Last week, I wrote that the New England Patriots shouldn’t preemptively deal an impact player at the NFL trade deadline amid defensive players Christian Barmore and Carlton Davis reportedly being available for trade.
Ultimately, the Patriots didn’t make any transactions on Tuesday.
Although I cited the offseason as a better time to move either defender, I noted the defense’s encouraging Week Eight performance against the now 1-7 Miami Dolphins as a potential turning point for what has largely been
an underwhelming and injured unit through the first half of the season.
That didn’t stick.
It’s hard not to be concerned about New England’s defense after last Sunday’s deflating performance against the Green Bay Packers. Those reservations are especially warranted when the Patriots’ most expensive cornerback room in the league allows two receivers, Matthew Golden and Christian Watson, to combine for 335 yards and two touchdowns, with each logging career highs.
All-Pro Christian Gonzalez, entering 2026 on a four-year, $135 million contract extension, allowed 10 receptions for 187 yards, per NextGen Stats.
“I’m a Christian Gonzalez fan,” NFL Hall of Famer Ty Law said on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show. “I just expect more out of him … I have never been a part of a situation in my 15-year career where a secondary played that bad … That’s unacceptable … You got the bag. You have to play better.
“I’m seeing a lot of things that aren’t right when it comes to the New England Patriots’ secondary. Where is the leadership? Where is the communication? … Is it the players or the coaching?”
After the game, Gonzalez took responsibility for his poor performance but also isn’t “too worried about it.”
“I think Christian [Gonzalez] just did it to himself,” two-time Super Bowl champion Logan Ryan said on the Up & Adams Show. “I loved his comment … He said, ‘Hey, I’m allowed to have a bad day. I had a bad day.’ He doesn’t have a lot of them, and that’s going to happen. Watson and Golden are different [types of receivers] … He had to deal with them both.
“Part of being a number one corner is that you have to guard whatever comes out there … Credit to what Green Bay did, but I think mentally he was in his head. He had a slow start, and [then] it continued … That’s the life of being a number one cornerback. You have to bounce back, and I think he will.”
Head coach Mike Vrabel acknowledged that he expects more from Gonzalez while emphasizing that the rest of the defense must improve overall.
Gonzalez’s struggles are surprising, but the organization paid him for a reason. Another performance like that would be an outlier.
Still, his shortcomings highlight an underlying factor that has seen a steady decline in not only Gonzalez’s play but also the inconsistencies of the defense.
A lack of execution
Over the past week, Patriots defenders across multiple positional groups have cited execution as something to improve upon.
Veteran safety Kevin Byard frequently alluded to that sentiment when discussing the Packers’ explosive plays.
“We just didn’t execute enough,” Byard said on Sunday. “We knew that was going to be the key to the game, eliminating the big play, and we didn’t do good enough today at all. We all have to be better.”
Linebacker and captain Robert Spillane emphasized a similar message Wednesday on The Greg Hill Show, stressing the importance of playing complementary football ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Detroit Lions, whose offense shares similarities with Green Bay’s.
“You put pressure on [Jared Goff] by stopping the run early, by forcing third-and-long passing situations, by being up on the scoreboard, by starting fast as a team, as a unit, and that’s all three phases. I think it’s really a collection of how we play as a team to get that done.”
What does that execution come down to?
It encompasses everything the team prepares for.
Against the Packers, it was schematic and assignment breakdowns. Against the Chicago Bears in Week Seven, it was a lack of physicality.
The defense allowed Chicago to notch 30 points on the evening and score on six of its nine offensive drives. Poor tackling plagued the unit throughout the game, giving up 161 yards after the catch.
Vrabel’s defense appeared a step behind, exemplifying symptoms of a Super Bowl hangover.
Following Sunday night’s loss, outside questions emerged about whether the lack of execution stems from a downward shift in team culture and energy nine months removed from the franchise’s championship appearance.
When speaking with reporters in the locker room, wide receiver Mack Hollins said that players content with New England’s performance are “probably not meant for this team,” while DeMario Douglas called for more energy and support from each unit on the sideline. Vrabel echoed the need for better execution on Monday, specifically addressing Gonzalez’s lackluster performance, explaining that “you can’t take a nap in this league.”
“You just can’t take a play off or think that they’re not going to challenge or throw the ball at you,” he said. “That’s it. You can’t think that you’re going to not draw attention.”
Vrabel, however, views it as a preparation issue, seeing Hollins’ view and his comments about wanting players who want to be with the team as a reminder of the standards required to build the program he envisions.
“Whatever reps we get, we have to make them count,” Vrabel said. ”We have to understand, if it’s a jog through, how we show the details of the play and make sure that we understand that.“
Regardless of the state of the team’s culture, poor execution and a lack of physicality are capping a defense that was slated to build on last season’s performance, ranking No. 4 in scoring defense.
Healthier defense, underperforming results
Statistically, the defense has played better while dealing with injuries compared to finally fielding a healthy starting group.
Over the last three games, New England is giving up an average of 31.3 points per game, an increase from 18.8 through the first six contests.
Squaring off with the Dolphins in Miami, things were trending upward as the divisional foes managed only five first downs in 10 offensive series.
For reference, the game marked the first time the starting cornerback trio of Gonzalez, Carlton Davis and Marcus Jones all played together since Week Three. While Davis is ruled out for Sunday with a knee injury, the defense is still nearly whole.
So far this season, the defense ranks 31st against under-center snaps and 32nd when facing early-down play-action. Their corrections against a Lions offense that frequently operates under center and has plenty of success running one of the highest play-action rates in the league.
Offense hampered by injuries
With so many injuries, the Patriots’ offense hasn’t established a rhythm all season. They simply haven’t had the pieces.
Although A.J. Brown, Rhamondre Stevenson and Reggie Gilliam were limited in practice this week, New England only recently welcomed Mack Hollins back to the lineup. The Patriots also remain without Alijah Vera-Tucker, Romeo Doubs, TreVeyon Henderson and Mike Onwenu (potentially sidelined for the season), each potentially sidelined for the season, while Hunter Henry continues to play banged up.
Even if a select few of those names return against Detroit, the defense needs to elevate its play to help New England get back in the win column consistently by keeping the offense in scoring range.
The Patriots are still 5-4 and in the playoff picture, but with a tough rest-of-season schedule and the Houston Texans sneaking into the playoff bubble, things need to turn around swiftly.
