Pats put opponents into the deep end

Bill Belichick’s obsession with special teams is no secret, with the Patriots coach known to, at times, launch into a 650-word diatribe on the importance of, say, the personal protector on the punt coverage unit.

But it’s that uncanny attention to detail that often separates the Patriots from their opponents.

Winning the field position battle and fighting for hidden yardage on special teams is something Belichick likes to take pride in when he speaks after a Patriots victory.

And lately, the coach has good reason to praise his team’s success in the field position battle, as the Patriots are on an unprecedented run pinning teams deep in their own territory to start drives.

In fact, Patriots opponents have started in their own end of the field for 94 consecutive drives, the longest such streak in the NFL in the last 25 years.

The last time a Patriots opponent started on New England’s side of the 50yard line was in the first quarter of a Week 3 matchup against the Texans. Only two opponent drives have started on the Patriots’ side of the field all season.

For comparison, the Patriots have started 17 drives in opponents’ territory this season.

Furthermore, teams that have played the Patriots this season have an average starting field position of their own 24-yard line, which is the worst starting field position against any opponent in the NFL this season.

The Patriots have done an exceptional job of flipping the field position all year, and there are two main reasons for that success.

First, the Patriots have one of the league’s best kick and punt coverage teams, with perennial Pro Bowler Matthew Slater leading a deep crew that also includes Brandon Bolden, Johnson Bademosi, Brandon King and Jonathan Jones.

New England has made 56 tackles on special teams this season, tied for the second-most in the NFL behind the Los Angeles Chargers (64 tackles).

Moreover, 19 different players have contributed to those 56 tackles for the Patriots, including Bolden (seven tackles), the now-injured Nate Ebner (five), Bademosi (five), and King (five).

Overall, the Patriots have the top-ranked kickoff coverage unit according to the Football Outsiders DVOA metric at +4.8, and the punt team is a net positive as well at +1.8 this season.

But the other reason for the Patriots’ success pinning their opponents deep in their own territory is their lack of turnovers.

Despite throwing his fourth interception of the season against the Bills in Week 13, Tom Brady and the Patriots offense has turned the ball over a league-low eight times this season, joining the Kansas City Chiefs as the only two teams with eight turnovers this season.

Of those eight giveaways, only two have occurred on the Patriots’ side of the field, and the defense returned both of those for touchdowns.

The lack of giveaways and the tremendous play by the Patriots’ coverage units has also played a major role in the team’s transformation on defense from a unit that allowed 32 points per game through four weeks to one that has surrendered a league-best 11.9 points per game since Week 5.

In Week 13, the Bills’ average starting field position was their own 23-yard line, and the Patriots defense used that long field to its advantage as it surrendered just one field goal to the Bills.

As the Patriots ride their eight-game win streak into Miami on Monday night, the defensive turnaround will remain a hot topic. But don’t take for granted the advantageous situations created for the defense by the offense and special teams this season.