For the past two decades, the Patriots have run the same system on offense and defense due to the luxury of having one head coach calling the shots. Bill Belichick's genius led them to six Super Bowl wins in nine appearances, allowing them to stick with what was working for so long, which is not something many teams are able to do.
A lot of that remained intact during the 2024 season because a handful of Belichick staffers remained despite his departure. But that's not expected to be the case under Mike Vrabel.
The new head coach has already assembled an impressive group of coaches to make up his staff for the upcoming season, many of whom have never played for or coached with Belichick. Because of that, they are expected to run a completely different defense under new defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, making it the biggest change in New England since before Belichick was hired.
The Boston Herald's Doug Kyed detailed what he believes those changes will be based on how Vrabel ran things during his time as the Titans head coach.
The Patriots defense could be drastically different in the 2025 season but for the better
Looking at how Vrabel and Williams put together and ran defenses for six seasons together in Tennessee, Kyed discussed how that might look now that the duo have reunited in New England.
"So, what exactly does that mean? It will look like a 3-4 but will actually be a 4-3 under. The defensive front will take more of a one-gap, attacking approach.
That’s a shift from last year’s scheme, which was still using Bill Belichick’s style, emphasizing two-gapping inside on the defensive front and versatility on the edges. For the first time in 25 years, the Patriots’ defense will look significantly different.
....Personnel-wise, the Patriots will change what they’re looking for on defense. The Titans typically deployed a smaller, more athletic linebacker corps."
The incoming coaches had different preferences for the type of player they liked to make up their defense, mainly keeping up with the ongoing trend of smaller and more athletic linebackers, as described by Kyed. He lists Ja'Whaun Bentley, Sione Takitaki, and Jahlani Tavai as those not fitting what they typically looked for, which could be a bad sign for the future in Foxboro.
That could mean there will be unpredictable roster cuts once free agency starts in March, putting many players on edge about their status for the upcoming season. And it will likely not be just linebackers, especially since Williams has a strong philosophy about the kind of defense he likes to put together, describing it as "being physical, playing hard and doing whatever it takes to win.”
Who they feel fits those qualities already on the roster will surely be an intriguing start to the new league year.