Keeping Jaxson Dart static and in the pocket will be the priority for the New England Patriots when they host the rookie quarterback and the New York Giants on Monday Night Football in Week 13, but interim defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr has a surprising plan for how to deal with Dart’s mobility.
Speaking ahead of the game at Gillette Stadium on December 1, Kuhr highlighted the threat Dart poses with his legs, “He’s just the ultimate competitor. You can see that on film. He’s taken those hits … I think that’s the competitiveness in him. But he’s accurate, elusive, a great scrambler, and keeps his eyes downfield. He’s got a lot of good qualities,” per MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian.
Dart’s talents on the ground are well-known, so it’s would make sense for the Patriots to assign a spy to track the first-year signal-caller if he breaks contain and flees the pocket. That’s the conventional wisdom, but Kuhr has other ideas, explaining, “You’d like your front to have good, coordinated rush lanes, where you don’t have to attribute a guy to him like that. But we have to be able to adjust depending what happens throughout the game.”
Opting against spying Dart, who’s ready to go after battling back from a concussion, is a risk for the Patriots, but there’s good reason to believe Kuhr’s strategy can work. Especially since the Pats have already dealt well with another moving playmaker at football’s most important position, a playmaker Dart is often compared with favorably.
Patriots Can Follow Josh Allen Plan vs. Jaxson Dart
The Patriots were able to control NFL MVP Josh Allen when they beat the Buffalo Bills in Week 5, so they should follow a similar plan against Dart. Allen is a popular comparison for Dart’s core talents and potential, giving the Pats a good idea about what they’ll be facing after only previously seeing Dart briefly during this preseason, a game the Giants won 42-10.
A better idea of the threat Dart can pose will come from a former Giants quarterback who’s been providing Kuhr with valuable intel. Combining that inside information with a thorough review of the game tape of the 23-20 win at Buffalo’s Highmark Stadium on October 5 will have the Patriots fully prepared for Dart.
He can expect Kuhr’s defense to build a wall around him with a relentless four-man rush. Defensive linemen won’t rush beyond Dart, nor crash inside, two things guaranteed to create free rushing lanes for a fleet-of-foot QB.
What the Patriots will focus on is containing and confusing Dart, the way they did Allen. The latter rushed for 53 yards on nine attempts, but Allen broke just one tackle and averaged only 2.3 yards after contact, per Pro Football Reference, because the Patriots swarmed on him in the open field.
They blitzed Allen six times, generating four pressures, forcing three hits and recording a sack. New England’s defense also snatched this interception by nickelback Marcus Jones.
Not assigning a spy meant the Patriots had the numbers to fill the passing windows and force Allen to throw into double coverage. The same approach can work against Dart, provided Kuhr’s subtle pressure plan and disguised coverages work.
Zak Kuhr’s Pressure Schemes, Edge Discipline Key to Stopping Giants
Kuhr has thrived while filling in for primary defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, who is dealing with illness, but there have been some concerns recently. Notably, against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 12, when Chase Brown rushed for 107 yards.
Perhaps a greater worry is how Justin Fields ran for 67 yards and a touchdown for the New York Jets a week earlier. Fields is a good template for Dart, as a physical signal-caller who will attack defenses on option plays.
Dart has rushed 13 times for 58 yards off RPOs, according to Pro Football Reference, so the Patriots must remain disciplined. Particularly on the edges of their defensive front.
It won’t be easy when a key edge-rusher is a doubt because of a knee problem. Kuhr can compensate by designing his pressure packages to attack the edges and keep Dart boxed into the guard-center-guard gap.
Doing so will render the promising rookie less effective and keep the Patriots in control of a game they’re expected to win.
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