The Patriots also must work on their first-down defense. They were last in the league, at 48.8 percent, in allowing first-down rushes to go for 4 or more yards (30th at 48 percent in 2011). And they were 31st in allowing all first downs to go for 4 or more yards 51.7 percent of the time (also 31st at 53.3 percent in 2011).