The New England Patriots’ defense is essentially their only remaining hope for the season, and Sunday’s 34-0 blowout loss to the New Orleans Saints made that point abundantly clear.
Another awful afternoon of offensive mishaps for the team included a pick-six following a clumsy throw by quarterback Mac Jones. By a score of 39:34–20:26, the Saints commanded the majority of the field position and possession time.
In the game, the defense didn’t really have a chance.
Remember that this defense also suffered injuries to two of its finest players last week: linebacker Matthew Judon and cornerback Christian Gonzalez. The good news is that despite obviously being up against an uphill struggle, the unit persisted in fighting bravely.
For a squad that now appears to be among the worst in the NFL, there was still a ton of effort on show. Unfortunately for the Patriots, winning football games requires more than just defensive play. The offense must eventually figure out how to play and score points.
Here are the Pro Football Focus grades for the top ten defensive players from Sunday’s match.
DL Sam Roberts
LB Mack Wilson Sr.
LB Josh Uche
CB Shaun Wade
S Jalen Mills
LB Anfernee Jennings
CB Jonathan Jones
CB Myles Bryant
CB Ameer Speed
LB Jahlani Tavai
