Opinion: Patriots making playoff push with throwback defense-first approach
ATLANTA — Oh, that crafty Devin McCourty. When the business was complete, after the New England Patriots notched a fifth consecutive victory by smashing Matt Ryan & Co. with a 25-zip shutout, the veteran safety fessed up.
“I pulled a little okey-dokey,” McCourty said, alluding to his grumbling about playing on a short week. “I talked about not liking playing on Thursday. It was a headline everywhere. But we were really locked in all week to get a win.”
They did it with defense, with a Bill Belichick-built unit that hardly resembles the group that labored during a 2-4 start. And really, this is how they’ve had to do it while playing with a rookie quarterback.
How’s this for taking the pressure off Mac Jones? The Patriots defense just shifted all the pressure to Ryan, who was sacked four times, intercepted twice and battered upon his release seemingly a couple dozen times. New England (7-4) managed to pick off all three Falcons quarterbacks – Josh Rosen and Feleipe Franks came in late for mop-up duties and were quickly initiated to the action with interceptions – while allowing a season-low 165 total yards.
Talk about a signature performance. The Patriots ran their streak of scoreless quarters to seven, which is only part of this sizzle. The past three games, Belichick’s D has allowed a grand total of 13 points.
This roll has not been about trickery. Take it from McCourty. He maintained that it was pure, fundamental, apply-the-heat football that allowed him to float across the field to collect one of four interceptions for the Patriots on Thursday night that raised the team’s total to an NFL-high 18 thefts.
Pressure caused that turnover, as Dont’a Hightower and Ja’Whaun Bentley converged to wallop Ryan and force a high throw.
“That’s been the story for us in the passing game,” McCourty said. “Interceptions have come from great pressure. Almost every interception we’ve had, when you look back through it, somebody’s hitting the quarterback. Somebody’s causing pressure. I think that’s how we need to play as a defense. When we can play like that, it’s going to be tough to beat us.”
New England has allowed just 16.1 points per game, a figure that is second-best in the NFL (Buffalo, 15 points per game) and has progressively improved during the winning streak. Factors include getting healthier, new pieces meshing and as Belichick noted, better communication.
If they keep this up, the Patriots will not only find themselves playing in January again (and hey, playing in January without Tom Brady), but threatening to make a deep run in an AFC field that is too inconsistent to bank on at this point.
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It’s almost like something we’ve seen before. Before Brady was “TB12,” he was a young, efficient quarterback on a team that was carried by a powerful defense and complemented by sharp special teams. These current Patriots have that “retro” flavor, with a rising defense challenged to keep raising the bar.
They are sure building some confidence. J.C. Jackson, who had one of the picks, didn’t hold back as he described the vibe. “I don’t want to brag too much, but I think we have one of the best defenses in the league.”
Maybe, maybe not. But it’s definitely going to take that if this team is going to go far with a rookie quarterback and shortage of big playmakers on the offense.
Kyle Van Noy, who returned to New England this season after a year in Miami, returned one of the picks 35 yards for a touchdown and had two of the sacks. But he was in no mood to crow about it. He wants to keep seeing the Patriots as the 2-4 team that was backed in a corner before the winning streak. If they have the best defense in the league, then they’ll have to prove it again next week. And so on.
Still, there’s no denying the vision – and the recent production.
“We’re catching our stride,” said linebacker Matthew Judon, a newcomer who came over from Baltimore as a free agent.
Judon has been the big-time pass-rusher that every big-time defense needs. He raised his season sack total to 10½, which already marks a career high, with six games to play.
He also has felt the difference with the unit as the season progresses, while maintaining that his sacks have come as a collective effort that includes the linemen clearing the rush lanes.
“Now, we’re just in a rhythm,” Judon said. “I think we’re all playing with a lot of confidence. And we can communicate. We know where each other’s going to be on the field and how each other plays now. We didn’t want to get off to a bad start, but right now we’re in a groove.”
Which colors the post-Brady Patriots as a classic spoiler – if not much more.