Van Noy keeps edge on game
Versatile linebacker loves to get after QB
FOXBORO — As the Patriots foraged through possibilities to strengthen the edge of their defense, Bill Belichick may have found an answer while returning to the well.
Linebacker Kyle Van Noy had one of his best performances of the season Sunday against the Raiders while playing on the end of the line. Van Noy had a half-sack with defensive end Trey Flowers and added three pressures against quarterback Derek Carr.
It was just the second time this season Van Noy racked up four quarterback disruptions, as he had two sacks and two pressures as an inside linebacker against the Jets in Week 6. It’s no coincidence Van Noy enjoyed so much success while returning to a role that might suit him best.
“It’s fun to be put all over the field,” he said. “Anytime you have a chance to get to the quarterback a little bit more, it makes it fun. I made that happen.”
Would he like more of those opportunities this season? That’s akin to offering second helpings of pie on Thanksgiving.
“Yeah, it would be kind of cool,” Van Noy said.
Van Noy was a high-level pass rusher at Brigham Young when Detroit drafted him in the second round in 2014. The Lions couldn’t figure out how to use him and traded him to the Patriots, along with a flip of late-round selections. Van Noy switched between the edge and second level last season while registering 1.5 sacks, three quarterback hits, five pressures, two forced fumbles and two run stuffs in his final 10 games, including the playoffs.
The 26-year-old opened this season as an inside linebacker, perhaps to offset a lack of depth at the position due to Dont’a Hightower’s early rehab schedule and Shea McClellin’s summer concussion.
Yet, the Patriots also had plenty of question marks on the edge, either at defensive end in four-man fronts or outside linebacker with five-man lines or 3-4 concepts. Flowers has been terrific all season, and fourth-round pick Deatrich Wise has been a valued contributor, though there are concerns he could wear down with overloaded responsibilities.
Week 1 trade acquisition Cassius Marsh was far too undisciplined with his containment against the run, and his playing time waned in recent weeks before he was released four days ago. The Patriots shifted Van Noy to the edge against the Raiders and sat Marsh for all but two snaps, one of which yielded a long Marshawn Lynch run.
So yeah, Van Noy can get after the quarterback, but he is just as valuable to Belichick as a defender who can stabilize the edge.
“That’s where the defense starts. You want to set the edge,” Van Noy said. “For me, I take pride in that, and I think we do as a defense. Anytime you have a chance or your job is to set the edge, you need to do it, whether you’re the corner, safety or ’backer, you need to get it done because everybody else is counting on you for that.”
The Patriots still don’t have a ton of depth at inside linebacker or on the edge, but Van Noy’s presence on the outside could be valuable for a number of reasons beyond his pass-rushing prowess and reliability against the run. It will also save Wise, whose best games in terms of quarterback disruption have come on limited workloads. And while inside linebackers Elandon Roberts and David Harris have coverage vulnerabilities, the secondary’s markedly improved performance can make up for most of that issue.
This example, assuming it sticks with Van Noy, is why Belichick warns against making rash judgments regarding any teams in September or October. Roles evolve, either due to need or performance progression, and Van Noy could stabilize some inconsistent matters.
“He adds that veteran mindset to the defensive front, that understanding of the back end as a linebacker,” Flowers said. “He is allowed to play faster, and I think he has doing pretty good.”
Understandably, Van Noy likes the potential of the three-man combo with Flowers and Wise.
“I think it’s just getting pressure and making it tough for their quarterback to feel comfortable,” Van Noy said. “I think that’s the biggest thing. Sacks will come and go, but if we’re getting sustained pressure and making the quarterback feel it, I think that’s what we’re trying to do.
“It’s fun. It takes a lot of work. Trey got after (Carr) a lot. When you have numerous guys getting after (the quarterback), it helps you out as well. It’s not just myself doing my part. It’s everyone doing their part. I think we’re starting to get better and better with that each week, for sure.”