The analytics crowd will have a ton to say about the New England Patriots allowing 270 yards on the ground to the Tennessee Titans at a stinging 6.9 yards a clip.
There were moments of disgust – Dontrell Hilliard galloping 68 yards off tackle for a second-quarter TD in Sunday’s thumping of the depleted Tennessee Titans immediately comes to mind. The bottom line is the Patriots held their fourth straight foe (5 of 6 in the current win streak) under 20 points.
Do that in today’s wide-open, pass-happy NFL, and yes, you will win a lot of football games.
Nobody here on the home side was complaining, even with a cast of unknowns and practice-squad types surrounding Titan QB Ryan Tannehill.
“Obviously every play defensively wasn’t what we wanted, and obviously before the half defensively we’ve got to play that better,” said safety Devin McCourty. “It was just a grind-it-out game, getting a stop on the goal line, all of those things. It was just that kind of game. I think our offense battled, we battled, we came away with a victory, and we know it’s going to keep getting harder for the rest of the season.”
(Adam Richins for BSJ)
Angry and opportunistic might best describe the New England defense Sunday, one that forced five Tennessee fumbles (recovering three of them) and inducing a fourth-and-goal interception of Tannehill.
Tennessee’s Hilliard and D’Onta Foreman – each a refugee from woeful Houston and Tennessee's practice squad – hung career days on the Patriots, combining for 240 yards on 31 tries. New England played heavy fronts, showing no respect the Titans’ receivers, and still got shredded.
Rookie sensation Christian Barmore, limited all week in practice, played fewer snaps than has been the norm over this stretch, and it showed as the interior yielded serious running lanes.
“Of course, not happy with 260 rushing yards but we made enough plays on defense, forced fumbles, picks,” said defensive lineman Davon Godchaux. “Any time you give up more than 100 yards rushing that’s not a good day but today I’ll take it, you know 13 points. Like I said yards don’t beat you but points do.”
Indeed, they do.
Running the football, in mainly smaller chunks than the passing game might garner, meant more opportunities for these no-name Titans to self-destruct.
Hence, the opportunism and the four Patriots takeaways.
“I'm very confident. We've been creating turnovers every week. We talk about it in practice each week. We prepare for it. When it's time to play, we execute and get it done,” said JC Jackson, who turned in the play of the day, stripping Foreman from behind at the end of a 30-yard run.
At that point in the third quarter, the Patriots were teetering on a 19-13 lead.
Jackson’s play at midfield was born out of desperation, although he’d never admit it.
“See ball get ball,” Jackson said. “He didn't have good ball security. As a defense, we talk about creating turnovers every day. We practice punching the ball, catching picks. What you do in practice carries over to the games.”
The football game turned right then and there, so credit Jackson and a hustling Jalen Mills for pouncing on the football just before it hit the sideline.
Jackson’s best attribute, at least among this group, might be his swagger. It’s contagious. He’s a bit more outwardly confident than a Matt Judon, who chooses to let his play do the better part of the talking.
(Adam Richins for BSJ)
Even on Sunday when the Patriots were getting pushed around some, they never lost their edge.
“It is the same confidence. We didn’t change, we won’t waver and it is the same confidence we had when we were 2-4. It doesn’t matter if it is a tight game or a blowout, our confidence won’t change and we won’t waver as a team, as a unit and as players,” said Judon.
Watch the play of the secondary on Sunday. They were physical, with both second-year safety and team-leading tackler Kyle Dugger and Adrian Phillips lowering the boom on Titans’ receivers.
Judon continues to earn his sacks, defeating blocks and pressuring at an alarming rate. Few of his 11.5 sacks would be considered cheapies this year.
With a pair of games against top AFC East foe Buffalo sandwiched around a Saturday night date with Jonathan Taylor and the Colts, this reliance on the big play defensively will certainly be tested.
“I always say that confidence builds each week. You play in this league and you try to carry confidence because of the way you played last week. It’s not going to turn out the way you want the next week,” said McCourty. “You have to build up that confidence up through the week. Studying your opponent, coming out practicing well. Going over the game plan, preparation, I think that’s where confidence comes from. Beating Atlanta and then beating Tennessee, that doesn’t give us confidence to go in and play Buffalo next week. It’s going to be what we do this week leading up to the Buffalo game that gives us confidence. We know that and we have to practice and play to that.”