Patriots vs. Jaguars: Three to Watch on Defense Against Jacksonville
The New England Patriots will host the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. While Jacksonville has mathematically been eliminated from postseason contention, they are still playing for provide, and would love to play the role of spoiler for New England’s postseason hopes. If the Patriots are to be victorious on Sunday, they will need to exploit the Jags’ weaknesses.
Though many Patriots players are expected to garner some attention during Sunday’s matchup, here are three players on defense that might raise an eyebrow when the Pats take the field against the Jaguars.
Christian Barmore
Barmore’s ability to push the pocket and take a stand against the run has earned him many well-deserved accolades. Despite dealing with a knee injury for much of New England’s stretch run, the Pats’ rookie has become one of their premier defenders. Barmore plays with good leverage and is strong enough to take on double-teams. He locates the ball quickly, chases with good effort and has excellent range for his size. The Alabama product has also demonstrated quick hands, which has made him effective in both stuffing the run and challenging the passer.
For much of the season, Barmore has drawn the attention of opposing blockers along the offensive line. As a result, Patriots’ linebackers and edge rushers are often left one-on-one on the edge. This has freed linebackers, such as Matt Judon, to pursue the quarterback. Against the Jaguars on Sunday, Barmore is likely to attract at least two blockers at one point. This could lead to Judon (fresh off activation from COVID-19/Reserve) being left alone to gain the sack on quarterback Trevor Lawrence. While Lawrence has the ability to find success on the ground, as well as through the air, Barmore will need to pull upon his dual threat capabilities to be a disruptive force against Jacksonville’s offense.
Adrian Phillips
Just one day removed from agreeing to a three-year contract extension with New England, Phillips might be poised for a big day on Sunday. The 29-year-old ranks third on the team in tackles (76) and has a career-high four interceptions (one of which he returned for a touchdown) through 15 games in addition to eight pass breakups and a forced fumble. Still, Phillips’ greatest asset remains his versatility. He has nicely settled into the ‘Star’ role in the Pats defense. As such, he is primarily used as a hybrid box safety, capable of playing outside linebacker in most defensive schemes. However, he is also far from limited to that role. Phillips is more than capable of aligning along the defensive line, at slot corner and even outside-wide. Still, Phillips is at his best when playing in the box. He is a strong tackler with decent speed and is most effective when playing closer to the line of scrimmage. As such, he is the ideal defensive back to cover a tight end, or a running back out of the backfield. With Jacksonville entering Sunday’s matchup quite thin at tight end, Phillips has the chance to be a factor in both New England’s pass defense and run defense.
Kyle Van Noy
After a slow start to 2021, Van Noy has once again displayed the form that made him one of the Patriots most productive defenders in 2019. While he has 15 total pressures and four sacks across nine games, he has recently performed well in multiple roles along New England’s front seven. The Patriots have used Van Noy primarily as an outside linebacker, they have also allowed him to fill the hybrid ‘move’ role, playing on the line of scrimmage, while also aligning off the line as a more traditional box linebacker. He has also been a reliable tackler, earning 36 solo tackles, while only missing 4 on the season. His four credited missed tackles are his lowest total in the past four previous seasons. On Sunday, Van Noy is likely to play a significant role in New England’s defense at both levels.
