How Do You Solve a Problem Like Joey Bosa? There’s No Easy Answer for the Patriots’ Offense

The New England Patriots offense has had its share of criticism through seven games into the 2021 season. From growing pains in the passing game, to ball security issues at running back, to a makeshift offensive line, the Pats have come under fire for their ability (or perceived lack-there-of) to put points on the scoreboard.

In Week Seven, New England helped to exorcise some of those demons with a 54-13 throttling of the New York Jets. Amassing 551 total yards of offense, the Pats looked more than efficient in both running and passing the football. Rookie quarterback Mac Jones had his most productive game to date, throwing for 307 yards and two touchdowns.

While putting forth that type of offensive output is impressive in its own right, the Pats will undoubtedly face a more difficult task this Sunday, when they take on the 4-2 Los Angeles Chargers. Fresh off their bye week, quarterback Justin Herbert will lead a potent Bolts’ offense, consisting of receivers Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, running Back Austin Ekeler and tight end Jared Cook against the Patriots new-look front seven, which looked to be much improved on Sunday against the Jets.

Still, for all the deserved credit given to the Chargers’ offense, they also boast a formidable front seven of their own. The Bolts’ pass rush has compiled 13 sacks in six games. Linebacker Kyler Fackrell, defensive tackle Jerry Tillery and safety Derwin James have all demonstrated an ability to get after the passer. However, the group’s most fearsome weapon is linebacker Joey Bosa.

The 26-year old Ohio State product once again leads the Bolts’ in sacks with 3.5. He has also tallied 13 tackles, eight quarterback hits and two forced fumbles. Yet, Bosa’s contributions reach far beyond his impressive statistics. His awareness of the field, and knowledge of Los Angeles’ defensive system makes him an invaluable part of their defense. At his best, he is capable of making plays against the run (primarily on short-yardage), rushing the passer in obvious passing situations, and getting home against the quarterback on play-action situations, in which he is particularly adept at converting run-reads into a play-action rush.

Simply put, Bosa is the ideal blend of strength, quickness, explosiveness and savvy instincts, making him a nightmarish matchup for opposing offensive lines. Taken in tandem with the Pats’ o-line struggles in 2021, thus far, Bosa’s prowess may be a potential dilemma; a point not lost on Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick. When speaking to the media on Friday morning, Belichick had the following to say about Bosa’s abilities:

“You have to know where he is on every play…He’s a tough matchup and Coach [Brandon] Staley does a good job with him. They move around a little bit, and they bring five [pass rushers] a lot, so it’s hard to double him. When you have five blocking four, you might have a chance to get some help to him…but when it’s five blocking five, then it really makes it difficult. There are definitely some challenges that he presents, and, within scheme, that compounds it. He’s a major problem.”

Fortunately for the Patriots, they may be hitting their offensive line stride just in the nick of time. While lineman Trent Brown remains on injured reserve, the Pats deployed a lineup consisting of LT Isaiah Wynn, LG Ted Karras, C David Andrews, OG Shaq Mason and RT Michael Onwenu on Sunday against the Jets. As a result, New England looked far more efficient in both run and pass protection than they have all season. The Patriots’ offensive line allowed just one sack and four quarterback hits. In run protection, the line provided the team’s runners the opportunity to rush for an average of 5.0 yards per carry, with Damien Harris averaging 7.6 yards per carry.

For Sunday’s Week Eight matchup, the Pats will need an even greater effort from their protective unit on offense. Though they are starting to get healthier, the team still finds itself unsettled relating to its depth. As a result, they may be reluctant to commit an additional resource to double-teaming Bosa, especially with Fackrell proving to be a more-than-capable pass rusher, as well. (Fackrell is second on the team with two sacks).

When asked on Friday about the possibility of double-teaming Bosa. Belichick replied:

“I don’t know. I think some of that is based on the matchup. That’s another consideration too, but regardless, whoever Bosa plays against, it’s going to be challenging for that individual. Again, it’s not always the same guy. He’s not always in the same spot, so you have to work through some things there, but he’s mainly on the right. He’s mainly going to be against the right tackle, and he honestly has enough in his repertoire to give anybody problems with speed, speed-to-power, inside move and just general aggressive pass rush techniques. He has a good arsenal and knows how to use it.”

In accordance with Belichick’s assessment, attempting to contain Bosa will be a tall task to say the least. When allowed the space to operate, he is capable of causing both negative yardage plays and turnovers. In situations against the passer, he will find the football for the strip sack, when he gets the chance. If forced to remain at the line, he has the athleticism to bat the ball down, or even make the pick. Conversely, should a team commit the attention to double-team him, it will create problems in other spots.

In short, attempting to contain Bosa will not be easy. Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniels and Pats offensive coaching staff will be forced to predominantly run the ball, with passing schemes designed to get the ball out of Mac Jones’ hands as quickly as possible. As a result, the rookie will get a coach course in quickly making the pre-snap read, and completing short, accurate throws to keep the chains moving. Perhaps that is the best way to solve a problem like Joey Bosa…take away his ability to find the football by making sure that he does not have the chance to get to it.

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