Jerod Mayo and DeMarcus Covington knew they had to do something about the rapidly deteriorating New England Patriots defense, so they dusted off a “vintage” game-plan that led to significant improvement in Week 16.
Head coach Mayo and defensive coordinator Covington leaned into a heavy man-coverage scheme common during the days of former head coach Bill Belichick. Although the Pats were beaten 24-21 by AFC East rivals the Buffalo Bills, their coverages gave quarterback Josh Allen, a potential NFL MVP, a ton of problems.
As Patriots.com Senior Reporter Evan Lazar detailed, “The #Patriots defense played 21-of-34 drop-backs in man coverage vs. Josh Allen on Sunday. Allen’s stats vs. man: 7-18, 57 yards, TD, INT, 43.1 passer rating. A vintage man coverage plan from New England’s defense.”
Those numbers were a tribute to a secondary that “played an outstanding game at Buffalo,” according to Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald. He detailed how “NE called man coverage on more than 60% of passing snaps, and the CBs allowed 1 catch in man-to-man. Shutdown efforts from Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones and Alex Austin. Throw S/LB Marte Mapu in there, too.”
This felt like a Patriots defense of old. One where the scheme fit the strengths of the players and was designed to force the opposition’s biggest threats out of their respective comfort zones.
Patriots Played to Strengths to Improve Defense
The strength of this Patriots defense is on the back end where cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Jonathan Jones reside. Both were outstanding at Highmark Stadium, but veteran Jones merited special praise.
He caught the eye playing in the slot and putting the clamps on Khalil Shakir. The latter has been Allen’s go-to target for much of this season, but he got little change out of Jones.
All too often, No. 31 was able to “Undercut crossers, which Josh Allen said the Bills will try finding an answer to in Week 18, avoided collisions and had a couple of vintage Jon Jones moments, including a deep PBU and a perfect Peanut punch,” per Taylor Kyles of Patriots on CLNS.
Kyles’ reference to taking away the crossers the Bills like speaks to the Belichickean nature of this defensive scheme. Belichick was always about taking away an opponent’s key weapons and core concepts.
Against the Bills that extended to limiting Allen’s threat as a runner. He’s devastating on designed QB runs, but Mayo and Covington were prepared for Allen, thanks to special teams standout Brenden Schooler.
The safety has played linebacker and successfully spied mobile quarterbacks this season. It’s “one of the best wrinkles Jerod Mayo’s staff has used,” according to Chad Graff of The Athletic.
Schooler helped hold Allen to 30 yards on the ground, with the dual-threat playmaker’s longest run covering 12 yards. Jones and Schooler took away what the Bills like to do, but they got some help.
Notably, from Gonzalez making his own side of the field a no-go area for Allen and Bills receivers. As Carlos Talks Pats aptly put it, “Buffalo knew better” than to target arguably the best young cover man in football.
Letting their best players play allowed the Patriots to return to their roots defensively. It also meant scheming to compensate for a struggling front missing talisman defensive tackle Christian Barmore, who is dealing with recurring symptoms from blood clots.
The front seven has also missed middle linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley, a throwback secret star, who landed on injured reserve after Week 2. Bentley and Barmore’s absences showed at key times against the Bills.
Patriots Defense Still Weak in Key Areas
Most of the key lapses came against the run. The Bills rushed for 172 yards on 28 carries, including a 46-yard touchdown by James Cook.
It wasn’t just a lack of physical power in the trenches that left the Patriots vulnerable on the ground. Communication issues pre-snap were also highlighted by ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
Getting the essential basics right before the ball is snapped is something the Patriots almost always did on Belichick’s watch. Things haven’t been the same with Mayo and Covington at the helm.
Poor gap control, cutback discipline and pursuit angles are why the Pats yield 4.5 yards per carry. Compared to last season’s tally of a league-low 3.3 yards per rush.
Those numbers sum up the sudden decline of a unit that was supposed to be the strength of this team. Yet there are still signs Mayo and Covington can restore pride on the defensive side of the ball.
Their back-to-basics scheme in Buffalo, allied with clever use of certain personnel, is the formula for a prolonged revival.
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