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david harris

Three Plays That Defined Patriots Defense vs. Chargers

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After yesterday’s Garoppolo spookstravaganza on Patshow I’m moving back to some analysis of the players on the team who have actually played a down this season. I know the trade will continue to dominate the conversation for much of the next week and a half, but it’s time to refocus on the second half of the season.

The Patriots sit at 6-2, and while we can talk about their flaws, the reality is the sports betting odds are still very much in their favor to make a strong playoff run this post season.

I thought the defense did a solid job against the Chargers, although there were just a couple notable breakdowns with Melvin Gordon‘s 87-yard touchdown run leading the way. They continue to make strides and while they certainly have some weak links in certain situations, they’ve continually bounced back and made the key spots necessary to help the Patriots on their four-game win streak.

Here are three plays that defined the defensive effort against the Chargers.

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Potential Defensive Adjustments vs. Saints

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I try not to look at any kind of stats until Week 4. It’s just too small a sample size and too easy to overreact, and that’s certainly the case this morning as I took a peak at my stats site of choice FootballOutsiders.com.

The Patriots defense? Ranked 32nd in overall defense, 30th against the pass and 32nd against the run. Nowhere to go but up, right!? I like Football Outsiders because it’s not based on one random analysts grades but by efficiency in the context of the situation. It gives us a good sense of how the team executed. And clearly the Patriots didn’t execute well at all.

By historical comparison, and again, this is just for shits and giggles at this point, here’s how those numbers stack up.

Of course things will get better, but it won’t exactly be handed to the Patriots, especially with a tough matchup against a great quarterback at his homefield this weekend. Here’s a few thoughts on some personnel switches that might help improve things and be better suited to handling Drew Brees and the Saints diverse attack.

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Pats Posits: No. Not Edelman.

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Injuries. For the 2017 Patriots, they’re all that stand between them and another Super Bowl run, and in Friday’s preseason win over the Detroit Lions, their championship hopes might’ve taken a significant a hit.

Julian Edelman went down in a play eerily reminiscent of Wes Welker‘s non-contact fall in Houston 2009. Now, we wait for official word with an estimate of how long he’ll be out.

There’s plenty to unravel if Edelman’s lost for long. But at least on the surface, with Chris Hogan and Brandin Cooks leading the way, the passing attack is somewhat prepared to absorb this.

Otherwise it was the tale of two halves. Both the Patriots starting offense and defense played a complementary and often dominant first half. Then the back ups and roster hanger-ons stunk the place out in the second half.

It’s hard to talk about the good and the bad without a depressing undertone from seeing the engine of the offense go down in a non-contact heap. But let’s do our best to figure out what it all means in the Posits.

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Patriots Positional Preview: Linebackers

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Today we’re breaking down one of the most interesting positional groups on the roster this year, the linebackers.

After Jamie Collins‘ shocking trade last season, the Pats had to manage with in-season acquisition Kyle Van Noy, run stopping rookie Elandon Roberts and free agent acquisition Shea McClellin. After Dont’a Hightower, there just wasn’t a three-down linebacker on the roster.

So Van Noy slipped into a passing down role, where he would cover and occasionally rush the quarterback, while Roberts caught attention for his heavy downhill hits in an early down role. It wasn’t as ideal as the Hightower-Collins duo seemed to be, since they never had to leave the field (at least that’s what we thought in 2014 and 2015), but they got the job done.

While heavy reinforcements didn’t arrive this offseason, the addition of David Harris should take enough pressure off of Hightower to help keep him fresh or keep the boat afloat should the captain miss any time. How the rest of the group plays out will be fascinating to watch in camp.

How much of a second-year jump does Roberts make? Will Belichick-favorite Jonathan Freeny step back into a defensive role despite Roberts’ emergence? Can coveted rookie Harvey Langi show enough versatility to carve out a rookie role? Is McClellin on the bubble?

It’s important to note how fluid the edge and linebacker positions have become. Technically Hightower, Ninkovich and McClellan shift between those roles based on the situation, but for the preview purposes we’ll keep them separated. Just know that nothing is set in stone and the ability to move players all over the formation is what makes the Patriots’ defensive front so potent. Just try not to get caught up in the minutiae of positional labels at this point.

Let’s take a closer look at each linebacker.

 

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David Harris Addition Solidifies Patriots LB Corps

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The Patriots’ depth at linebacker was one of the biggest questions marks remaining with the team, but after signing former Jet David Harris to a two-year deal, they’ve solidified that final weakness and look as stacked as ever on both sides of the ball.

After Dont’a Hightower the linebacker corps was extremely specialized. Elandon Roberts showed promise in his rookie year as a two-down run stuffer, while Kyle Van Noy had the athleticism necessary to play passing downs. That trio, along with hybrid edge defenders Rob Ninkovich and Shea McClellin, were enough to get the team past the Falcons in Super Bowl 51.

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