6 reasons why the New England Patriots won in Week 14

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

3. Leonard Johnson’s awesome debut

Many Patriots fans probably wondered why Shane Vereen was back in New England playing cornerback last night. But no, the No. 34 jersey currently belongs to newly signed cornerback Johnson, formerly of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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In his Patriots debut last night, Johnson made a pair of great pass break-ups, both of which ended threatening Texans drives. It’s a small sample size, but judging by Johnson’s performance in his first game wearing a Patriots jersey, it looks like the Patriots have finally found their nickel corner after trial runs with Justin Coleman and Rashaad Melvin.

If the Patriots can depend on Johnson in the slot, then they have a pretty decent group of starting cornerbacks with Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan on the perimeter. Despite the presence of DeAndre Hopkins, the Patriots allowed only 155 yards through the air. Not bad at all.

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