FOCUS FOR ‘D’: BRING HEAT
Getting to quarterbacks a must improvement
FOXBORO — Quarterbacks don’t fear the Patriots defense.
There’s no need for fear, not after watching Super Bowl LII, in which the Eagles scored on almost every possession. Nick Foles, a backup quarterback, wasn’t touched, bothered or harassed in the slightest. He dropped back, often could have count- ed to 10-Mississippi, and delivered to a receiver, tight end or running back.
Let’s just say the Patriots have a long way to go to change that image. They have a lot of areas to fix, to make the defense respectable after being embarrassed in the biggest game of the year.
It’s not the past anymore, when quarterbacks got confused by Bill Belichick’s schemes or done in by Patriots playmakers at every level.
With the Eagles coming to town Thursday night for the second preseason contest, we all are reminded of how Foles was able to destroy this defense.
While the Patriots have made moves up front to improve their run-stopping ability and have young talent in the secondary to help better the pass coverage, they can’t let quarterbacks just sit back and pick them apart. Even though they were tied for seventh in the NFL with 42 sacks last season, Pro Football Focus graded the Pats’ pass rush as the worst in the league.
The Patriots will face Detroit’s Matthew Stafford, Indianapolis’ Andrew Luck, Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins and Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger this season, so they can’t be as woefully inconsistent at generating heat during key moments. They will need to force more hurries, or simply get more quarterback hits and sacks. How will that be accomplished? Veteran defensive end Adrian Clayborn, who was signed in free agency, is here to make some noise on one end. He’s had good moments in camp during one-onone drills. It remains to be seen how effective he’ll be in games.
Derek Rivers, who missed his rookie season with a torn ACL, hopefully can provide a boost. He had some jump in the first preseason game, making the first tackle by bursting around the edge. While it’s too soon to gauge how he’s going to develop, the second-year player out of Youngstown State feels confident in his ability to be a factor.
“I would love to make more of those plays,” Rivers said. “I want to do anything I can to help the team win. That’s what we all strive to do.”
Then there’s Deatrich Wise Jr. He had five sacks his rookie year and wants to take the next step. Thus far, he’s had an impressive camp, dominating one-on-one drills for the most part. However, he didn’t bring that into Thursday night’s win against the Redskins, being somewhat invisible. He is hoping to change that. “I believe as long as I continue to improve day to day and do my job on and off the field, the success will come,” Wise said.
If teams have to pay more attention to Wise, Clayborn or Rivers, Trey Flowers will be freed up on the opposite side and might not draw as many double teams.
Another wild card is utilizing linebacker Dont’a Hightower’s pass-rushing skills, assuming he stays healthy. That wasn’t the case last year. At the start of the 2017 season, he was used more like an outside linebacker, rushing off the edge, before moving back inside to shore up the run defense. Then he got hurt in Week 5 and was done for the year.
With his versatility, Hightower can move around.
“We use our linebackers and ends multiple different ways and I’ve always been (part of that). It’s always been the more that you can do around here,” Hightower said yesterday.
The Patriots didn’t get much from the middle of their line in the preseason opener. Adam Butler, though, was getting penetration and push up the middle.
“I do feel I can be more of a presence in the pass rush,” Butler said. “I just need to be more consistent.”
The Patriots brought in Joe Kim, a Taekwondo master, to be a pass rush consultant and help players with their techniques. He’s been out there every day with long red mitts on his arms, doing hand-fighting drills.
“He’s helped us elevate our game a little bit,” Wise said. “Stuff we’re strong on, or weak on, he helps us improve. He helps us utilize our strengths.”
After Super Bowl LII, the defensive front will take any help they can get.