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After the New England Patriots missed the playoffs for the first time in over a decade, the franchise retooled this past offseason.
The buzz around the Patriots centers on the team pushing forward to contend for the postseason and capture an 18th AFC East division title under head coach Bill Belichick. However, New England fell short 17-16 in the season opener against the Miami Dolphins.
Patriots could have a fatal flaw, exposed by Rodney Harrison
Although it was only one game, former Patriots great Rodney Harrison made some strong impressions. Initially, Harrison voiced his surprise at how poorly the team’s front seven defensively played against the Dolphins.
“I look at their defensive front seven — which is supposed to be stout, which is really supposed to be the strength of their team — and it was average,” said Harrison during an NBC Sports interview via Boston.com. “It wasn’t very good. I just didn’t see the consistent pressure. I didn’t see them stopping the run. I didn’t see those guys flying around. They looked slow, they didn’t really look energetic.
“This is supposed to be a faster, more athletic defense,” Harrison explained. “I was just really stunned by the Patriots’ front seven.”
The Patriots were able to limit the Dolphins to 74 rushing yards, but the team lacked consistent pressure on the quarterback as Tua Tagovailoa primarily played without much difficulty. Tagovailoa was sacked twice, with he was only hit four times.
New England possesses a solid collective group defensively that should have seen them improve off last season, but a lack of a strong pass rush could become a concerning factor. If the team doesn’t improve on that end, it could lead to more dependency on the team’s secondary.
It’s still extremely early, but the Patriots will look to mix it up to create pressure on the quarterback. That aspect is critical for the team as it pushes forward to provide balance to the team, especially with rookie Mac Jones leading the offense.
New England knows there will be some growing pains along the way as he continues to garner much-needed experience and comfort under center. The Patriots will need the defense to be a highly dependable factor if the team hopes to return to playoff contention this season.
The Week 2 matchup against the New York Jets will be another opportunity to get back on track. The Patriots will face rookie quarterback Zach Wilson, who should work favorably for New England as the team has had tremendous success against inexperienced quarterbacks under Bill Belichick.
Since Belichick became the Patriots head coach, the team holds a 21-6 record against first-year quarterbacks. Expect that trend to continue in Week 2 action.
