Line turns into building block

Honestly, folks, we recalled all those names of defensive linemen without peeking at a single roster (except to check spelling). Know why? Because in the days leading up to just about every one of the Patriots' nine games this season, Bill Belichick has talked up the opposing defensive line. "I feel like I'm standing there in front of the team saying the same thing every week," Belichick said prior to the Denver game. " `We've really got to be physical on the offensive line. We're going to really get challenged by this group.' And they're sitting there saying, `Here we go again. Here's another of the best defensive lines in the league. Sixth week in a row.' "

But usually by game day's end, that modern-day fearsome foursome has done little.

So let's end the bye week debate over the 7-2 Patriots' most valuable player. It isn't one. It's five: Matt Light, Damien Woody, Dan Koppen, Joe Andruzzi, and Tom Ashworth. Everyone says "it starts up front," but distribution of credit rarely begins with the offensive line. Yet their collective performance despite season-ending injuries to Week 1 starters Mike Compton and Adrian Klemm, and a rookie playing center, is at or at least near the top of the list of reasons why New England has won five straight and leads the AFC East.

"I think we're a group of tough guys and we're smart," said Woody, once upon a time a Pro Bowl center who has replaced Compton at left guard, perhaps permanently. "We take the scheme and the game plan and just play it to the best of our ability. Are we the most talented? No. But nobody's going to outtough us up front. All we can do is go out there and play our best, and whatever happens happens."

That's the thing. Not a lot has happened on their watch. Monday, against what coming into the game was the only defense to have three players with at least five sacks, Tom Brady was not sacked in 35 pass plays -- the first time this season the Patriots did not allow a sack. They had come close for several weeks, though. Against Cleveland Brady went down just once in 36 attempts. The Dolphins got to him once in 35 chances, and that wasn't until overtime. Brady was sacked twice against the Giants.

Only twice this season has Brady hit the turf with the ball more than twice: Week 3 against the Jets (five) and Week 5 against the Titans (three). New England has yielded 17 sacks this season, seven over its five-game streak.

That's five times more impressive than rattling off names of defensive linemen, especially for a group that, just looking at it, one would think has a couple of weak links. Ashworth spent his first two seasons on the practice squad, appearing in one game last year -- at tight end. Yet he has filled in admirably at right tackle, and now the Patriots, with Klemm on injured reserve and Kenyatta Jones no longer on the roster, are depending on Ashworth to continue holding it down. Right guard Andruzzi had major knee surgery in the offseason and hurt his shoulder a few weeks ago, yet hasn't missed a game. Koppen, this year's fifth-round pick out of Boston College, is battling Eugene Wilson for MVR (Most Valuable Rookie).

And while we haven't studied the play of other guards in the AFC, it's tough to imagine one playing better than Woody.

"I'm settled in now," he said. "I see myself there this year, or it might be forever, or the rest of my career. I might be a guard. I'm fine with that. I just love playing the game. It doesn't matter to me. If they put me at tackle, I'm cool with it."

Aside from a few false starts, Light has had a solid third season at left tackle. He's epitomized a Patriot motto, that sometimes durability is more important than ability.

"I think what helped was being healthy in the offseason this year," Light said recently. "Really staying with the group of guys I worked out with, getting better as a unit. Being healthy helped me out a lot. Just being in the system helped me out a lot. And the guys that are around me are playing really good ball, too."

Better ball than most of the guys across from them.