New England Patriots: Deatrich Wise has shined on a poor defense

Rookie defensive end Deatrich Wise has emerged as the silver lining of the New England Patriots’ slow start to the season.

In a season unlike anyone would have ever predicted, New England Patriots rookie defensive end Deatrich Wise has defied all expectations.

The 131st overall pick in this year’s draft has collected two sacks and six total tackles through four weeks, but his stat line tells only half the story.

Perhaps the biggest play of Wise’s young career may never be remembered. In Week 4, tied 30-30 with 2:22 left on the clock, Wise made a crucial third-down stop, sacking Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and ending Carolina’s game-winning drive.

The play would’ve left the Panthers forced to punt, giving New England one last chance to drive for the win. However, a penalty on cornerback Stephon Gilmore for illegal use of hands gave Carolina a first down and ultimately led them to their game-winning field goal.

Wise jump-started his rookie season, notching a sack, a quarterback hit, and a hurry in Week 1. He upped that performance with a second sack in Week 2 along with four quarterback hits and another pressure. Since then, Wise has tallied two quarterback hits and three hurries in Weeks 3 and 4.

In Week 2, during the Patriots 36-20 rout of the New Orleans Saints, CBS Sports color analyst Tony Romo shared that Saints head coach Sean Payton believed Wise could be a game changer:

"“(Payton) said he’s very disruptive and with their two tackles that they got right now trying to play, he thought he could disrupt this game,” Romo said during the game. “So, he tried to have a little part of his plan for Wise.”"

Whether the Saints were prepared for him, or not, Wise put on a clinic in New Orleans, tallying a sack, multiple hits and hurries, and two tackles.

Through four weeks of the season, Wise has earned Pro Football Focus’ fifth highest pass rushing productivity rating. Paired with fellow Arkansas alum Trey Flowers, the two defenders form one of the league’s top up-and-coming pass-rushing duos.

When asked by ESPN’s Mike Reiss what he loves about football, Wise responded, “The adrenaline rush you get when you make plays.” He’ll have plenty of opportunities to feel that rush as he terrorizes offensive tackles throughout his rookie campaign.