#patriots-defense

#patriots-defense

New England Patriots star quarterback Drake Maye didn't meet the MVP-caliber standard he's set this season in the first half of the Divisional Round. Fortunately for him, his defense rose to the occasion with a special performance against the Houston Texans. Despite scoring 10 points, it felt like the Texans' offense had no answers for what the Patriots were doing. More specifically, New England had Houston signal-caller C.J. Stroud in an absolute blender from the outset of their win-or-go-home showdown.

The three-year, $36 million pact the Patriots inked Jones to just after Week 7 of this season ranks 26th among NFL corners in terms of average annual value. He's given the team plenty of return on their investment so far throughout the 2025 campaign, finishing the year ninth at his position in interceptions (three), second in sacks (two), sixth in stops (27), 13th in quarterback rating allowed (116.8), 21st in solo tackles (58), and 26th in overall Pro Football Focus grade (69.3).

After a much-needed bye week, the Patriots were immediately tested in Week 15, as they welcomed the Bills for their second matchup of the season, which could have sealed the division in their favor for the first time in six years. Based on how they played in the weeks leading up to the game, which included a 10-game win streak, it looked like the Bills should be the underdogs on the road.

One of the biggest talking points surrounding the Bills' up-and-down 2025 season has been the lack of game-changing weapons Josh Allen has to work with. While to some that's a valid complaint, others believe it's a cop-out, especially to Patriots fans, who know all too well that Tom Brady rarely had a legitimate WR1 to work with during his career.

The New England Patriots have put together one of the better defenses in football. They rank second against the run, 13th against the pass, and No. 5 overall. The numbers are impressive, no doubt, but the unit isn't without its shortcomings; it ranks 21st in sacks per game and has struggled to generate much more than coverage sacks against inferior offensive lines.

In his first season with the Patriots, Chaisson has become a bit of an unexpected key contributor. He's started all four games to this point, playing opposite of Harold Landry as the Patriots' two primary edge rushers. Chaisson has also played 68.3 percent of the Patriots' defensive snaps, which is the seventh-highest among all the team's defenders, per Pro Football Reference.

The Patriots are set to face one of the best offenses of their season so far when they play the Bills for the first time this season on Sunday Night Football. The defense will have their hands full with the AFC Player of the Month in running back James Cook, and one of the best quarterbacks in the league over the last five years, Josh Allen.

The New England Patriots' defense overall had a solid game against Carolina. One player who's beginning to assert himself and is getting back into top form is defensive lineman Christian Barmore. While his stats are not earth-shattering, Barmore is starting to make a difference on the defensive line, along with his teammate, Milton Williams. The defensive line is generating solid pressure on opposing quarterbacks, led by edge rushers Harold Landry III, K'Lavon Chaisson, and defensive tackles Barmore and Milton Williams, the top free agent signee.

"We subbed and we got into our calls," Vrabel said. "We talked about this before, the best call is a decisive one that the players know and believe in and that they have confidence that they can execute their job. When we needed to get the drive stopped, we got the drive stopped. We had a plan to play these guys and how we wanted to play them."

There have been a lot of questions surrounding the Patriots' defensive roster decisions over the last few weeks, most of which stemmed from the unexpected release of safety Jabrill Peppers days after the roster cut deadline. Throughout the summer, he had looked like a roster lock, as he was barely on the field during the preseason, only to be abruptly released and leave the Patriots' secondary vulnerable going into the season opener.