For the season, the Patriots run defense has been pretty putrid. The unit ranks 25th in the NFL, allowing opponents an average of 131.0 yards per game and 4.5 yards per carry.
But the maligned front is coming off arguably its best game of the year in Monday night’s win in New York. New England allowed season lows of 18 rushing attempts and 65 yards on the ground, with the Jets averaging 3.6 yards per carry.
Improvement in one of the team’s biggest weaknesses is key at this point as the Patriots prepare to host Lamar Jackson and the Ravens NFL-best rushing attack Sunday night at Gillette Stadium. Baltimore averages 170.1 yards per game on the ground and 5.1 yards per carry as a team.
The dynamic QB Jackson leads the way with 469 yards rushing and a 5.9-yard average but is far from the only runner New England must worry about. Baltimore has four different players with at least 50 carries, 225 yards and better than a 4.4-yard average through eight games.
During his Wednesday morning video call with local reporters, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was asked if he’s seeing improvement and progress in his team’s run defense.
“I hope so,” Belichick said, somewhat non-committal coming off the performance against the NFL’s 26th-ranked rush attack amidst preparations to face the best ground game in football. “It wasn’t good enough in some of the previous weeks before that so, we’ll see. These guys can run the ball as well as anybody in the league so we’ll definitely get tested here. It was certainly better than what it’s been the last couple weeks. It was a good thing to see. Hopefully we can continue that.”
Playing without key front seven contributors in defensive tackle Lawrence Guy (shoulder/elbow/knee) and linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley (groin) in New York, Belichick indicated that the Patriots fundamentals were better against the Jets.
“We made a few adjustments but I thought the players played well in the game,” Belichick said. “We got split on one blitz there, which probably I could have coached that better. But for the most part we defeated blockers and tackled much better than we have. So that’s always a good place to start.”
It may have been a good start in an area much in need of improvement, but New England’s questionable run defense will obviously be put to a much greater test this Sunday night against Jackson and the run-heavy Ravens.
