The New England Patriots defense might be banged up, but it isn’t broken.
They proved that to be the case in Sunday’s shocking upset victory over the Buffalo Bills. The Patriots’ defensive unit went toe-to-toe with quarterback Josh Allen and held one of the league’s more explosive offenses in check.
Even without key playmakers, such as linebacker Josh Uche and defensive end Keion White, the team still generated enough pressure on Allen to make him uncomfortable throughout the game.
On the backend of the defense, the cornerbacks didn’t trip over themselves when tasked with the responsibility of keeping All-Pro wide receiver Stefon Diggs from breaking the game wide open.
The J.C. Jackson trade is looking like a masterstroke move by coach Bill Belichick, while the returns of both Jonathan Jones and Jack Jones has made the unit formidable again.
Things won’t get any easier down the stretch, and we’ll see if the team can keep the momentum going. Here’s the top-10 Patriots defenders from Week 7, per Pro Football Focus grades:
LB Mack Wilson Sr.
Grade: 57.6
WR/ST Matthew Slater
Grade: 60.0
DB/ST Brenden Schooler
Grade: 60.0
LB Jahlani Tavai
Grade: 60.0
CB J.C. Jackson
Grade: 60.1
DL Trysten Hill
Grade: 60.2
CB Jonathan Jones
Grade: 61.5
S Jabrill Peppers
Grade: 72.3
DL Christian Barmore
Grade: 76.5
DL Davon Godchaux
Grade: 77.9
