Ateam coming off back-to-back 4-13 seasons can’t expect to have many players who are best-in-class in the NFL, but the New England Patriots have a true All-Pro “luxury.”
The distinction belongs to Brenden Schooler, who is a special teams gunner without equal in the pros. That’s according to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, who believes “Schooler is not quite as consistent of a tackler as Nick Bellore (Commanders) or J.T. Gray (Saints), but the 28-year-old was unblockable at times on punt duties last season; he played a significant role in helping the Patriots upset the Bengals in the opener with his coverage work. He’s also an excellent blocker when called upon to do so.”
Barnwell’s praise for Schooler is welcome for one of the rare bright spots of last season, but a greater endorsement has come from a franchise legend. One who is surely ticketed for a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Patriots Great Hails ‘No Weakness’ Brenden Schooler
Matthew Slater put together one of the most decorated careers in history as a special teams demon who went to 10 Pro Bowls and won a trio of Super Bowl titles for the Patriots. Slater is the ultimate authority on what it takes to dominate in football’s third phase, something shown in these highlights from Taylor Kyles of Patriots on CLNS Media.
The 39-year-old told fellow Pats greats Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman on the “Dudes on Dudes” podcast (h/t NESN.com’s Sophie Weller) why Schooler is the best in NFL.
As Slater put it, “to me, there’s really no weakness in his game. We always talk about covering kicks and making plays that impact coverage, but in the return game, it’s very rare that the guy he’s blocking will be even close to the football. He’s a dominant player in the return game.”
Slater got to see proof of his words up close last season when he served on the Pats’ coaching staff. What he saw was Schooler continuing something emphasized by six-time Super Bowl-winning former head coach Bill Belichick.
Namely, how “nobody shows up in the game and makes plays. What did Coach (Bill Belichick) always say, ‘Practice execution becomes game reality.’ So, once he had that register for him, and it registered early on, you saw him elevate and elevate and keep getting better.”
Slater explained Schooler has become a positive example by following this simple mantra: “we used to say to our guys, it’s not by accident that Brenden is having the success that he’s having. Look at how he’s practicing. He’s practicing harder than everybody on our football team. He’s running full speed, guys are complaining because he’s going too hard. Like that’s how you need to work to have success, and he understands that.”
He’s still keeping the special teams strong, but former undrafted free agent Schooler has also been carving out a specialism in another area of the game.
Patriots All-Pro a Niche Weapon in Two Phases
Schooler’s all-action relentlessness earned him a spot on defense. As Barnwell detailed, “the Patriots used Schooler on 50 snaps, and while half of them came in a meaningless Week 18 win over the Bills, he was used more regularly to spy opposing quarterbacks. In limited time, he managed to chase down a pair of sacks, which left him tied for fourth on the team in that category.”
Having Schooler play spy helped the Patriots earn a road win over the Chicago Bears and 2024 NFL draft No. 1 pick Caleb Williams in Week 10. The Schooler spy game gave the Patriots a template for how to confuse and stymie mobile, dual-threat quarterbacks, particularly through pressure.
Schooler brought the heat for this sack of Tua Tagovailoa against the Miami Dolphins, per Nate Tice of Yahoo! Sports.
Having Schooler blitz from anywhere is no-small schematic advantage for a team playing in the AFC East. The division has been owned by Patriots tormentor and NFL MVP Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills.
Allen sees the Patriots as a threat to his supremacy in the East, thanks to one of his favorite receivers landing in New England, but there are other threats closer to home. Like Tagovailoa and the Dolphins, along with the New York Jets and dynamic rushing signal-caller Justin Fields.
Handling those assignments means Schooler can expect more sub-package work on defense, but his main remit will still be to disrupt different aspects of the kicking game. Winning in football’s third phase is an equalizer for rebuilding teams and a quick route to being competitive again, so Schooler is unlikely to lose his status as a luxury the Patriots can afford.
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