When watching the Patriots defense prepare for the arrival of Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers in Foxborough, it’s fair to scratch the side of your head and wonder, “Who are these guys?”
Who are these guys, who are earning a guaranteed total of $41.37 million in guaranteed cash this year – including Kyle Dugger, who is not a starter?
Who are these guys, who have given up the most passing yards in the league through the first two weeks of the season, in the absence of All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez?
Who are these guys, who – despite that last stat – lead the league in sacks through the first two weeks of the season?
Are these guys good?
Plenty of pundits assumed New England’s defense would operate in the likeness of head coach Mike Vrabel: they would be sharp, hard-nosed, physical, and disciplined.
Instead, they’re struggling. On an individual level, linebackers haven’t been able to tackle. Pro Football Focus recorded 14 missed tackles in Week 2 against the Dolphins and 11 in Week 1 against the Raiders. Robert Spillane missed five last Sunday – including back-to-back plays. Schematically, their approach to blitz Geno Smith 16 of the 40 times he dropped back to pass in Week 1 clearly backfired as Smith carved up the secondary.
The defense has been dealt more curveballs than any other part of Vrabel’s team. Defensive coordinator Terrell Williams missed organized team activities and mini camp due to a health issue, and stepped away from the team again last week, with linebackers coach Zak Kuhr fulfilling his play calling duties. The team’s most talented player, Gonzalez, suffered a hamstring injury early in training camp. He’s only just returned to practice this week.
Reasons, (not excuses!) aside, if Gonzalez returns to game action Sunday, it’s imperative the defense shows something more – and more consistent – than they did through the first two weeks.
“It’s our house. We have to start protecting it, so it starts on Sunday,” defensive lineman Milton Williams said at his locker Thursday.
Williams, who is collecting more than $100 million from the Patriots on his contract, was still triumphant from his victory-sealing sack of Tua Tagovailoa last Sunday. He’s quickly proven his value.
“I take pride in it, I feel like they brought me here for that, to put pressure on quarterbacks, affect him and get him off his spot,” Williams said. “Obviously, bringing him down is big, but it’s still early in the year. Two weeks, you really can’t look too much into it, there’s still room for improvement as far as just getting better with rushes, playing with counters, and just executing.”
K’Lavon Chaisson was impressed by the Patriots’ resilience to come back from down 20-15 in a “hostile environment” and sees the arrival of Rodgers and his legendary hard count Sunday as an opportunity for the defense to show a different side of themselves.
He hopes they’ll focus on, “the discipline between being able to watch the ball and not fall into the cadence, be able to substitute correctly, and obviously, when you’re on the field, have great coordinated rush lanes,” he said.
That’s all well and good in theory, but they have to execute. There’s a lot riding on this defense if the Patriots expect to make strides from their previous four-win seasons. The offense is a young. They’re allowed, to some extent, to be a work in progress, but the defense is supposed to be experienced…and they’re expensive, (remember, $41.37 million guaranteed this year!). It’s also where the team made the most surprising cut of the offseason releasing Jabrill Peppers, an old friend who will be looking to settle the score with his new black-and-yellow-clad teammates.
And look, Kuhr may be the playcaller, but Vrabel is a defensive coach. Sure, he floated all over the field during training camp, and he talks to Maye after a tough series on the sideline. Special Teams coordinator Jeremy Springer joked that he could vanish and his players would still flourish in Vrabel’s hands. But there is something to the defense representing the former linebacker, and if his house doesn’t look in order soon, it’s bound to raise tougher questions.