Fine-tuned elite defense elevates Patriots
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The Patriots’ core defensive players spent the bulk of the 2018 season in this somewhat awkward stage, stuck between experimentation, modification and refinement.
During that time, they found the ideal performance most elusive.
They made plays and helped earn victories, but the defense also gave up too many yards, too many big plays and at times missed opportunities for defining contributions.
The system they were running offered numerous options intended to give players flexibility within the schemes. But that freedom heightened the need for strong cohesion, communication and trust among the Patriots’ defenders so the unit could operate like a well-oiled machine. For much of the year, they just didn’t have it all.
Weeks of ups and downs, trial and error, additional film study and endless discussions unfolded, and then, finally, as the 2018 season neared its end, everything seemingly fell into place.
Opponents’ yardage and point totals decreased. The Patriots’ takeaways increased. And during that five-week run that started in Week 16 and extended to their Super Bowl victory over the Rams, New England’s defensive players were at their best.
Fast. Aggressive. Instinctive. Disruptive. Opportunistic.
“We finally found out how we needed to play the last two (regular season games) and the last three postseason games,” safety Duron Harmon told USA TODAY Sports on Sunday in front of his locker. “We found out how we wanted to play, came back (this year) and had something to build off of.”
Build they have. What was already a good defense during that march to the Super Bowl is now even better, on pace to post a historically great season. The unit is even more disruptive and impactful, and it has served as the backbone of the team during this quest to return to the Super Bowl.
In Week 8 against the Browns, New England’s defense used a three-takeaway first quarter to set the tone for a 27-13 victory that improved the Patriots’ record to 8-0. During that performance, the Patriots never let Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield find his comfort zone, and they made his Pro Bowl wide receiver tandem of Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry look very average. The group limited the Browns to 310 yards and a 25% success rate (3 of 12) on third downs.
For the sixth time this season, the Patriots held an opponent to fewer than 14 points, and the defense scored its fourth TD of the season (a fumble recovered and returned by Dont’a Hightower), matching its total of touchdowns allowed. With 25 takeaways through eight games, they’re three shy of tying last season’s total for the entire year.
To say the Patriots have taken things to another level would represent an understatement.
“Yeeeeeeah,” Harmon agreed with a smile before almost downplaying things in a way that would make Bill Belichick proud. “We’ve got a lot of guys coming back this year, and then you add a guy like (linebacker) Jamie Collins, and when you’re able to score the ball on defense, that does something big for the team.”
That continuity ranks among the biggest factors in the Patriots’ continued elevation on defense.
Outside of Collins, who spent 31⁄2 years with New England before a 2016 midseason trade to Cleveland and resigned with the Patriots this offseason, all of the starters (and most of the key contributors) have now played together in consecutive seasons.
That enables the Patriots’ defensive players to operate almost effortlessly in the freedoms of their system. Each player understands his role and that of the next guy and how they all work together. That helps them cut down on miscommunications and mental errors while positioning them for dominant play.
“It’s a mindset. It’s a little bit of everything,” cornerback Stephon Gilmore said. “We’ve got a lot of smart and instinctive players, and we play fast and trust each other. But it’s also really great coaches preparing us.”
Belichick has designed the system. But because all 11 players operate with such cohesion and understanding, he feels comfortable taking a step back and letting them run the show on the field.
It’s “his ability to give ownership to the players,” defensive back Devin McCourty said. “There’s a lot of times for us as defenders, we go out there and (Belichick will) tell us like, ‘Hey, you’ve got five different options right here.
“‘Whatever you see best, by formation, by personnel, make the call.’ And he’s told, whether it’s myself, (Harmon), Pat (Chung), who really makes a lot of calls, Hightower, (Collins), (Ja’Whaun Bentley) or (Elandon Roberts) – he tells us all as signal callers, ‘Nine out of 10 times, I trust you’re going to make the right decision. So I don’t want to tell you what to do and ruin the game.’
“As he always says, ‘Coaches mess up games more than anything.’ And I think him allowing us to do that, for one, it makes us want to study and understand the game, take accountability to our coaches, to our teammates. And then I think, two, it allows us to just play free: go out there, study the game and do what you think is necessary. … That’s why you see us playing so fast as a defense right now.”
It’s remarkable that Belichick – one of the greatest coaches and strategic minds of all time – would take a handsoff approach to the defense in games. He famously has a reputation of running a tight ship. But because he preaches the importance of preparation and accountability during the week, he knows the leaders of his defense will not let him down and they’ll ensure that their teammates are on the same page and primed for success as well.
In many ways, the Patriots’ dominance on defense has saved the team as a whole this season.
True, Tom Brady remains Tom Brady. And Julian Edelman remains his favorite target. But the Patriots’ offense has yet to completely find its identity this season. New England’s offensive line also is working for cohesion while waiting for left tackle Isaiah Wynn to get healthy.
And players and coaches are still very much trying to find what other playmakers will emerge to help fill the void left when Rob Gronkowski retired this offseason.
Eventually, tight end Benjamin Watson could claim a key role, and it’s expected newly acquired wide receiver Mohamed Sanu will as well.
But for now, the Patriots are tinkering until they find the right combinations before hitting the final stretch of the regular season in prime form. They can do so without an ounce of panic because they know their dominant defense is helping to pick up the slack and in some cases carrying them.
“I wouldn’t say carry,” Harmon protested with a laugh. “We aid them. We help them and they help us. It’s complimentary football.
“Today was a day we played off each other.”
In truth, it was was another day in which the defense paved the way for success.