The Patriots were the league’s fourth most conservative defense when it came to blitzing last season. They rushed four or fewer defenders on 73.7 percent of dropbacks. Generating more pressure out of the standard four-man rush – which is a priority for most teams – should be high on Bill Belichick’s offseason list. This is reflected in the Patriots registering sacks on only 3.7 percent of dropbacks with four or fewer pass rushers (tied-27th in NFL).

When the Patriots did blitz, sending five or more rushers, opposing quarterbacks weren’t under enough consistent pressure. Quarterbacks completed 63.9 percent of their passes against the Patriots’ blitz, ranking New England 31st in that category. Opponents’ 43.2 percentage converting first downs against the blitz also ranked the Patriots 31st.