Can Patriots’ defense lift team to playoffs?
The New England Patriots are out to disprove the notion that you’re only as good as your weakest link. Because if that were true, the Patriots wouldn’t be sitting in playoff position with an offense that still holds more questions than answers.
It was the Patriots’ stout defense that stepped up and led them to a 27-13 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Monday, a victory that brought them to 7-6 on the season and into the seventh and final AFC playoff position with four games to play.
If the Patriots do make the postseason, it will likely be a result of their defense carrying them there.
The New England defense registered six sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery for a touchdown in Monday’s win, taking advantage of a Cardinals team that lost quarterback Kyler Murray just three plays into the game to a knee injury.
“Our defense hung in there and made some big plays, big stops and a big turnover,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said after the game. “I thought they did a pretty good job tonight. (Arizona) has a lot of firepower and moved the ball but fortunately, we got a couple red-area stops and they didn’t get much in the second half.”
The strong performance wasn’t an outlier. The Patriots’ defense has been one of the top units in the NFL this season, ranking fifth in points allowed per game (18.4), sixth in yards per game (312.6) and fifth in takeaways (21). The unit has also been disciplined, boasting the fewest penalties committed and accepted (57).
One hallmark of the defense, which leads the AFC with 45 sacks, has been its pass rush. Matthew Judon, who registered 1.5 sacks Monday, is tied for the NFL lead with 14.5 sacks this season. Josh Uche has 10 sacks. They are the only duo in the NFL with respective double-digit sack totals. The Patriots also rank first in quarterback hurries per dropback (11.4%) and second in quarterback pressures per dropback (25.8%).
“Judon has been a blessing in my life,” Uche said of his teammate after the game. “That’s big bro. I don’t know where I’d be without him or without the rest of the guys . ... We’re gonna work hard until the whistle blows.“
The Patriots have even tried sprinkling their defensive magic on the offense. In their Week 13 loss to the Buffalo Bills, rookie defensive back Marcus Jones scored the team’s lone touchdown with a 48-yard reception in his first career offensive touch. Jones also registered a catch on offense Monday as well as an interception.
“Fatigue is real,” Jones said after Monday’s game in which he took snaps in all three phases. “I’m not winded, winded. Just making sure my body is good and recovered. Nobody in this league can play every down on each side but the coaches know when to put me out there.”
Jones has provided a unique look to a Patriots offense desperately searching for momentum. On Monday, there was an overdose of screen passes to nowhere and costly mistakes compounded with questionable play-calling. The offense had 328 yards and two rushing TDs. Quarterback Mac Jones went 24 of 35 for 235 yards and an interception.
De-facto offensive coordinator Matt Patricia, who is officially listed as a senior football advisor, has been the subject of criticism all season. Even Mac Jones was seen questioning the team’s offensive plan last week — and his tempers flared again Monday when the Patriots were forced to take a timeout to avoid a delay-of-game penalty in the second half.
The suspect play-calling caught the attention of ESPN play-by-play announcer Joe Buck, who, while calling the game on Monday Night Football, questioned an “odd play-call” that saw Jones handing off to his running back at the Cardinals 28-yard line with 10 seconds left in the second quarter. New England fumbled the exchange, and Jones had to fall on the football to preserve a field goal that cut the Cardinals’ lead to 13-10 at the half.
The New England offense ranks 24th in total yards and 18th in points (21.2 per game). The group is routinely forced into field goals (second in field goals made) thanks to its NFL-worst 38.9% touchdown ratio while inside the 20yard line in 2022. The Patriots posted a 61.9% mark last season.
The Patriots showed some improvement in that area Monday — they scored touchdowns on two of four trips to the red zone against the Cardinals — but it’s still an area of concern.
Although New England controls its own destiny, games loom against the Las Vegas Raiders, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins — three of whom are currently in playoff positions. Given the current state of their offense, the Patriots will likely need their standout defense to power them through that gauntlet.