NESN/Howe: Patriots need team-wide approach to improve pass rush

Good stuff from Howe here, basically saying what I’ve been saying for the last year. I could rehash it all but it’s probably easier if you just click this post I wrote just after the season which I think is a good companion piece to Howe’s.

Here’s a tidbit from it, total sacks and sack leaders from each of the past seasons of the last decade:

• 2001 – 41 (Super Bowl Champs) Hamilton – 7
• 2002 – 34 (missed playoffs due to tie breaker) Seymour/McGinest – 5.5
• 2003 – 41 (Super Bowl Champs) Vrabel – 9.5
• 2004 – 45 (Super Bowl Champs) McGinest – 9.5
• 2005 – 33  (Lost AFCDG) Colvin – 7.5
• 2006 – 44 (Lost AFCCG) Warren – 7.5
• 2007 – 47 (Lost Super Bowl) Vrabel – 12.5
• 2008 – 31 (Missed playoffs due to tie breaker) Seymour – 8
• 2009 – 31 (Lost AFCWCG) Banta-Cain – 10
• 2010 – 36 (Lost AFCDG) Wright 5.5

While this doesn’t account for QB pressures, it’s a good general assumption that 40 sacks is approximately the magic number. Pats have been inching closer since the defensive rebuild began in 2008.

But the best sign from the numbers above is that the Pats improved their sack totals despite their leader only having 5.5 and not playing another game after the Colts win. This tells me that they were getting pressure from a broader number of guys. It’s not the single 12-sack OLB that the Patriots need, it’s a multitude of 3-6 sack guys who play throughout the defense.