dante Scarnecchia.

That's because their execution against the Panthers on Friday night — by the starters, mind you — was just extremely sloppy. It was so poor that given hindsight, Scarnecchia and Bill Belichick probably would have kept them on the field well into the second half.

When it comes to how Scarnecchia guides his troops, he preaches being fundamentally sound and consistent more than anything. And they just didn't measure up for a large portion of the game and that had to be disappointing for the veteran line coach.

Let's go through some of the issues:

• On the second play of the game, Trent Brown failed to cut the end, which led to a batted down pass.


• On the next play, Brown took a step to help Joe Thuney in the B gap and that slight hesitation allowed the end to get a step on Brown and force Tom Brady into an early and high pass that came down short of the first-down marker.


• Both of those aren't big deals and but need to be cleaned up with more reps. The team doesn't really practice cut blocks in camp to avoid injuries, and on the second, Brown probably reverted back to how the 49ers handle certain situations. You will never see a player reared in the Patriots' system make a step like that.


• Not positive, but I think Brown was at least partially responsible for the run for a 2-yard loss by Jeremy Hill in the red zone early in the second quarter. He helped on a double team on the backside of the play where normally the tackle gets to the second level and picks off the linebacker. Brown wasn't there so Shaq Thompson was free to hit the hole and Hill.


• David Andrews failed to cut Luke Kuechly on the next play.


• La'Adrian Waddle temporarily lost his mind with a personal-foul penalty that pushed the Patriots into 2nd-and-goal from the Carolina 19.


• Shaq Mason followed that with a poor screen block against a cornerback, of all people.


• Mason also didn't extend his arms to shove Thompson out of the gap on another run for a loss with 5:58 left.


• La'Adrian Waddle and Dwayne Allen screwed up the timing of a double-team block for a 1-yard loss a few plays later.