Andrew Buller-Russ
Last year, the New England Patriots were a Cinderella story, rising from the ashes after flipping their record from 4-13 in 2024 to 14-3, capping off the campaign with a Super Bowl appearance. But it still wasn’t good enough.
Drake Maye and coach Josh McDaniels led a dominant offense that ranked second in scoring. Defensively, Mike Vrabel taking over for Jerod Mayo helped result in a unit that allowed the fourth-fewest points in football. But again, it wasn’t good enough. While the Patriots have made personnel changes, including signing Dre’Mont Jones to a $36.5 million contract, that’s not the area one analyst is worried about heading into a new year with a fresh start.
Patriots’ Defensive Takeaways Could Be Key in 2026
While much of the Patriots’ defense returns from last season, there have been changes. Most would argue that the defensive stability is a good thing. Others believe more of the same could be a big problem.
One “worst-case scenario” that Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport recently laid out was a possibility of the Patriots’ defense not forcing enough takeaways. Davenport believes a lack of defensive playmakers could even be the team’s biggest defensive crutch.
“New England managed just 35 sacks in 2025, and the pass-rush isn’t visibly better this year than last. The secondary is a deep and talented group on paper, but multiple members of that defensive backfield have injury histories. The Patriots also had just 19 takeaways last season, and that lack of big-play punch could come back to haunt the team.”
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport on the Patriots
If all goes well, the Patriots can avoid their nightmare scenario from playing out in 2026. The upside is certainly there to learn from the valuable experience gained in 2025. Yet, making too much of an adjustment, like if the Patriots overly stress turnovers, it’s possible they’ll make other mistakes that could lead to bigger plays for the opponent. In other words, it’s not as simple as hauling in a few more interceptions or forcing a few more fumbles, because those too can come with risks.
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