And Just Like That, the Patriots Have Turned Their Most Glaring Weakness Into One of Their Biggest Strengths

Maddie Meyer. Getty Images.

You will undoubtedly find what I'm about to say shocking. And so I suggest you read this next sentence sitting down. 

Sometimes I get accused of being too positive about the New England Patriots. 

I know! Ridiculous, right? I used to get accused of that even when they were going to nine Super Bowls and eight straight conference championship games. I mean, how do you even begin to over-glaze a franchise while they're in the middle of setting a standard for success that has never been matched and never will? It's like been "too" positive about Bill Russell's Celtics or John Wooden's UCLA Bruins. 

Then came last season's Patriots, who I had as a 10 win team. And they embarrassed me by winning 17 in total. And boy oh boy, do I ever have egg on my face for that. And when they improved a conference championship team this past offseason, I decided I wouldn't get caught making the same mistake twice. No way, no how. I've got them being better, and doing better. 

With one caveat. Whenever anyone has asked me what the 2026 Pats areas of concern are, I couldn't help but point to the pass rush. I said all summer that if there's a fatal flaw on this team, it's their inability to apply pressure on passing downs. 

And it's not hard to see my point. Last year they were just 24th in Sacks with 35, 23rd in QB Hits with 88, 28th in Hurry % with 5.8%, for a total of 24th in the league in Pressure %, at a paltry 20.3%.

Furthermore, they lost K'Lavon Chaisson to free agency, after he had been such a factor late in the season. And last year's big signing at the Edge position remains on the injury list. Dre'Mont Jones was a nice pickup, though not anyone's idea of a guy who'll make anyone forget the Maxx Crosby rumors. And while Gabe Jacas came out of Illinois with the 55th overall pick, great game tape and glowing scouting reports, he missed all of spring practices in a murky contract dispute. So aside from the flashes that Elijah Ponder showed, there was no reason for optimism in this department beyond the inside pressure that has been a staple of both Milton Williams and Christian Barmore. The Edge pass rush seemed like a crippling weakness on this team. To me, anyway. 

Well this is one of those times when a shameless homer has to be willing to step up, stick out his chest, hold his head high, and admit the truth. He was wrong. I'm that man. And that's my truth. Jacas, Jones and Ponder have not only cleared the bar of my low expectations, the are among the best Edge pass rush units in the league a quarter of the way into the season. 

Whether its the way they pressured Josh Allen, which included Jacas putting 5-time Pro Bowler Dion Dawkins on his ass for what in a sane and rational world would've been a safety:

Or Jones spinning Allen like a record, baby, to force the game-season interception:

Or Ponder also beating Dawkins for a sack:

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These three are all in the Top 30 among Edge rushers in Pro Football Focus grades. Jones is No. 2 in Win % behind only Adrian Hutchinson. Among all rookie defensive players at any position, Jacas is No. 2 in pass rush grade and one of only five in his class with double digit pressures. 

Which has been enough to push the defense overall up to 18th in Pressure %. Which is still not good enough by any stretch. But given where they were last year, and given what we thought they'd be like, and given how they're doing this while waiting for Landry to come back, the calling the results good so far should … well, be a given. 

And since they have the second weakest strength of schedule left in the league:

… I'm going to assume this huge positive is only going to improve in the weeks to come. I was glad to be wrong.