The New England Patriots' success over the last four years has been carried by their consistently dominant defense, and that was the expectation coming into the 2024 season, especially with an entirely remodeled offense underway. After a rough start in 2023, which got bumpier after the losses of Christian Gonzalez and Matthew Judon, the defense finished strong and looked every bit like the top-10 group of the year before.
That prompted the belief that they would only be better with both players back in the lineup this season, only for Judon to be traded, Christian Barmore to be sidelined indefinitely due to a health condition, and Ja'Whaun Bentley to suffer a season-ending injury in Week 2.
With key players absent from the roster, the defense has swiftly gone downhill and looks like a shell of its former self, becoming more of a liability on the field every week than the savior of the game.
It was made even more apparent against the Jaguars on Sunday, as the defense allowed 100+ rushing yards for the fifth game in a row (171 in Week 7), multiple touchdowns on the ground, and only recorded a single hurry on Trevor Lawrence to help secure the loss.
Their latest effort has some looking for potential replacements for DeMarcus Covington as the Patriots' defensive coordinator in 2025, and the Jets' latest firing might be the right guy for the job.
Robert Saleh could be a great defensive coordinator for the Patriots next year
Despite being fired from his position as the Jets' head coach after just six games this year, Saleh was a highly coveted defensive coordinator during his time with the 49ers. It's what made him one of the top candidates to become a head coach in 2021, ultimately leading to him being hired by New York.
During that time, the Jets' offense was a mess for the most part, mainly due to the quarterback situation between Sam Darnold and Zach Wilson. But the defense was generally pretty stout and among some of the best in the league in several statistics, including the 2024 season, as they are the second-ranked passing defense and sixth overall through seven games.
If he could bring that type of development to the Patriots, they could be well on the road to becoming a top-10 group again. But right now, it's clear they're missing the defensive brilliance of Bill Belichick, who prided himself on having stout defenses throughout his legendary career.
Saleh has proven he can accomplish that no matter where he is, as we also saw during his five years with the 49ers. The Patriots' defense needs tough love and more accountability, and he has all the tools to bring that to New England if they would consider him in the hiring process.
It's certainly something for the new regime to consider as they navigate through a tough season and probably even rougher 2025 offseason. Saleh will be a highly sought-after DC, and although the Patriots might not be a highly desirable destination, there's a lot of talent for a coordinator to work with that could make it more considerable—if they let go of Covington, that is.