We all kind of take for granted that the Patriots have the best secondary in the league, or at least one of them.
I mean, that's what we all think. That's what we keep saying — and I've certainly said it.
Talent-wise, it's hard to argue. Cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore (reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year), Jonathan Jones, J.C. Jackson and Jason McCourty are all among the top 40 players at their position in the NFL, and they're advanced analytics darlings. At safety, Devin McCourty is one of the league's best, and Adrian Phillips, Kyle Dugger and Terrence Brooks at least are giving the Patriots what they received from Patrick Chung by the end of the season. Joejuan Williams has done a nice job matching up against tight ends.
And they're certainly paid well. According to SpoTrac.com, the Patriots' secondary is the highest-paid unit across the NFL.
But what has this group actually proven on the field?
Last season, they lost to the best quarterbacks they faced: Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes. They did beat Ben Roethlisberger and Dak Prescott, but the Steelers were in Week 1 and the Cowboys were such a dumpster fire that they fired their offensive-minded coach at the end of the season. The other quarterbacks they defeated aren't making anyone's Hall of Fame shortlist anytime soon: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Carson Wentz, Colt McCoy, Baker Mayfield and Andy Dalton.
It's true, you can only beat who's on your schedule. That's fine for team victories. But you don't get to enhance your reputation without playing and beating the best — and the Patriots' defensive schedule ranked 32nd in the league last season.
Oh, and don't forget that with something very real on the line — a first-round bye — and while playing at home, the Dolphins and Fitzpatrick tore through the Patriots' vaunted secondary with 320 yards — including a 75-yard, 13-play touchdown drive to win the game in the closing seconds to set the stage for a first-round playoff exit.
How can you be the best without shutting down the best, or even taking care of business against a rebuilding team?
Sunday's showdown against the Chiefs presents that kind of opportunity. It's kind of put up or shut up time for the Patriots' secondary, and they know it.
"It's a big opportunity for us to go out and show what we can do against those guys," Gilmore told reporters this week. "They have great speed. We're not going to back down. So it's going to be two good teams playing against each other. That's why you play the game. To go out there and compete against good teams."
(Adam Richins for BSJ)
This has not been a great start to the season for the League's Best Secondary, especially when Russell Wilson completed 21 of 28 passes for 288 yards, five touchdowns and posted a passer rating of 132.1.
New England's pass defense currently ranks 25th in the league, according to FootballOutsiders.com.
Sunday afternoon would be a great place to start earning their reputation. There really shouldn't be any excuses. We all kind of think Patrick Mahomes and his weapons are going to tear through the Patriots. But why should they?
The Patriots aren't paying all that money for the secondary to get torn up by any quarterback in the league, not even Mahomes. If Bill Belichick is allocating that much of the team's cap to the secondary, there's a reason for that. He expects that unit to be the strength of the defense, to keep the Patriots in every game no matter who they face. And he expects to play a lot of man coverage, which allows him to scheme pressure up front.
So far, that has not been the case. The Patriots played a lot of zone the past two weeks.
Where's the bang for the buck?
We could find out on Sunday. If any secondary in the league can match up with Mahomes & Co., it should be the Patriots.
TE Travis Kelce (27 targets): Williams has covered TEs last year, but Devin McCourty, Dugger and Phillips can help.
WR Tyreek Hill (23): Jones drew him the most last year, with safety help over the top.
WR Sammy Watkins (20): Gilmore stuck with the wide out on most snaps in last year's matchup.
RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (16): Could be the x-factor this year, and the Patriots can't afford to get Ja'Whaun Bentley matched up with the rookie who we pined for during draft season. It's going to have to Brooks, Phillips or Dugger.
WR Demarcus Robinson (11): Jackson held him to one catch and 12 yards last season, and picked off a pass with a great gameplan adjustment.
WR Mecole Hardman (10): Jones allowed his 48-yard touchdown catch on 2nd and 25 last year.
On paper, the Patriots did a nice job last season against Mahomes, as his 83.6 rating was his fifth-worst last season. But Mahomes was coming off his knee injury, injured his hand during the contest and seemed to be limited.
But the Patriots match up really well with the Chiefs, and they should — they spent a lot of dough to be at that level.
However, it's one thing to say and believe the Patriots are the best secondary in the league — which most of us do — and another for them to prove it against the most dangerous offense in the game.
Sunday would be a great time to say it on the field.
"Honestly, it's fun," Devin McCourty told reporters this week. "You know, I think of it when these two teams go at each other, it doesn't matter who's up. You know, we've been down in games and we've come back. They've been down and they've come back. It's very similar to the conversation we had with Seattle two weeks ago. We just play Kansas City a lot more than we play Seattle. But all of the games have been like that. We fight this team. And it wasn't since Patrick Mahomes. Even when Alex Smith was there, we would have battles where, you know, we'd be up and they come back or, you know, they'd be up or we come back. So I would say it's a game that no matter what. Both sides know, hey, this is gonna be a 60-minute game where we got to fight and keep going."