Patriots Notebook: Winovich, Dugger help anchor strong defensive effort vs. Ravens; Harris continues to solidify role as Pats' RB1

Chase Winovich's infectious, ebullient enthusiasm stood in stark contrast to the miserable surroundings that both he and the Patriots found themselves in on Sunday night – tasked with stopping the reigning NFL MVP as an unrelenting deluge cascaded down upon them at Gillette Stadium.

No hoodie, poncho, canopy or sideline cape offered any semblance of refuge amid Sunday's torrential downpour — a tempest so miserable it would have cleared out the luxury boxes and sent all but the most faithful fans flocking to their cars or huddled below in the concrete safety of the lower concourses, had prior cataclysms not prompted the need for an empty arena in Foxborough, of course.

But as he returned to the water-logged gridiron in the closing minutes of regulation, Winovich could have cared less about the less-than-desirable conditions around him. Frankly, he was having too much fun to notice.

"I don't know who was on the aux cord. But they were playing some heat," Winovich said of the in-game settings. "I was dancing, I was having fun. At first, you kind of resist the rain in a sense, where it's like, 'Okay, I'm going to try to stay dry,' make sure I can stay dry enough that I can tackle and your shoes don't get soaking wet.

"But after a while, after enough rain, it's just a matter of taking the approach of — 'This is exactly how I want it to go, I want it to pour, I want it to be freezing cold.' And if you take that attitude and your opponent doesn't, that gives you an edge."

For Winovich, just the opportunity to be out on the field for extended stretches during Sunday's primetime matchup against Baltimore was enough to motivate the 25-year-old defensive end.  Just two weeks after playing five snaps against the Bills, Winovich was featured heavily against the Ravens (65 defensive snaps), albeit in a different role than what the Michigan product has become accustomed to up in the NFL ranks.



With New England in desperate need of some bodies at linebacker, the Pats swapped Winovich out of his traditional spot on the edge and placed him more in an off-ball role — designed to counter some of speed and deception that the Ravens use to gain chunks of yardage with  Lamar Jackson at the helm of Baltimore's offense.

Winovich certainly made the most of his augmented duties in New England's eventual 23-17 win over Baltimore, recording seven tackles while still routinely pressuring Jackson when the opportunity presented itself — drawing a holding penalty while logging a QB hit and multiple pressures throughout the contest.



“He is a beast,” safety Adrian Phillips said of Winovich's game.“He is one of those people that is like: see ball, hit ball. That’s exactly what he did tonight. He’s a high energy guy and he’s going to bring 110 percent effort. That’s exactly what he did. It worked out good for us, because he just flowed free to the ball, and he was able to make plays. And when you’ve got a guy like that who can rush the passer and run the alley and chase down people, it just makes it hard for the offensive line, because they don’t know where he’s going to be.”

It remains to be seen what kind of role Winovich ultimately settles into on this roster, but for a team in desperate need of more stability behind the D line, his versatility will be needed — especially if the Patriots have their sights set on pushing for a playoff spot this winter.

“I have always said that I am a football player just looking for opportunities to help the team win in any way possible,' Winovich said. "This was a really fun game for a lot of reasons but getting to play off the ball again was definitely something I enjoyed since I view myself as a pretty versatile football player. I am just grateful to my coaches for giving me the opportunity to expand my role, for my teammates, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Terez Hall, John Simon and specifically Steve Belichick, especially with the coverage and assisting with in-game adjustments.”

Winovich was far from the only member of New England's next wave of defensive talent that made their presence felt during Sunday's victory, as safety Kyle Dugger recorded a team-high 12 tackles in what stood as the first start of his young career. The big-bodied safety, like Winovich, was also featured heavily in New England's defensive gameplan — a welcome development for Dugger after missing two weeks of action earlier this season due to an ankle injury.

Dugger, who only played four snaps in his return to action on Monday against the Jets, focused on the positives when it came to his time on the shelf, noting that he was able to spend more time honing his craft thanks to extended sessions in the film room.

"It was tough at first," Dugger said of his injury. "I did feel like I was building some momentum. But it was really good to be able to get a different perspective. I was able to really work on my film study, how I look at other teams and develop other things while I was not able to practice or perform.  Some might at it as a setback. But it really wasn't, because it helped me develop other stuff that I might not have gotten a chance to get at."

Dugger took on the role of a heat-seeking missile during numerous snaps on Sunday — preventing the Ravens' shifty assortment of offensive weapons from racking up extra yardage by way of some sound tackling. Dugger saved his best play for last, wrapping up Mark Ingram before he could get out of bounds on the Ravens' second-to-last play — allowing the clock to keep running and forcing a hurried final throw from Jackson to seal the win.



Dugger still has plenty to work on when it comes to establishing himself as a pillar of New England's next generation of defensive talent, but there's an awful lot to like about what the imposing safety out of Lenoir–Rhyne has showcased at the next level so far.

Harris solidifying himself as New England's new RB1

New QB2 Jakobi Meyers (we kid, we kid) might crowd most of the highlight tape following Sunday's win, but it was Damien Harris that once again paced the Patriots' ground game — rushing for a career-high 121 yards on 22 attempts. His status for Sunday's matchup was a bit cloudy after exiting Monday's win over the Jets with a chest injury, but the second-year back certainly seemed no worse for wear against Baltimore — opening the game with five straight carries for 21 yards. 

Harris' physical, downhill style of play — complemented by some fantastic work from New England's offensive line — allowed the Alabama grad to routinely pile up yardage while running between tackles and fighting for extra yardage. Harris' development into a featured weapon in this Patriots' offense has played a major role in New England's resurgence of late, as the 23-yard-old running back has now surpassed 100 yards in three of the six starts of his young pro career. Across the rest of the NFL, only three running backs have accrued more 100-yard games so far this season — Derrick Henry (5), Dalvin Cook (4) and Ronald Jones (4). Pretty good company to be in, to say the least. 

https://twitter.com/PatsBuzz/status/1328170803574300678

"It helps me build confidence, to continue to go out there and try to do my job," Harris said of his play on Monday. "But I wouldn't have had any of the success that I had tonight without the guys up front. And that's first and foremost. So I got to give all that to them. They've been so good all year, and they've really been the anchor of our offense and they're what makes us go."

As New England continues to build some momentum in pursuit of a second-half surge, expect Harris to continue to earn the lion's share of reps as the Patriots' featured back, even as Sony Michel inches closer and closer to a return from injured reserve. Given the production that the Patriots have reaped over the last few weeks, any major deviation in terms of workload for Harris would pretty much be malpractice on New England's end when it comes to cultivating winning football.

Barring injury or a sudden drop in results, Harris is holding on to that RB1 spot.

"I'm incredibly thankful to be a New England Patriot," Harris said. "I'm kind of overcome with emotion right now. So I'm sorry if I'm a little too excited. But, I'm on cloud nine right now. That was a tough game. In that kind of weather — ever since I've been here, I've been hearing all these stories about New England weather around November. So I guess that was my first taste of it. And I loved every second of it. So I'm just I'm super happy right now."

J.C. Jackson piles on picks

Monday’s comeback victory over the Jets might have seen J.C. Jackson snag his fifth interception of the season, but it wouldn’t have come as much of a surprise if the third-year defensive back opted to burn most of the game film following New England’s 30-27 rally at the Meadowlands. Even with the pick, the Jets reeled in four catches and two scores with Jackson in coverage — a blip on what has otherwise been a strong season for the former Maryland DB.

“You just gotta have short-term memory,” Jackson said following that victory. “That’s what coaches always tell me, like you gotta move on to the next play, the next down. So that’s how I kind of deal with them."

It certainly seems as though Jackson is practicing what he's preached — as the dynamic corner rebounded in a major way on Sunday night, anchoring a Patriots secondary playing without Stephon Gilmore for the third consecutive game. Lamar Jackson found little in terms of success when lofting up passes in J.C. Jackson's vicinity, with the defensive back only yielding one reception for 14 yards en route to the win.

Aside from the strong coverage numbers, Jackson continued to establish himself as one of the best young ballhawks in the game — setting a new Patriots record by snatching his fifth interception in as many games during the final minute of the first half. Jackson's snag off a pass intended for Marquise Brown took points off the board for Baltimore, with the Ravens looking to at least get Justin Tucker in range for a field goal to tie things up at 13-13 going into halftime.

https://twitter.com/BradyyNFL/status/1328166096717934594

Jackson now has six interceptions on the year — tops in the league and equaling the total that Gilmore hauled in last year during his standout 2019 campaign. Since entering the league back in 2018, no player has picked off more passes than Jackson's 14 — with the talented corner still primed to pad his stats with seven games remaining on the regular-season docket in 2020.

The return of Gilmore will be a major lift for this New England secondary, but Jackson has more than held his own when handed some of the more daunting assignments in the defensive backfield.

"I'm a playmaker, man," Jackson said. "I know how to play the ball better than — I know how to play the ball pretty well. I become a receiver when I go up for the ball."