Patriots Emphasis on Team Defense to Receive Early Test
By Fran Brown
After going 1-3 to finish the season before getting blown out in Buffalo during the playoffs, the Patriots made an emphasis to get younger and faster in 2022, especially on the defensive side of the ball. With veterans such as Dont’a Hightower, Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins now gone, we’ll get our first real look at the new unit on Sunday in what should be a great test for them.
Miami put a large emphasis on its offense in the offseason replacing the defensive minded Brian Flores with Mike McDaniel and adding skill guys such as Tyreek Hill, Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert. These were big additions to a team which already boasted a 1,000-yard rookie receiver in Jaylen Waddle and a very serviceable tight end in Mike Gesicki.
The Patriots have clearly noticed the increase in talent down in Miami. On Tuesday, Bill Belichick joined “The Greg Hill Show” and gave his report on the state of the Dolphins’ offense:
"“Good receivers, good quarterback, tight end, and a big emphasis on the running game with their offensive line so it’s not just one guy to stop, we’ll have to be competitive all the way across the board and play good team defense.”"
What is the biggest area of concern for the Patriots’ defense?
A big reason why the Patriots needed to get younger and faster was because their linebackers slowed down a lot at the end of the season. During the last 5 games (including the playoff loss), they gave up a whopping 157.8 rushing yards per game, a number which would have been even higher had they not played the hapless Jaguars in Week 17. During their Week 18 loss in Miami, the Patriots gave up 195 yards on the ground as the Dolphins were able to control most of the game.
Take it back to 2020 when McDaniel was the running game coordinator for the 49ers and the numbers don’t get much better. San Francisco was able to come into Gillette and rack up 197 yards on the ground to go along with 4 rushing touchdowns in a 33-6 beatdown.
Up front, the Patriots will be relying on Lawrence Guy, Christian Barmore and the newly extended Davon Godchaux to plug holes in the Dolphin running game. This should open up opportunities for Ja’Whaun Bentley, Kyle Dugger, Adrian Phillips and offseason acquisition Mack Wilson Sr. to make plays.
Where can the Patriots excel?
The weakest link of the Miami offense and the biggest question mark by far continues to be quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. If the Patriots can consistently put pressure on the third-year quarterback, I think the defense will be OK. This definitely goes with Belichick’s feeling that it will have to be a team effort as the pass rush and secondary will need to work in tandem.
I think the Patriots should be able to get to the quarterback with Matthew Judon, Barmore and Josh Uche. Even with the loss of J.C. Jackson, the secondary continues to be one of the stronger parts of the Patriot defense, with a strong mix of veterans and speed back there.