On Wednesday, we went through position-by-position grades for the Patriots’ offense in 2022. Now, it’s time to get into defense and special teams.
As you might expect, the defensive grades are much kinder to the respective groups than on offense. The Patriots finished the season ranked eighth defensively in yards, 11 in points, had the second-most total takeaways in the league with 30, and scored more non-offensive touchdowns than any other team.
Just like with the offensive grades, there are some things to keep in mind here. We’re grading on a curve based on the expectations for each group going into the season, and using a recency bias, putting more focus on the games later in the season.
Defensive line: B
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – JANUARY 01: Deatrich Wise Jr. #91 of the New England Patriots plays defense against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium on January 01, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images)
A big focus for the Patriots defense this year was improving their run defense. That responsibility fell mainly on the defensive line.
At the midpoint of the season, that goal appeared to have failed. They were actually allowing more yards per rush through nine games than they had last season, having allowed 188 or more rushing yards in three of those nine games.
Following the bye though, they really turned the corner. Over their final eight games, the Patriots allowed just 88.4 rushing yards per game, with the opponent only getting over the century mark twice. Overall, the Patriots finished the season allowing just 4.1 yards per carry, which ranked fourth in the league.
Deatrich Wise was a big part of the offensive line’s improvement. He set a career high in both tackles for loss (7) and sacks (7.5). In his first season as a captain, he turned in a workhorse effort playing 73.4 percent of the team’s defensive snaps – the 10th-most in a single season by a Patriots defensive lineman since 2022. He’s just the fifth individual defensive lineman to have over a 70 percent usage rate with the Patriots in that span. That workload certainly started to impact him though, as his production fell off late in the year.
When he was on the field, Christian Barmore also took a step forwards in his sophomore year. He had 23 pressures and three sacks in those 10 games, and his 88.4 true pass rush PFF grade was the sixth best among all defensive tackles in the NFL this season.
With Barmore out, the Patriots got serviceable play from backups Carl Davis and Daniel Ekuale. By the end of the season, those two were being used in rotation with Davon Godchaux and Lawrence Guy, who both took a step back in 2022.
Midseason grade: B-
Linebackers: A
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – OCTOBER 02: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers is sacked by Matthew Judon #9 and Josh Uche #55 of the New England Patriots during a game at Lambeau Field on October 02, 2022 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the Patriots 27-24 in overtime. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The Patriots’ linebacker group was their best positional room in 2022, from top to bottom. Let’s start at the top.
This was another big year for Matthew Judon, who is the Patriots’ lone Pro Bowl participant in 2022. Unlike in 2021, Judon’s presence continued into the second half of the season. That may not be apparent just looking at the box scores (he had 12 sacks in 10 games before the bye, then five in seven games after), he did continue to cause pressure and wreak havoc in the passing game. His pressure rate fell slightly, but it was hardly the disappearing act from last season.
Part of the season Judon’s numbers dipped was because teams started paying more attention to him with their blocking schemes. Last year, the Patriots had nobody on the other side to take advantage. This year, Josh Uche stepped up in that role. From Week 8 on, Uche had 11.5 sacks. That was tied with Nick Bosa and Hasson Reddick for the most in the NFL in that span. From Week 13 on, he had at least five pressures in every game.
Uche wasn’t the only Patriots linebacker to make massive strides in Year 3. Anfernee Jennings’ jump wasn’t as big or noticeable as Uche’s but he did play a key rotational role on early downs and in short yardage. His PFF run defense grade of 78 was second on the team among qualified players.
The only player ahead of Jennings was Ja’Whaun Bentley, who had a career-year as the Patriots’ downhill, run-stopping middle linebacker. Bentley was everywhere in 2022. Playing a career-high 80 percent of the team’s defensive snaps, he led the team with 125 tackles, including five for a loss, while also adding three sacks and two pass breakups.
Offering depth behind Bentley has Jahlani Tavai. Tavai’s placement on the roster drew criticism in the summer, but he ended up in a role that suited him well as an edge setter against the run.
If there was an area the Patriots were lacking in at the linebacker position this season, it was the off-ball athletic middle linebacker. This offseason, the Patriots will continue their multi-year search for such a player to play next to Bentley in their defense.
Raekwon McMillan and Mack Wilson figured to be the two players who would compete for that role this season. However, both were inconsistent and weren’t put on the field regularly by the end of the season. There was some hope early in the year Cameron McGrone would compete for that role as well, but he failed to make the roster and was signed off the practice squad by the Colts before he could dress for a game.
Midseason grade: B+
Cornerbacks: B+
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – NOVEMBER 06: Jonathan Jones #31 of the New England Patriots runs with the ball during the second half of a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium on November 06, 2022 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images)
The Patriots cornerback position was an area of question coming into the season. The departures of both J.C. Jackson and Stephon Gilmore left what appeared to be multiple holes. Instead, what we saw was probably the best coaching job from the 2022 Patriots season.
In their first move, the Patriots moved long-time slot cornerback Jonathan Jones to the boundary. That presented some serious risks, with the 5-foot-10 Jones suddenly in line to defend the opponent’s top pass catcher on a schedule filled with big receivers. Jones rose to the occasion though, allowing just 48 catches on 90 targets, for 588 yards.
The one thing Jones didn’t do though was what Jackson also couldn’t – cover Bills wideout Stefon Diggs. 15 of those 48 catches and three of the five touchdowns he allowed this season came in coverage on Diggs.
One cornerback doesn’t make a full coverage plan though. The next step in rebuilding the room was drafting Jack Jones in the fourth round. Right away, Jones looked line an NFL fit. In his 13 games this year he allowed 20 catches on 37 targets. He also didn’t allow a touchdown, while picking off two passes including a pick-six against Aaron Rodgers.
An injury ended Jones’ season early, but he still played a total of 40 percent of the team’s defensive snaps. He looks like he can be a real piece of the puzzle moving forwards, but it will be interesting to see how his second year begins after he was suspended at the end of the season.
Jalen Mills rounded out the Patriots’ rotation on the boundary. Mills struggled early then found his stride before a calf injury ended his season in Week 12.
With Jonathan Jones now on the boundary, the Patriots needed a new answer in the slot. That figured to be rookie Marcus Jones, but the Patriots ended up playing him primarily on the boundary, especially after Mills got hurt. At 5-foot-8, Jones still held his own more often than not. That included big performances against DeAndre Hopkins and DeVante Adams, although he did struggle against 6-foot-4 Tee Higgins.
The coaching brilliance with Jones goes beyond the cornerback position. He also saw time on offense and as a returner, unlocking his electric ability as a ballcarrier that he displayed in college.
Myles Bryant ended up getting the nod in the slot. He had a strong month of October, but besides that appeared to be a mismatch at times. If Jonathan Jones (a pending free agent) isn’t back next year and/or the plan is to keep Marcus Jones on the boundary, this could be a spot the Patriots look to upgrade this offseason.
Midseason grade: A-
Safeties: B+
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – JANUARY 01: Kyle Dugger #23 of the New England Patriots celebrates an interception for a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins during the third quarter at Gillette Stadium on January 01, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
Talking about the Patriots’ 2022 safeties, there’s nowhere to start other than Kyle Dugger. Dugger was the team’s second-best defensive player behind Judon, and took a tremendous step forward in his third year in the league.
Statistically, Dugger recorded 78 tackles in 15 games, adding five tackles for a loss and a sack, as well as eight pass breakups and three interceptions. He scored a pair of touchdowns, one on a fumble recovery and one on a pick-six. He was PFF’s eighth-ranked safety in the NFL for the full season.
Dugger’s impact went well beyond the box score though. He repeatedly displayed high level football instincts and IQ, which paired with his athleticism allowed him to regularly make impact plays. He played multiple roles for the Patriots from deep safety to in the box, to even some snaps on the boundary as a corner. His contributions were felt in his absences as well, as the Patriots struggled against tight ends and running backs in the two games he missed.
At the top level of the defense, Devin McCourty was once against a steadying presence for the defense. Statistically he fell off a bit as his age (35) showed through at times but his leadership and communication skills were key late in the year as the Patriots started dialing up some very complex coverage calls, which helped lead to their 11 turnovers over their final five games.
Adrian Phillips had another strong year as the team’s third safety. He finished with a 73.6 PFF grade, ranking 22nd at the position. Phillips split his snaps almost evenly between box safety, deep safety, and slot cornerback. He also seemed to emerge as more of a vocal leader on the defensive side of the ball, which could be key if McCourty ends up retiring.
Finally, there’s free agent signing Jabrill Peppers. It took Peppers, who missed most of last season with a torn ACL, to make an impact, but once he did he became a valuable rotational player. His physicality and motor added a noticable edge to both the Patriots’ defense and special teams units.
Midseason grade: B
Special teams: D
Dec 24, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots punter Michael Palardy (17) drops the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
The Patriots’ special teams units uncharacteristically let the team down on multiple occasions in 2022. And few phases were exempt.
We’ll start with the kickoff unit, which allowed three kick return touchdowns on the season, after having not allowed a single one since 2010. One of those came in the Thanksgiving game against the Vikings, and two in the finale against the Bills. All three ended up being game-deciding plays (the Patriots lost to the Vikings by seven, and Buffalo by 12), a tough thing to overcome for a team that missed the playoffs by a game.
The punting unit wasn’t much better. Jake Bailey handled the duties for the first nine games and had a career low 35.2 net yards per punt, plus doubled his previous touchback rate. It didn’t help that the coverage team often let good punts roll into the end zone instead of downing them. Michael Palardy didn’t fare much better, and netted 37.3 yards per punt. Among qualified punters this year, Bailey and Palarady were two of only four players with a net average under 40 yards.
In the return game, they averaged 23.8 yards per kickoff return which was just over the league average. The punt return unit was a mixed bag. Marcus Jones did his part as the returner, averaging a league-best 12.5 yards per return. At the same time though, the unit as a whole committed multiple costly penalties, including a handful of running into/roughing the kicker calls that changed the momentum of multiple games.
As for kicker Nick Folk, he started the year nearly automatic. Prior to the bye week, he hit 19-of-21 field goals and all 20 of his extra points. That consistency dipped later in the year though, as he finished going 13-for-16 on field goal and 12-for-15 on extra points.
Part of what may have impacted Folk is yet another coaching decision that will be second-guessed. When Bailey was placed on IR, the Patriots for the most part had Folk handle kickoff duties instead of Palardy. In the past, the team had referenced Bailey handling kickoffs in part to keep Folk’s leg fresh.
The fact they chose Palardy to replace Bailey, despite the fact he had seven career kickoffs in six total seasons prior to coming to New England, is worth second guessing. At one point, the team elevated kicker Tristan Vizcaino off the practice squad as a kickoff specialist, but he also was lacking in kickoff experience. The team elected to roll with that setup, instead of bringing in a player with a history of kickoff success.
Midseason grade: B
