This Key Change Sparked Christian Barmore’s Patriots Hot Streak

FOXBORO, Mass. -- A knee injury wiped out nearly half of Christian Barmore's second season with the Patriots.

So far in Year 3, the defensive tackle has stayed healthy, and he's playing some of the best football of his career.

Coincidence? No chance, head coach Bill Belichick said Wednesday.

Asked about Barmore's back-to-back impressive performances against the Las Vegas Raiders and Buffalo Bills, Belichick said the 2021 second-round pick was able to improve his game on the practice field because he hasn't needed to worry about injury rehab.

"B-More’s had a really good year," Belichick said. "He’s been healthy. He had a good offseason. I’d say this is the hardest that he’s trained or was able to train. Some of that’s been a little bit rehab-related. He had a good offseason, good training, and he’s playing well. I think those things usually go together."

Barmore hasn't been completely injury-free this season. A knee issue has limited him in practice since Week 3, according to the Patriots' injury report, and he was listed as questionable for each of the last five games. He played in all five, though, and was especially disruptive in the last two.

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The Alabama product helped power the Patriots' shorthanded pass rush in Sunday's upset win over Buffalo, notching a sack and four pressures on quarterback Josh Allen. A week earlier, he had five tackles, two batted passes, a tackle for loss and a drawn hold in a narrow loss at Las Vegas.

"He's been doing a good job for us in the run game, pass game," Patriots D-line coach DeMarcus Covington said Tuesday in a video conference. "(He's) being consistent for us and doing a good job of playing his role on the defense and doing a good job of just, man, making some plays for us."

Though he plays a different position, Barmore's efforts against the Bills helped offset the loss of top pass rusher Matthew Judon, who is on injured reserve after underdoing bicep surgery. The Patriots also were without edge rushers Josh Uche (knee/foot) and Keion White (concussion) for the game.

Barmore saw two of the largest workloads of his career in the last two weeks, playing 50 defensive snaps against the Raiders (second-most) and 45 against the Bills (tied for fourth-most). He'll likely have a major role Sunday as the Patriots look to limit the Miami Dolphins' high-powered offense in a must-win Week 8 matchup.

"I think he's doing his job," Covington said. "He's doing what we're asking him to do, and he's making some plays while doing the job within the framework of the defense."