Good wrap up by Nick Underhill, who is filling the grade void left by Bedard.
The Patriots operated primarily out of their nickel defense (four linemen, two linebackers, five defensive backs) against the Buffalo Bills and Jets. This week, they stayed true to their base 4-3 defense, likely to keep run-stuffing linebacker Brandon Spikes on the field against Tampa Bay running back Doug Martin. So in a handful of situations where an additional cornerback was needed on the field, the Patriots pulled safety Steve Gregory instead of Spikes, as would typically be the case, leaving Devin McCourty as the lone safety with Alfonzo Dennard, Aqib Talib and Kyle Arrington working at cornerback.
