Two weeks removed from their lowest point in 20 years as a franchise, the New England Patriots (4-5) pulled off their best win of the season, 23-17 over the Baltimore Ravens (6-3) in a raging rain storm.
With the Houston Texans (2-7) up next, Bill Belichick’s bunch has a good shot at pulling even to a .500 record, and their renewed sense of hope came via a win over the team that sent them into a downward spiral last season.
It’s fair to wonder if Belichick had been scheming versus Lamar Jackson, the reigning NFL MVP, for this past offseason, when he signed Adrian Phillips and drafted Kyle Dugger. Both safeties played a hand in limiting the Ravens’ rushing attack on Sunday, as did some others (Chase Winovich, Carl Davis, etc.).
New England used a heavy mix of defensive-back heavy personnel on Sunday, but their formations were different than that of the Los Angeles Chargers’ when the handed Jackson their first playoff loss — and where Adrian Phillips was heavily utilized in the Chargers’ game plan.
We break down New England’s unique looks and defensive tendencies from Sunday below in our defensive film review.