5 team records the Patriots could likely break this season
By Rhys Knott
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According to Ruth Bader Ginsberg, “Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time”. That’s not what Patriots fans want to hear, but as always the first Jewish woman to serve on the Supreme Court was right.
That’s not to say there won’t be some highlights for fans in New England to enjoy in 2024. After all the defense is ranked in the top five by one analyst and PFF ranked their linebacking corps as one of the best in the league.
So exactly how good could this Patriots' defense be in 2024, record-breaking? Why not, there’s plenty of records after all. Even the 2024 Patriots offense could break a record, a record that nobody wants to break.
5 team records the Patriots could likely break this season
Most tackles made by a player in a season
This one is a bit of a no-brainer, or at least it would be if tackle statistics were recorded officially (and consistently) before 1994. The unofficial single-season Patriots tackle record is held by Clayton Weishuhn who reportedly made 229 in 1983!
Officially, on the other hand, the record is held by someone with much closer ties to the current Patriots team.
New head coach Jerod Mayo holds the Patriots record for tackles in a single season, in fact, Mayo has three entries in the top six! Mayo’s official record is the 113 he made in 2010.
The 2024 offense figures to be a work in progress for most, if not all of the season. So the chances of the Patriots dominating time of possession in the majority of their games this year are unhealthily skinny.
Kyle Dugger led the team with 71 tackles in 2023. While that might not be close to the 114 needed to set a new record, Dugger was one of only two players on the defense who played all 17 games in 2023.
If the core of the defensive unit can stay healthy and develop under DeMarcus Covington then anyone from Dugger, Sione Takitaki, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Jabrill Peppers, or even Marte Mapu could break Mayo’s record.
Ja'Whaun Bentley is very good. Here he is making the tackle on three straight plays to force a 3-and-out against the Colts last season. https://t.co/dKIkOMlfp0 pic.twitter.com/23yDvZ602u
— Matt St. Jean (@mattstdream) June 29, 2023