FOXBORO, Mass. — Remember simpler times before the Patriots traded Jamie Collins, when fans only could complain about New England’s surprisingly unproductive pass rush?
The Patriots had one of their better statistical games Sunday when they recorded two sacks in a 41-25 win over the Buffalo Bills. That still was below their average of 2.9 sacks per game last season, when they ranked third in the NFL. The Pats are 27th this season, recording just 1.6 sacks per game, and they’re 27th in sack percentage, bringing down the quarterback on just four percent of dropbacks. That’s a major drop-off from 7.2 percent last season, when they ranked fifth.
New England traded edge rusher Chandler Jones over the offseason, released interior rusher Dominique Easley and let defensive tackle Akiem Hicks walk in free agency. The team replaced them by signing defensive end Chris Long and linebacker Shea McClellin and giving an increase in snaps to defensive ends Jabaal Sheard and Trey Flowers. The Patriots’ lack of pass rush might not be all about a talent, however.
“I think there’s a number of things there,” New England defensive line coach Brendan Daly said Tuesday. “I think we can always improve. There’s no question about that. I think we’re always searching to do that and trying to find, whether it be our personnel, the matchups against their personnel, schematically what’s the best thing. I think that’s an area we’re always searching and trying to get better at.
“I think there’s a lot of factors involved. There’s some quarterback — to me, pass rush is a very difficult thing to quantify, if you will. A lot of people want to judge it based on sack numbers (and) quarterback hit numbers. I think there’s a lot of other things that go into play there: keeping scrambling quarterbacks in the pocket, forcing quarterbacks that aren’t as mobile to move out of the pocket, the kind of marriage of coverage and rush. And certain times game plan-wise, you may be — we may sacrifice some pass rush to take away a back or a tight end.
The reality is, you’re trying to affect the quarterback. However you get that done to be more successful is what the ultimate goal is in winning the game. So, I think it’s a very difficult thing to put your finger on in terms of ‘is it successful, is it not successful?'”
The Patriots have played an overabundance of scrambling quarterbacks this season, but even when they faced statuesque Steelers quarterback Landry Jones in Week 7, they sent just three pass rushers on over half of Pittsburgh’s drop backs.
New England is 7-1 and ranks third in the NFL in points allowed per game with 16.5. The team ranks 17th in passing yards allowed per game (252.5), 10th in yards allowed per pass attempt (6.4) and 10th in passer rating allowed (84.9). So, while sacks and pressures are down, the Patriots still are winning, which obviously is the ultimate goal.
Thumbnail photo via Stew Milne/USA TODAY Sports Images
