On Monday, Patriots defensive tackle Davon Godchaux made headlines during an appearance on Jones & Keefe as a part of WEEI’s “Patriots Monday” coverage.
“Well, we just all got to be on the same page, man,” Godchaux told the show. “We got guys - just to be honest - we got guys, some guys just being selfish. Because guys, I get it, I mean, we’re down, guys want to make plays. I get it, but everybody got to play.
“I’m talking about defense. Everybody has to play as 11, and everybody has to sacrifice to do what’s best for the team. I know some guys want to make plays when we’re down, trying to get back in the game, but we got to just keep going as a team and play team defense.”
When asked to clarify specifically what he meant by “selfish” - whether it meant players going for picks or sacks when they shouldn’t, or just going away from designed plays - Godchaux let his defense have all the smoke.
“Just both,” said Godchaux matter-of-factly. “We have a standard of holding guys accountable. If I’m not doing my job, coach is going to hold me accountable. My teammates are going to hold me accountable. Everybody just got to be as one. Because I get it, you get down, and everybody wants to make your play, and everybody wants to get the big splash play - the, ‘I brought us back in the game’ play. But at the end of the day, it takes a team. Nobody is good as an individual.
“We’re good as 11. We don’t have guys going out there being good as individuals. We have guys that’ve been good as 11, and that’s on every unit, special teams, offense, defense. I think once guys get that, I think we’ll be okay. We have a really good team, but we don’t show it for all 60 minutes. We have a really good team.”
As far as a player interview goes in today’s sports radio climate, you will not find a player be as honest as the eight-year veteran was on Monday. You could feel his raw emotion through the shaky phone connection. If you haven’t listened to the interview, I encourage you to scroll to the top of this page and give it a listen.
On Thursday, the local media met with Patriots defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington, and the first question he was asked was about Godchaux’s interview from Monday.
“I've been telling you guys, we're good as a ‘what?’” Covington asked the room of reporters in response to the question about Godchaux’s comments.
“Unit,” said a couple reporters in the front row.
“We're good as a ‘what?’” Covington asked again.
This time, no one responded.
“Unit - as a unit.” Covington said as an answer to his own question. “So just like any football team, alright, we are good as a unit.
“So when we all play together, we're good, right? I've been saying that from the beginning. We're not a team where a bunch of superstars, and go out there and we need this one guy to win. Alright? We are only good - and that's offense, defense and special teams - we're only good as a unit.
“Like, complementary football on the unit - we go as far as how the D-line play, the linebacker play, safeties and corners play. So that's what I would say. I've been saying that from the beginning, alright? So that's my comment on that.”
It’s clear that Godchaux was doing the bidding of the Patriots defensive staff in that interview. The defense knows that it needs to live up to their billing as the team’s most talented unit if they want to have any chance of remaining competitive the remainder of this season.
Since holding the Bengals to 224 yards of total offense during Week 1’s 16-10 upset win in Cincinnati, the Patriots defense has gotten progressively worse:
- 358 total yards in a 23-20 loss to Seattle in Week 2
- 400 total yards in a 24-3 loss to the Jets in Week 3
- 431 total yards in a 30-13 loss to San Francisco in Week 4
With each passing week, it’s more yards and more points for the opposition.
Week 5 could be a respite for the struggling defense, as the Dolphins roll into Foxborough looking like a lost offense without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. They’ve lost three in a row, with scores of 31-10, 24-3 and 31-12.
In a battle of two bad offenses, New England’s defense needs to step up and keep Miami from having the get-right game they desperately need.