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New England Patriots

Christian Barmore doesn’t even know the last time he was physically overpowered

Matt Dolloff August 4th

  • Christian Barmore is a physical force.

    The second-year defensive tackle out of Alabama is making serious noise at 2022 training camp, and showing early signs of a second-year leap. In the case of Barmore, the leap could be seismic. He looks like he has the best chance of any second-year Patriot, rookie or veteran, to become a true impact player.

    With a player of Barmore’s physical ability, there is no ceiling. And it’s safer with him than anyone else on the field to rev up that hype train.

    Barmore made early waves as a rookie, playing the second-highest percentage of snaps at defensive tackle (55.4 percent) and logging 46 total tackles and 18 total QB pressures (nine hurries, seven knockdowns, 1.5 sacks). He’s locked in for third downs and obvious passing situations.

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  • Barmore still needs to round out his game. The Patriots still appear to view him as a pure pass-rusher, and he told reporters Wednesday that his No. 1 goal is to become a better run defender. But pass-rushing is where Barmore could become a true game-wrecker in the first place.

    One of the big keys for Barmore – any sophomore player, really – is to do less thinking out there, and more reacting. He acknowledged that he’s been able to play faster in his second year after spending much of his rookie season learning.

    “I’m way more comfortable now than I was last year, faster, and learning faster,” Barmore told reporters Wednesday. “I’m literally getting better every day, trying to get better today, get more better tomorrow.”

  • Barmore is still just 23 years old and has plenty to learn, especially based on his still-situational usage. But getting to the quarterback and slowing down the opponents’ passing game remains the No. 1 goal for any defense in today’s NFL. And to make a consistent impact at defensive tackle, you need to be physically overpowering. Barmore looks to be just that.

    Based on his reaction in his press conference, he’s been physically dominant for a long time. When asked if he remembers the last time he felt physically overmatched, Barmore quipped, “I don’t know about that one,” with a shake of the head and a flutter of the eyes.

    Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore speaks to reporters at training camp on Aug. 3, 2022 in Foxboro, Mass. (Matt Dolloff/98.5 The Sports Hub)

    Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore speaks to reporters at training camp on Aug. 3, 2022 in Foxboro, Mass. (Matt Dolloff/98.5 The Sports Hub)

    Barmore did credit the Patriots’ mountainous left tackle, Trent Brown, for giving him “sometimes a little trouble” in the power department. He credited Brown with helping prepare him for heavy double-teams, which he figures to see a lot of in the weeks (years?) ahead.

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  • “Christian’s done a good job. He’s way ahead of where he was last year,” head coach Bill Belichick said in his Thursday press conference. “First of all, he’s in much better condition. Second of all, he has a much better understanding of what we do, what our opponents do, and the daily routine or the weekly routine of how the progression’s going to go, because he’s been through it.

    “He’s been more consistent, like all second-year players – this isn’t really unique to him – but he’s been more consistent. He has a better understanding of our scheme, the opponent’s scheme, what can happen, what’s a problem, how to handle those problems when they come up. And his physical development, his techniques, his skills: overall strength, speed, stamina, have improved. They were good anyway, but they’ve gotten better through training. He’s making progress.”

    Barmore was especially disruptive during the Patriots’ seven-game winning streak in the middle of the 2021 season, when he racked up five QB hits, 0.5 sacks, one tackle for loss, and 18 total tackles. But the stats rarely tell the whole story, especially with a Belichick-coached defensive lineman. Barmore and others are expected to maintain gap responsibility and generate pressure by collapsing the pocket, rather than going all-out for sacks all the time.

  • If anyone on the Patriots is going to be pushing a lot of pockets back in 2022, it’s Barmore. He formed a formidable duo up front with outside linebacker Matthew Judon during the win streak a year ago. They and the rest of the Patriots defense fizzled down the stretch and into the playoffs, so more consistency and sustained excellence from those two would bode well for 2022.

    Even if Barmore continues to be mainly a third-down player in his second season, that’s where he’s always going to make his bones. If this time next year we’re talking about a big payday for the big boy, that’ll mean great things have happened.

  • We’ve got you covered every single day of Patriots training camp down in Foxboro. Click here for complete coverage at 985TheSportsHub.com.

    Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. You can also email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.

Mac Watch, Day 8: Still plenty of work to do, but a baby step in the right direction

  • Mac Jones during Patriots training camp on July 28, 2022. (Syndication: The Providence Journal)

    Mac Jones during Patriots training camp on July 28, 2022. (Syndication: The Providence Journal)

    For one day, it feels like the Patriots’ “day of corrections” paid off a little bit. Call it 1 percent better.

    Mac Jones and the Patriots’ passing offense looked and felt a baby-step closer to “on the same page” in team drills during the Patriots’ training camp practice on Thursday in sweltering Foxboro. They put the full pads back on and incorporated more in-game elements like down & distance and substitutions, a small indication that head coach Bill Belichick was relatively satisfied with Wednesday’s scaled back, non-padded session.

    Overall, Jones was 17-of-22 throwing the ball in team drills, including 14-of-19 in 11-on-11. Against the starting defense, he went 6-of-10, but did throw a touchdown to receiver Tre Nixon in a red zone rep. Two of Jones’ incompletions were drops by the receiver, which we’ll get into later.

    Jones completed passes to Jakobi Meyers (4), Jonnu Smith (4), J.J. Taylor (2), Nixon (2), Damien Harris, and Ty Montgomery in 11-on-11.

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  • Jones nearly went a perfect 9-of-9 in the first 11-on-11 session, which pitted the starting offense against the “2s” on defense. The lone blemish was a drop by Nelson Agholor, who bobbled a good over-the-shoulder drop in the bucket. Rookie cornerback Jack Jones was in coverage on the play, and didn’t look to get a hand on the ball.

    In the next 11-on-11 period, Jones and the starting offense went up against the starting defense. This is where the offense has started to break down a bit in team drills. Jones completed his first four passes in a row in this session, but appeared to be out of sync with Smith on the fifth rep, as the ball sailed wide of the tight end near the right sideline.

  • The third 11-on-11 period featured loud music and repped closer to the red zone; Jones went 2-of-4 in this session, including a “touchdown” pass to Nixon in the back corner of the end zone. Nixon got big separation against cornerback Malcolm Butler, whose camp can be described as “up and down” at best.

    Jones’ other completion in these reps was a short crosser over the middle to Smith, who’s certainly had his moments in camp so far. But the period ended with a bad drop by Taylor, who was wide open for what would be a touchdown in a real game. Taylor couldn’t hold on to the dump-off from Jones.

    Big-Picture Thoughts…

    Jul 29, 2022; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) throws during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

    Jul 29, 2022; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) throws during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

  • The running game continues to be a work in progress, to put it nicely. Lot of stuffed runs out there. But passing-wise, the unit appeared to be one step closer to getting everyone on the proverbial #SamePage.

    If you’re looking for #concerns in the passing game, well, Agholor apparently still lets one slip through his hands every now and then. Jones had to hold the ball and scramble on a couple of 11-on-11 plays, appearing to struggle to find open guys. One of his best throws, however, was a tight-window strike to Meyers down a seam over the middle. But if Agholor and rookie Tyquan Thornton aren’t on the field, it seems that their speed and separation are lacking.

    The individual talent hasn’t really been the issue with the offense so far, though. It’s been the team chemistry. Most of the problems have started up front, where the Pats have shuffled around the personnel on the offensive line and are incorporating a rookie (guard Cole Strange) into some newer concepts, particularly in the run game.

    So, if there’s one positional group one could pick as the furthest behind so far, it’s the big boys.

    May 23, 2022; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots offensive lineman Cole Strange works on a blocking drill with offensive tackle Trent Brown (77) (right) Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

    May 23, 2022; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots offensive lineman Cole Strange works on a blocking drill with offensive tackle Trent Brown (77) (right) Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

  • It could be a little while before we get another strong indication of what direction the Patriots offense is heading in, with the start of the preseason a week away and practices expected to gear back down. The Patriots have their annual in-stadium practice for season ticket holders on Friday night at Gillette Stadium, which is typically a non-padded, walkthrough-type event.

    As of Thursday, the Patriots are not scheduled to hold an open practice on Saturday or Sunday. Their first preseason game takes place next Thursday, Aug. 11, against the New York Giants at Gillette Stadium.

  • Keep checking back after every Patriots training camp practice for Mac Watch, which chronicles the progress of quarterback Mac Jones and the Pats’ passing offense in a pivotal second year for him. And click here for complete training camp coverage at 985TheSportsHub.com.

    Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. You can also email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.


PHOTOS: Patriots hit the field for 2022 training camp in Foxboro

The New England Patriots took to the practice fields on Friday for 2022 training camp in Foxboro. Keep scrolling for more photos from the day.

NEXT… Patriots Training Camp Notebook: Signs of Progress on Day 8

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