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topping Aaron Rodgers was never going to be easy, but head coach Jerod Mayo believes the New England Patriots made a key mistake against the 10-time Pro Bowl quarterback in Week 3.
Rodgers threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns to help the New York Jets beat the Pats 24-3 on Thursday Night Football. The four-time NFL MVP did most of his damage from outside the pocket, an area the Patriots weren’t supposed to let Rodgers get into, according to Mayo.
As Evan Lazar of Patriots.com noted, “Mayo said the coaches emphasized keeping Rodgers in the pocket, so it was disappointing that the players didn’t execute that part of the game plan for the second-straight game.”
Mayo’s sense of disappointment was shared by inside linebacker Jahlani Tavai. He admitted, “We gave up the edge a few times…,” per Phil Perry of NBCS Boston, who also reported “Mayo said they harped this week on keeping Rodgers in the pocket, but they weren’t able to consistently.”
Letting Rodgers throw on the run fatally undermined the Patriots’ defense. Worryingly, this was the second game in a row where a quarterback broke contain and found success against New England’s coverages.
Aaron Rodgers the Latest Mobile QB to Burn Patriots
Rodgers consistently moved out of the pocket and successfully picked his spots among emptying coverage shells. The 40-year-old “completed all five passes on the run (8+ MPH) through three quarters for 62 yards and a touchdown,” according to Next Gen Stats.
This level of efficiency was in sharp contrast to Rodgers being “just 1 of 4 for 6 yards passing on the run in Weeks 1 & 2 combined.” The difference in his success on Thursday exposed a growing problem for the Patriots defensively.
Mayo and defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington’s unit couldn’t prevent Geno Smith from breaking contain for the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2. Smith was often able to move the pocket with some fancy footwork or else run away from pressure, things highlighted by the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan.
Blitzing isn’t working and nor is maintaining lane discipline from a four-man rush, but keeping quarterbacks in the pocket is far from the only problem for Mayo’s defense.
Problems Building for Patriots Defense
Generating more consistent pressure and improving poor tackling technique should also be near the top of Mayo and Covington’s to-do list ahead of Week 4. The Patriots missed 14 tackles against the Jets, according to Lazar. Shoddy tackling meant the Pats failed to heed the warning about rookie Jets power back Braelon Allen.
They also failed to make Rodgers throw under duress often enough. Even though they recorded a pair of sacks, one week after getting to Smith three times, the Patriots are still being burned through the air.
As NBCS Boston’s Tom E. Curran pointed out, “Last five quarters, Geno Smith and Aaron Rodgers are a combined 41-for-53 for 390 and 2 TDs. Patriots need to generate some semblance of pressure but ball is coming out faster than it can get there.”
The issues with tackling and pressure can be explained, in part, by personnel. Specifically by the key players the Patriots are missing.
Stud defensive tackle Christian Barmore is out indefinitely dealing with an illness. Physical middle linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley is on injured reserve with a torn pec.
The front seven has been depleted, but the Pats still possess enough size and talent up front to expect better results. Any team can be exposed by a passer as gifted as Rodgers or one enjoying the late-career resurgence Smith is experiencing, but defense is supposed to be the strength of this Patriots team.
Mayo needs to restore the unit’s best qualities before facing last season’s Super Bowl runners-up the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, September 29. The process must start with getting the fundamentals right.
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