Patriots: 3 reasons 2021 will be Bill Belichick Revenge Tour
By Jerry Trotta
2. Improved Front Seven
The Patriots’ defense regressed as a unit last season, and that was hardly a surprise given how many impact players they parted ways with before Week 1 rolled around.
As we know, linebacker Dont’a Hightower and safety Patrick Chung, two longtime staples of Belichick’s defense, opted out amid the COVID-19 pandemic. While Chung retired this offseason, Hightower is back in the fold, and his return figures to pay massive dividends.
Bill Belichick will get the most out of the Patriots’ revamped front seven.
New England also lost pass rushers Jamie Collins and Kyle Van Noy, the latter of whom they ironically stole back from the Dolphins this offseason. That’s four players who were projected to start and play at least 70% of the defensive snaps.
As brilliant as Belichick is, not even he could overcome those losses … which were only exacerbated by the deficiencies of the offense.
Luckily for Belichick, however, this year figures to be a different story. Hightower and Van Noy returning will be huge. Gilmore should be fully healthy after undergoing quad surgery. The additions of Matt Judon, who’s recorded 34.5 sacks over five seasons, Jalen Mills, Davon Godchaux, Christian Barmore and Ronnie Perkins will only help the cause, too.
Don’t look now, Patriots fans, but Belichick’s defense has a real good chance of morphing back into a unit no team in the league wants to face on Sundays.