Like most of the seasons before, the Patriots went into 2024 with the expectation that the defense would be the better side of the team and outperform the offense. That was even more believed given the lack of significant moves made to improve the offensive roster, despite adding one of the top rookie quarterbacks of the incoming draft class.
Unfortunately, the projection of the defense carrying the team didn't last long. In fact, it barely lasted through training camp. It was apparent early on that the defense was not performing to the standard of old or even from just one season before.
Some grace was given since Bill Belichick was no longer the head coach and his defensive prowess is unmatched. However, the depths to which the defense's performance sunk were beyond just the aftermath of a departing head coach, with the lack of pass rush leading to the most concerns of the entire group.
The new regime's decision to trade Matthew Judon certainly played a role, but there was more to it than that. That's why the news of their longtime pass rush specialist, Joe Kim, leaving the team for opportunities elsewhere might not be the worst coaching update this offseason.
The Patriots ranked last in the NFL this season in sacks (28).
— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) January 22, 2025
What's crazy is that's despite sacking Caleb Williams 9(!!) times in one game.
They had 19 sacks in their other 16 games.
The Patriots bringing in a new pass rush coach might be exactly the change needed to make the group productive again
While it's never the most ideal scenario for an entire staff to be mostly gutted for the third year in a row, the Patriots are in a position of needing a lot of change to put them back in the direction of being a successful and competitive team once again.
That's a big reason Robert Kraft decided to move on from Jerod Mayo after just one season as the team's head coach and almost immediately hired Mike Vrabel as his replacement. So it's not entirely surprising that many coaches who had stayed on for Mayo's tenure or were hired are moving on, including Kim.
In some cases, like this one, perhaps it's time to get new blood in the building and put together a new team of people to help what the Patriots are trying to accomplish.
Kim is highly regarded as a coach, especially for his unique inclusion of martial-arts driven techniques in his coaching, which many players have spoken about as a real benefit to their training. But if you look at how non-existent their pass rush was during the 2024 season, it seemed like something wasn't clicking behind the scenes or on the field, making Kim seem like a dispensable coach.
Perhaps it was not just a coaching issue but also a roster issue, which is entirely possible with Keion White being the leading EDGE player on the team. It's a plausible take and removes some of the responsibility of failure off Kim's shoulders. But the drastic decline of the defense over the last few years can't be squarely pinned on the players alone.
All of this will inevitably lead to an interesting decision from Vrabel regarding who will replace Kim and if the new hire can dramatically turn things around for the defensive line. White showed he could be a viable pass rusher for the defense through the first few games last year, only to fall off as the season progressed.
Can a new coach bring that out of him again? Will they sign or draft the talent needed to really put them over the top, with a suitable coach to make the difference needed?
We'll have to wait and see.