New England Patriots Midseason Defensive Grades: Cornerbacks Excel

Oct 16, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots cornerback

(24) and strong safety

(23) celebrate after the New York Jets missed a two-point conversion during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Cornerbacks: A++++

Darrelle Revis has been as good as advertised, Brandon Browner has exceeded expectations, and the combination of Logan Ryan, Alfonzo Dennard, and Kyle Arrington has worked wonders. In addition to that, the pleasant surprise of undrafted free agent Malcolm Butler has helped New England immensely in the passing game. Revis is still the best cover corner in the game, and now that Browner is back, the combination of those two physical corners on the outside has made New England’s pass defense one of the best in football.

Bill Belichick has handled his other four cornerbacks curiously, sitting Dennard at weird times, going with Butler over Ryan and Dennard. But I think that is just Belichick exploring the luxury of having the deepest group of corners in the league, especially with the emergence of Butler. The Pats can now pick and choose their matchups, which makes them lethal.

Safeties: A-

Coming into the 2014 season the safety position was one of the biggest question marks for the Patriots. We knew that Devin McCourty would continue his elite play, but who would claim that starting spot next to him? I originally thought it would be Duron Harmon, but against all odds, it has been our old friend Patrick Chung that has rose to the challenge.

Unlike his last failed stint in New England, Chung has actually played very well. His physicality in the running game is huge for the defense, and he has vastly improved his coverage skills since he last played for the Pats. Now, I wouldn’t want to single him up on the game’s top tight ends for an entire contest, but he proved against Denver that he can hold his own.