Ted Johnson: How Pats defense can improve against the run originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots run defense was a disaster in Sunday’s 32-16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jags totaled 171 yards and two touchdowns on 39 rushing attempts. Running back Tank Bigsby did most of the damage with 26 carries for 118 yards and both TDs.
When New England had six or fewer defenders in the box, Jacksonville averaged 6.6 yards per carry and had four runs of 10 or more yards. During the second half, the Pats defense had no answers as the Jags ran the ball down their throat for 17 consecutive plays.
Not ideal.
So, how can the Patriots defense bounce back from it’s abysmal performance against the run? Ted Johnson, who made a living stuffing the run for New England from 1995-2004, shared the adjustments he would make on The Breakdown.
“I would keep trying to maybe blitz to stop the run,” Johnson said. “So bring guys from the second level to hit gaps at the snap of the ball. Hopefully, you get some penetration. You can make some tackles for a loss. That’s one way to maybe scheme it up.
“Another way to maybe scheme it up is to slant your defensive linemen. Get them looping, get them slanting, get them moving at the snap of the ball. And so, that keeps offensive linemen off guard and makes them hesitate a little bit so they’re not just coming off and drilling you. That’s another thing.
“And then you can also maybe change up your personnel. We’ve had times when teams were running on us in the middle of the field and Belichick said, ‘I want my goal line defense out there.’ So put out all the big guys, dare them to run, and see if they will. That’s another way to do it.”
The Patriots have been playing without their two best run stuffers in linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley and defensive tackle Christian Barmore. After an encouraging start to the season, their defense has offered little resistance against the run since Bentley went down with a torn pec in Week 2.
While the Pats defense has struggled to stop the run, the offense has been unable to establish it. In Sunday’s loss, rookie quarterback Drake Maye was New England’s leading rusher (18 yards) for the second straight week. Patriots running backs totaled 20 yards on 12 carries vs. Jacksonville.
The Patriots (1-6) will look to snap their six-game losing skid next Sunday against the New York Jets (2-5). The matchup offers a perfect bounce-back opportunity for New England’s run defense as the Jets rank 31st in rushing yards (577).
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