The Patriots acquired Derrick Burgess in the offseason hoping he could solidify the pass rush for a team that had struggled defensively in 2008, allowing teams to convert on third down 44.4 percent of the time.
Thus far, Burgess has largely been a disappointment.
His debut showed some promise for the Pats, as the 31-year-old made three solo tackles and picked up a sack when Trent Edwards fruitlessly tried to scramble away from an all-out rush in the final minute of the Patriots' 25-24 victory. Since then, Burgess has made just two solo tackles, just one of which came in the Patriots' two road losses.
In fact, since the season started, Derrick Burgess has gotten less media attention than Prescott Burgess, who was signed and re-signed to the Pats' practice squad before going back to Baltimore. Last week's acquisition of Bruce Davis to the practice squad even had some speculating that he could be an insurance plan for Burgess "if he falters."
Also consider that Rob Ninkovich, a player with 12 career tackles in four NFL seasons, equaled Burgess' 2009 sack total when he took down Kyle Orton on Sunday.
Whatever is slowing him down, the fact is that the Patriots need something out of Burgess. This year's team still struggles to make third-down stops, allowing conversions at a slightly improved 41.4 percent clip. The Patriots have also allowed opponents to convert 50 percent of fourth-down conversions, a drastic dropoff from last year's 20 percent rate. Their 10 sacks have them in the middle of the pack in the league, yet they're giving up nearly seven yards per pass attempt.
Sunday's loss provided the most recent example, with Orton and the Broncos converting 21 first downs through the air. The Broncos could only pick up four first downs on the ground.
While Burgess has hardly been the sole reason for the Patriots' defensive struggles, he's yet to make an impact. Optimistic fans will hold fast hope that he can regain some of his past form, which he used to compile 35 sacks from 2005 to 2007. The pessimistic bunch will point to the fact that he only made 12 sacks in his four other NFL seasons.
With a $2 million salary, Burgess will have his hands full in the next two weeks, as the Titans and Buccaneers, despite their combined 0-10 record, have protected the quarterback fairly well this year. If the Titans choose to start Vince Young over Kerry Collins, any indecisiveness from Young could bode well for Burgess.
Though the Patriots will likely be able to handle both of those teams with or without major contributions from Burgess, Sunday afternoon's loss proved that even with Tom Brady back on the field, this defense is going to have to win some games this year. Without Burgess, doing so won't be easy.
