Patriots defense allows 887 yards after catch
New England ranks third-worst in the league in post-contact rushing yards, a gap that costs them roughly 30 yards per game.
By Thomas Obasi ·
The New England Patriots have allowed 887 yards after the catch through seven games, the third-highest total in the National Football League. The team also permits an average of 3.38 rushing yards after contact, which ranks fourth-worst in the league according to Next Gen Stats. If the defense improved to rank 16th in both categories, the Patriots would save approximately 30 yards per game. That margin would lift the team from its current 10th place ranking in total yards allowed into the top three.
Safety Kevin Byard identified tackling as the primary area for improvement during a media session on Monday. The Patriots missed 17 tackles in their recent game in Chicago. Byard noted that the secondary prides itself on strong tackling but has underperformed in recent weeks. Five players, including Christian Barmore, Cory Durden, Gabe Jacas, Marcus Jones, and Robert Spillane, are missing tackles at rates higher than their career averages. Jones recorded a career-worst seven missed tackles in the Chicago game.
Head coach Mike Vrabel said the staff is separating metrics that are fixable from those that are not. The team spent the long weekend and parts of Monday and Tuesday resting veterans while staff members reviewed film. Vrabel stated that some issues are reasonable to improve while others require acceptance. The team is drilling tackling techniques repeatedly to correct the decline from last season, when they ranked among the NFL's better tackling defenses.
The Patriots are also dealing with turnover issues. They have the second-most giveaways in the league through Week 7. Quarterback Drake Maye has fumbled 20 times since the start of last season. However, Maye's interception rate dropped sharply over the last four games as his play under pressure stabilized. Despite the turnovers, Maye currently ranks in the top 10 for success rate, accuracy, and Expected Points Added per play.
The defense faces structural challenges beyond tackling. The Patriots play man-to-man coverage at the league's second-highest rate and perform better than all but one team in that scheme by EPA/play. They are, however, the second-worst team in the NFL in zone coverage by the same metric. Over the last two weeks, opponents exploited the team's base personnel with play-action passes. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and Jets quarterback Geno Smith combined for 127 yards and two touchdowns on eight such plays against that slower grouping.
The run game is hampered by injuries. Right guard Mike Onwenu is out for the year, and the starting left guard and new fullback are on injured reserve. TreVeyon Henderson's rushing production has declined in his second year. The Patriots face the NFL's third-hardest schedule to date but maintain a winning record. The team invested heavily in the offense last offseason, trading for A.J. Brown and drafting Caleb Lomu and Eli Raridon, to reduce the burden on Maye.
