After starting the season with 11 turnovers in its first eight games, the New England Patriots defense hit a dry spell lately. In the last six contests before Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens,
the unit registered only three takeaways combined.
The Ravens therefore presented a perfect bounceback opportunity. While a statistically average team across the board, they were tied for only 25th in the NFL in giveaways on the offensive side of the ball: in their first 14 games, they turned the ball over a combined 20 times and at least once in nine contests.
The Patriots knew this, of course, and they made sure to focus on one area in particular heading into Week 16.
“Something we emphasized heavily was getting the ball out,” said outside linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson. “We know they had a couple of speed skaters on their side, the ball getting loose from the side of their body. So, obviously, that’s time for us to make a play.”
Speed skaters? What?
“The ball just gets very loose from their body, so if you ever watch a speed skater and how they move and their body, it’s how a couple of their ball carriers move with the ball,” Chaisson went on to explain . “We already knew going into the game that was going to be a possibility.”
It did not take long for the Ravens’ ball security issues to raise their head. In the late first quarter, with the home team up 7-0 and driving into New England territory again, defensive backs Jaylinn Hawkins and Carlton Davis teamed up to tackle running back Derrick Henry. Hawkins was able to punch the ball out, giving teammate Craig Woodson an opportunity to recover the fumble.
In the fourth quarter, the Patriots struck gold again. After the team erased an 11-point deficit to take a 28-24 lead, Chaisson himself managed to pry the ball free when he made one of the better hustle plays you will ever see.
Initially rushing the passer on a 2nd-and-15 just inside the two-minute warning, the offseason acquisition reacted quickly when the ball was thrown from quarterback Tyler Huntley to wide receiver Zay Flowers. Chaisson reversed course, chased Flowers down, and hit him from behind while he was trying to side-step safety Dell Pettus.
“We talked about it all week: trying to hammer out the ball and take the ball off those guys,” said cornerback Christian Gonzalez after the game. “They’re a very good offensive team and just a very good team, and we knew we had to get the turnovers, and that feeds the team. Getting the turnover feeds the team, so it’s something we harped on all week, and it was Hawkins and KC who both got the punch out. Glad they got those out, and they came at really big moments.”
For Chaisson, meanwhile, it was just putting preparation into practice.
“We emphasized turnovers and it was in our game plan throughout the week, finding a way to get turnovers,” he. said. “Like I said, a couple of their ball carriers, the ball can get loose from their body, and we were able to get some balls out today.”
