Signing Milton Williams to a four-year, $104 million deal in free agency, the Patriots envisioned Williams and fellow defensive tackle Christian Barmore dominating the interior of their defensive front.
That vision has come to fruition, as the Patriots have generated the fourth-most pressures in the league from their defensive tackle duo. But New England has also received key contributions behind them from some more unheralded names.
“Our best players have to play good,” head coach Mike Vrabel said. “But I think that the [Cory] Durdens, the Lenny T [Leonard Taylor III]’s, the [Khyiris] Tongas, those guys stepping in have really done a nice job.”
While Tonga was an underrated free-agent signing and is now in the midst of a career season, Durden and Taylor did not join the team until after training camp.
Durden arrived in Foxboro after being cut by the New York Giants on cutdown day in August. He quickly signed on to the Patriots’ practice squad before joining the 53-man roster a week later — and hasn’t looked back.
Playing a career-high 447 snaps (38 percent of the team’s defensive snaps), Durden became a key rotational piece along New England’s front. He carved our a niche as a pass rusher, recording 28 pressures, while his pass-rush win rate was tied with All-Pro Jeffrey Simmons for best among interior defenders.
“I think that he’s just worked hard at it. I think that’s something that he’s focused on, is figuring out what works for him,” Vrabel said. “You get together with the player, [defensive line coach] Clint [McMillan] and everybody else, and kind of figure out a couple moves that may work for them, then you go about practicing those through the week, and then coming up with a plan. So, they’re not trying things that maybe they’re not good at.”
“I don’t want to get past either the run game stuff with him,” defensive play caller Zak Kuhr added. “Because his technique over these last — I was telling him our there practice how his technique in the run game, pass game has just skyrocketed. And truly how we tell the guys we got to get better as the season goes on. He’s truly done that. You look at his pad level, his strike, his hands, how he sheds — all that’s gotten better. I’m proud of him for that.”
Taylor, meanwhile, did not join New England until mid-October after falling out of the New York Jets’ defensive line rotation. Initially signing to the Patriots practice squad, Taylor has since been elevated in five of the team’s last six games while carving out a role up front.
He’s shown flashes as well, ranking top six among qualified interior lineman in both pressure and pass-rush win rate since Week 17.
“Great attitude from day one,” Vrabel said. “Came in and worked hard on those Thursday practices that we talked about and showed up, and then had a conversation and said that as soon as you can learn what to do, where to go and how to run the defense – we’ve decided he was ready, and then he took advantage of his opportunity.
“So, the first was getting recognized in practice, and then was learning what to do kind of midstream there. Maybe took him a week or so to do that where we felt comfortable bringing him up.”
As the Patriots will now take on one of the league’s best offensive lines, they’ll look to continue getting impactful contributions from their full defensive line rotation with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
“We have to continue to get some impact from that group, like we have the last couple weeks,” Vrabel said.
