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New England Patriots Still Need To Improve Pass Rush

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By @petahrahgas

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It’s hard for me to write anything negative about the New England Patriots right now since they have been surgically dismantling teams over the last few weeks, but my job is to be tough on them so they can get better, so here’s me being tough.

Ever since Chandler Jones went down back in Week 7 against the New York Jets, the Patriots’ pass rush has been struggling to register sacks. Over the last three games, the Patriots have only amassed five sacks, with three of those going against the Chicago Bears, which really shouldn’t count since the Bears’ offensive line can’t block a strong gust of wind (which, ironically, is all it takes to knock Jay Cutler to the ground).

Akeem Ayers had the only sack against the Denver Broncos and Rob Ninkovich registered the only one last night against the Indianapolis Colts. 

Luckily for the Patriots’ defense, the secondary has been playing at an extraordinary level during this stretch. Darrelle Revis has fully returned to his dominant self, and Brandon Browner has adopted the role of the Abominable Snowman camped out on Revis’ Island for Misfit Receivers. But this level of play cannot be expected to last all season, nor should it be.

The Patriots face some very formidable foes in the future, and the pass coverage will certainly be tested with the likes of Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate, Randall Cobb and Jordy “People Still Don’t Take Me Seriously” Nelson (but seriously, Nelson is still underrated). While the Patriots’ secondary has shown they can cover talent like this, I’m not sure they — or any secondary known to mankind for that matter — can cover these players all game long. If the defense can generate a pass rush, the secondaries job will become a lot easier and in turn, make winning easier.

We know Matthew Stafford doesn’t do well under pressure, and I think the only way to cool off Aaron Rodgers is to rub him into the ground a few times.

So far, the Patriots’ defense has been able to get by on pressure and strong coverage downfield. But as the season moves on, it will be imperative for the front seven to get sacks on opposing quarterbacks.

Peter Rogers is a New England Patriots writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @petahrahgas, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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