Patriots Film Review: Defense Edition

The Patriots defense was gashed on the ground against the Dolphins, long before the final miracle play. It was another road game where the front seven was pushed around and the secondary was out of sync for some key plays.

I hoped to make this as quick and painless as possible because I knew which play was waiting for me at the end. It went how I thought. It’s just amazing how inconsistent the defense is, from game to game and especially here, from drive to drive.

Drive #1 – Touchdown

One of the worst drives I’ve seen from a Patriots defense. It featured four first down plays and one second down play. So bright side, the Patriots’ third down defense was perfect?

You can start everywhere up front for the big rushing plays. Frank Gore’s big 36-yarder was just how you draw it up. Every Patriot defender is blocked by a single blocker and the hole was a perfect alleyway for Gore to explode through.

I try not to get worked up over any first drive but this one was especially brutal and a terrible way to start the game, showing little resistance as Miami got to the end zone 75 yards away in five plays.

Drive #2 – Blocked Punt

The Phins got a first down on a weird holding penalty, but that was it on this drive. The Patriots countered the first drive by moving Hightower back off the line of scrimmage.

Tannehill threw three straight times. Gilmore almost picked the first. The Pats sent six rushers on 2nd-and-10 and Hightower got a monster sack on third down. The coverage was as perfect as it looks in home games.

Dolphins got away from the run game and the Pats were ready against the pass. 

Drive #3 – Touchdown

This one took just two plays. 21 yards for Kenny Stills and a 54-yard touchdown run by former Patriot Brandon Bolden. 

Good design on the play to Stills, a first-down two-RB set signaled possible run and the Pats’ front four didn’t cause any pocket collapse. J-Mac got beat in coverage, after being beat for the touchdown earlier as well.

On Bolden’s run it was just again a case of EVERYONE getting single blocked.

Drive #4 – Touchdown

42-yarder to Stills kicked things off this time. Yikes. Again, a great attack to come out in heavy personnel to keep the Pats coverage-lacking backers on the field. Also prevented pass rush and that gave Tannehill the time to find Stills downfield as J-Mac once again slowed up enough to allow the catch downfield.

To sum it up, the interior of the defense stunk here. Guy-Brown controlled, Roberts late. Every run was getting at least five yards. The secondary showed their own terrible tackling on the last two plays, as none could get off blocks to make a play.

It’s mid-way through the second quarter, Miami has scored 21 points and seen just one single third down. Can’t help but think about this first down problems piece from the offseason.

Drive #5 – Punt

A three-and-out and it all starts with stopping the run for no gain on first down – Malcom Brown splitting a double team. They get to third down and get off the field with a sack. Another play where everything is in sync and works perfectly. 

Drive #6 – Blocked Punt

Again, a good start on first down with a sack that hurt Tannehill. After a run stop, another sack by Flowers, setting the stage for 4th-and-29 and a blocked punt that the offense would squander.

After the offense kept pace with the defense’s lapses, they let them and the special teams down at the end. It was a weird and inconsistent first half across the board. Never were they clicking in all three phases.

Drive #7 – Punt

A good start to the second half. Miami almost lost a fumble and took a 10-yard penalty. But the first down run defense was good. The Phins picked up their first third-down conversion with all four of the Pats pass rushing front getting single blocked. 

Drive #8 – Touchdown

We’re back to the swiss cheese drives with no third downs. This one took just five plays for 68 yards. Three chunk plays… run by Gore up the middle where everyone was single blocked… an underneath pass to Gore that Roberts missed the tackle on…the Gilmore getting beat on a post touchdown of 23 yards.

Gilmore has been great this season but he’s still had his bad moments like the rest of the defense this year. Again it came on first down. Credit Adam Gase for executing the perfect attack on this Patriots defense. They deservedly shredded them.

Drive #9 – Punt

With the Patriots down by one to start the the fourth quarter they needed the ball back and the defense got it for them here, despite having given up 28 points.

They got some help from the Dolphins who moved the ball from the eight to the 44 before an OPI set them back into a hole. Still it came down to a third-and-one, a clutch sack by John Simon that would’ve been a play that got more attention this week had the Pats won. 

Drive #10 – Punt

Pats now up by two and need a stop and they got one via a four-and-out. Despite a first down 12-yarder to Stills, they followed up with two-straight Gore stops, setting a key third-and-four.

Perfect coverage right off the line of scrimmage after faking Cover-0 for Cover-1. Rush didn’t have enough time for this quick-throw play and that’s why the coverage by JC Jackson was vital.

Drive #11 – Touchdown

Here it was the game-winning, unprecedented touchdown being called the Miami Miracle I guess? I’m already sick of dissecting it. He should’ve been tackled. He wasn’t.

The Patriots defense had their worst early-down struggles of the season in the first few quarters but they had almost done enough to get the win despite those shortcomings. 

But it’s distressing to get run over that easily for large portions of the game and it isn’t the first time. The problem is there isn’t any other option than Brown-Guy-Roberts. They are the heart of the defense no matter what. When they’re all on, everything is pretty good. When they’re off it’s dreadful. 

Jason McCourty had his worst game and it looks like JC Jackson is carving out a 2019 starters role right now.