Here are some final thoughts on the Patriots defense and other notes from their upset win over the Cincinnati Bengals, as we turn the page from Week 1…
The New England Patriots defense brought back almost all the same players as a year ago, and yet they look faster and more physical than ever. Why is that?
It starts with new head coach Jerod Mayo, and by extension, new defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington. When analyzing the Patriots’ defensive performance in Sunday’s 16-10 upset win over the Cincinnati Bengals, the coaching is the only major off-season change that can explain why the Patriots ran a similar scheme with most of the same players, and yet looked and felt different.
Mayo appears to have tapped into these guys in a way that his predecessor could not. Bill Belichick is and may always be the greatest head coach in the history of the franchise, and even to the end could still draw up a strong defensive gameplan. But it’s fair to wonder if he lacked a certain ability to get the most out of modern players, athletes four, even five decades his junior.
MORE: Christian Gonzalez dominates for Patriots defense against Bengals
His successor, on the other hand, takes his own approach. He described it as “empowering players to play.” While that’s not terribly far off from “Do Your Job,” what Mayo does is essentially put players in control of their own performances. It’s led to the Patriots defense playing with a sense of freedom, confidence, and purpose, while still going at top speed. Compared to recent, still-very-good Pats defenses, Week 1 of 2024 indicates that Mayo’s approach has taken this group to another level.
“It allows the guys to go out there and really take ownership of their role,” Mayo said during his Monday morning video conference. “I always talk about roles. For me, it’s about excelling in your role. Whether that’s 50, 60, 70 snaps or five snaps, that’s your role. So excel in that role, and as you continue to progress, you’ll get more opportunities to go out there and perform.”
Clearly, Mayo isn’t going to overstate the idea of being a defensive mastermind, either.
“One thing I do believe in, and I know everyone likes to say all these geniuses with X’s and O’s. Football has not changed since high school,” Mayo continued. “If you played Cover-3 in high school, it’s the same thing now. Offensively, if you run power O, it’s the same thing now. When you hear about all the, ‘This guy’s a guru, this guy’s a guru,’ that’s not really what it is. It’s about how do you get the guys to understand conceptually what we are trying to do as a unit.”
Regardless of the underlying meaning of his comments, the important part is what we saw on the field: a burst of speed, physicality, and awareness that we haven’t seen in a long time. The result of giving players agency to create their own excellence.
No single play embodied that combination of speed, physicality, and awareness than Jonathan Jones’ fourth-down stop in the third quarter. Jones rocketed nearly 10 yards off his initial spot and hammered the bigger Andre Iosivas behind the line to gain, making a loud declaration of just how tough this version of the Patriots defense is going to make it on opponents.
If anything is sustainable over the course of the season, if anyone is going to give a chance to win more games than they should, it’s going to be the Patriots defense. And the way their new coach is getting through to them will be central to the process.
“As a guy [Mayo] who’s been there, who’s won the championships, at every level really, you kind of just respect that,” said defensive end Keion White. “He wouldn’t have you do anything he hasn’t done, or wouldn’t do himself, so, he’s really like a player’s coach, he’s relatable, he communicates with all of us … you want to run through a brick wall for him. And that’s something special.”
More final thoughts from the Patriots’ upset win over the Bengals…
— Patriots starting left tackle Chukwuma Okorafor finished with an impossibly low 0.0 (literally!) pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus. He allowed three pressures in five snaps matched up against Bengals star pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson, according to Next Gen Stats. He was the only starting offensive lineman whose dismal preseason finale carried over into the regular season opener. It sounds like he still has a chance to go back in as the starter for Week 2, but the Pats would be better off at this point getting Vederian Lowe back in there full-time.
— Despite the promise shown by Patriots rookie right guard Layden Robinson throughout the summer and even in his debut on Sunday, he has room to improve as a pass protector. He allowed five total pressures in 17 pure pass-blocking snaps (via PFF), as he appeared to have trouble losing inside leverage to interior rushers on a number of plays. Robinson played better as a run-blocker, but if he’s going to keep starting, he’ll put the offense in a better chance to succeed by improving his technique as a pass-blocker.
— On the flip-side, left guard Michael Jordan missed a number of run-blocking assignments and came out of the game with a team-low 44.9 grade in that department. It’s likely that second-year pro Sidy Sow goes back in at LG once he’s healthy, but if Jordan’s going to stay in there, and he can’t get on the same page with the rest of the group, the Patriots would be better off running to the right side rather than the left.
— First quarter, 1:15: David Andrews, Robinson, and Mike Onwenu all pulled right and executed their blocks, and if running back Rhamondre Stevenson was able to get to the edge, he may have had a touchdown two snaps before he actually did find the end zone. Unfortunately, Jordan went right to the second level and had no one to block, allowing Bengals defensive tackle Jay Tufele to get into the backfield and tackle Stevenson for a 2-yard loss. That was an example of why the Patriots need everyone executing properly across the board in order to move the ball on the ground in Alex Van Pelt’s zone-based scheme, and one missed assignment can blow up a play or lead to negative yardage.
Sep 8, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) throws a pass against the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
— Veteran K.J. Osborn led all Patriots wide receivers with 40 offensive snaps (62%). He also led in targets with six, but only caught three of them for 21 yards. Osborn’s early usage – and the lack thereof for other wideouts on the roster – is a reflection of their plan to go heavy up front and lean on the running game, and Osborn is their most dependable blocker at his position. Expect more “12” personnel (one running back, two tight ends, two receivers) and even “13” (three tight ends) with an extra tackle.
— Speaking of that extra tackle, rookie Caedan Wallace got on the field for 18 snaps in that role. He played on both the left and right side of the line. It was good experience to get him out there for real NFL snaps, especially playing each side, as the Pats continue to develop him into what they hope will be a future starter.
— First quarter, 6:40: Facing second-and-3, Jacoby Brissett dropped back for a pass, but pressure off the left edge forced him to scramble. Brissett picked up the first down with his legs, and did that on two other occasions. Had he gotten a clean pocket to work with, Brissett had a chance to hit Hunter Henry on a shallow crosser for an easy first down. This was a small example of how Brissett can help mitigate the damage done by pressure up front, but also be limited in his ability to push the ball down the field.
CINCINNATI, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 08: Jacoby Brissett #7 of the New England Patriots scrambles with the ball in the first quarter of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on September 08, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
— The Patriots utilized all their outside linebackers (and Keion White) to replace the void left by the traded Matthew Judon. Jahlani Tavai led all Pats LBs with 13 run defense snaps, mainly as the weakside “Will” ‘backer. White and Anfernee Jennings (11 run-defense snaps each) lined up on the edge. White did in fact line up as the left outside linebacker on 22 of his 28 pass-rush snaps, while Joshua Uche subbed in for 11 snaps off the edge. Despite White’s emergence as a potential game-breaker, he won’t line up on the edge every snap. It’ll take a team effort to replicate everything Judon used to be able to do.
— Jonathan Jones was the only Patriots defensive back not to allow a catch when targeted (0-for-2). He forced one incompletion. He covered Iosivas on both attempts, and also had the big hit that stopped Iosivas behind the line to gain to force a turnover on downs.
— Brenden Schooler remains a special teams stud. He played all 18 ST snaps and earned himself an excellent 85.2 grade from PFF, and led the way with three tackles. The Pats’ special teams units look vastly improved under new coordinator Jeremy Springer, with Schooler looking ready to have his best season yet as a primary gunner.
— Looking ahead: The Seattle Seahawks come to Foxboro in the Patriots’ home opener next Sunday. One stat to know from their Week 1 win over the Denver Broncos: they allowed only 3.2 yards per carry to running backs. They may present a better challenge for the Pats’ ground game than the Bengals could.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) is sacked by Keion White in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 1 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. The Patriots won the season opener, 16-10. (Sam Greene/The Enquirer/USA Today Network)
