Tag: Keion White

Patriots DE Keion White heavily fined over the weekend for this play

This is the play that led to Keion White’s hefty NFL fine

New England Patriots defensive end Keion White was fined $22,511 over the weekend for an unnecessary roughness penalty he drew in the Week 9 game against the Tennessee Titans.

This is the third time this season that White has been fined for his play.

After shedding a blocker, White initiated a horse-collar tackle to bring down Titans running back Tony Pollard on the play. The penalties are costly for both the team and White’s bank account. It’s a thin line to walk for a defender who needs to be aggressive, but he also needs to avoid the sorts of flags that could be game-changing.

The Georgia Tech product has been having a solid season to this point, recording 42 tackles, four pass deflections, two forced fumbles and five sacks on the year.

One easy example of when the aggressiveness played out in White’s favor is Sunday’s dominant win over the Chicago Bears. The defensive front sacked Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams nine times in a 19-3 victory.

White finished with four tackles, one sack and one pass deflection.

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DE Keion White believes young Patriots defense finally figuring it out

Keion White believes the rebuilding Patriots are on the right path

New England Patriots defensive end Keion White was pleased with the team’s defensive performance in Sunday’s 19-3 win over the Chicago Bears.

The defensive unit consistently got after Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, tallying nine sacks and 13 quarterback hits on the day.

It was another big day for White as well. He recorded four tackles and a sack on the afternoon, making it his fifth game in a row with at least four tackles. After the game, White discussed the play of the defensive line as a whole and indicated that the unit is growing every week.

“I’ve been saying it all year that we are a young defense forced into a lot of starting positions,” said White. “What you guys are seeing is us figuring it out, and I feel like we are becoming a more cohesive unit week to week. I think the trajectory is on the right path and going upward.”

White has become an integral part of the Patriots’ defense.

His emergence will be crucial as the unit continues to grow and mature in the second-half of the season.

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Patriots star defender issues strong statement after dominant performance

The defensive confidence is growing for Keion White

Good luck trying to block Keion White in a one-on-one situation.

In fact, the New England Patriots standout defender doesn’t believe there’s a single offensive guard in the NFL capable of blocking him one-on-one.

It’s hard to argue with that point after seeing him and the rest of the Patriots’ defensive front run roughshod over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. White finished the game with four tackles, one pass deflection, one sack, two tackles for a loss and two quarterback hits.

“I don’t think there’s a guard in the league who can block me 1-on-1,” White said, via Patriots.com’s Evan Lazar.

It’s good to see White speak with such confidence after the Patriots’ 19-3 victory over the Bears. The defensive unit came away with nine sacks and 13 quarterback hits on Caleb Williams in Sunday’s matchup.

There used to be a swagger to New England’s defense, but that was lost due to the recent struggles the team has dealt with this season with players exiting due to injuries, being traded or other circumstances.

White has perennial Pro Bowl talent as a defensive player. The Patriots are hopeful he realizes that potential sooner rather than later to help get the team back on track.

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3 players with Patriots ties make Bill Belichick’s Midseason All-Star Team

The Patriots are well-represented on Bill Belichick’s Midseason All-Star Team

Former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick named three of his former NFL draft picks to his Midseason All-Star Team.

Defensive end Keion White, cornerback Christian Gonzalez, and former Patriots kicker Chad Ryland, who is now with the Arizona Cardinals, were all named to the team.

White has recorded four sacks and 38 combined tackles on the season, while Gonzalez has established himself as one of the best corners in all of football. The former University of Oregon standout is having another solid year, tallying 40 combined tackles and an interception in nine games played.

Meanwhile, Ryland has made a major impact on the Cardinals. The 2023 fourth-round draft pick has made 10-of-11 field goals and all nine of his extra points. He was most recently named the Special Teams Player of the Month for October.

White and Gonzalez are becoming defensive cornerstones for the organization, and Ryland is finding tremendous success after a change of scenery.

It just goes to show Belichick’s imprint on the game is still very much alive, even when he’s away from coaching.

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Patriots’ X-factor player for Week 9 matchup with Titans

Who is the X-factor player for the Patriots in Week 9?

The New England Patriots will take on the Tennessee Titans in a matchup that should favor the Titans on paper. But it could also be considered an even playing field with two first-year head coaches at the helm of both teams.

It has been a bumpy road for both coaches, but both teams have shown promise at certain points. A win on Sunday for either team would go a long way toward building some regular season momentum.

The Patriots will have an X-factor that can single-handedly turn the tide and generate a win for the team. This week’s X-factor player for New England is none other than Keion White.

White showed promise the first few weeks of the season, but he has since been reeled in by the coaching staff and other teams scheming him up. White has always been a high-upside player with incredible raw traits, but his technique has needed polishing.

This week, if Titans quarterback Will Levis is good to go, the Patriots will need to keep him flustered by generating a natural pass-rushing presence, which is something Levis struggles against.

White needs to get back to playing like he did earlier in the year, when he was considered a breakout player around the league. He is a game-changing wrecking ball that could break the game wide-open with a few sacks.

Even if he gets 1.5 sacks and generates multiple pressures, his presence alone should give a bad Titans offensive line plenty of fits. That alone could spell disaster for the Titans’ passing offense and ultimately help get the Patriots a win.

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Patriots DE Keion White’s subtle nod to Bill Belichick is brilliant

Keion White gives a subtle nod to Bill Belichick

New England Patriots defensive end Keion White paid respect to Bill Belichick in the locker room on Thursday, after the former coach named him Inside the NFL’s “Football Guy of the Week” in Week 1.

Belichick chose White as an impact player for his incredible performance against the Cincinnati Bengals, when he recorded four tackles and 2.5 sacks. That performance was good enough to lead the Patriots to their only win so far this season.

The run of dominance has continued for White, who has 10 tackles and four sacks on the year. He has quickly emerged as one of the key defensive playmakers for New England.

Belichick drafted White in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft, and on Thursday, the young defensive standout paid his respect by wearing a hoodie with Belichick’s initials on it.

White was one of Belichick’s final draft picks in his Patriots tenure. So far, the pick has paid huge dividends for the team.

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Patriots DE Keion White ranked top-10 in three PFF categories

Keion White is on another level

New England Patriots defensive end Keion White is making an impact among edge defenders this year, and he has the numbers to back it up.

Per Pro Football Focus, he has a 91.0 pass rush grade, which is tied for third amongst all edge rushers in the NFL. He has four sacks through the first three games of the season, which is tied for second, and his 21.7 percent win rate is ranked seventh in the league.

White has done a tremendous job of filling in the pass-rushing void left by former Patriots’ defender Matthew Judon, who was traded to the Atlanta Falcons back in August. Along with being a sack monster, White has at least five tackles in his last two games, including a six-tackle effort against the New York Jets last Thursday.

Since the start of organized team activities, White has been praised as a potential breakout candidate for the Patriots. Now, that breakout is on full display for the NFL world to witness this season.

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Bill Belichick picks standout Patriots defender as ‘Football Guy’ of the week

Bill Belichick picks his former draft pick as the “Football Guy” of the week

Former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick chose Patriots defensive standout Keion White, who was nominated by Chris Long, as Inside the NFL’s “Football Guy” of Week 1.

Belichick selected White out of Georgia Tech in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft. White was tabbed as a potential 2024 breakout player throughout the offseason, and so far, he’s made good on those assumptions with a game-wrecking performance in the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.

He finished the game with four tackles and 2.5 sacks to knock off the Joe Burrow-led Bengals team on their home field at Paycor Stadium.

“I’ve got to give it to Keion White,” said Belichick. “That kid, first of all, I love Keion White. He can play outside. He can play inside. He’s tough, strong, can really play the run, play the pass. He just needs a little bit more experience and technique.”

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White lined up both outside and inside against the Bengals’ offensive front. One would think the Patriots will employ a similar strategy in Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks.

A 2.5-sack performance signals a monster season for the second-year defender.

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Keion White says Patriots would ‘run through brick wall’ for Jerod Mayo

It’s safe to say the Patriots’ locker room has bought in to Jerod Mayo’s message

The New England Patriots defeated the Cincinnati Bengals by a 16-10 score in Week 1. The early returns were strong for New England, especially on the defensive side of the football.

One of the players who had a stellar game in particular was defensive end Keion White.

The second-year player had 2.5 sacks, three quarterback hits, two tackles for a loss and four total tackles. White has often been viewed as the potential replacement for Matthew Judon, and he showed that versatile ability in the opener.

After the game, White was quick to credit his coach, Jerod Mayo, for the team securing their first win of the season.

“As a guy who’s been there, who’s won the championships at every level, you kind of just respect that. He wouldn’t have you do anything he hasn’t done or wouldn’t do himself. He’s really like a player’s coach, he’s relatable,” said White. “He communicates to all of them. …You want to run through a brick wall for him.”

White is undoubtedly going to be a defensive anchor for New England in the future. His performance against the Bengals was a testament to that.

With that being said, it’s clear that Mayo’s message has resonated with his players. Now, we’ll see if the Patriots can do it again against a talented Seattle Seahawks team in Week 2.

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Matt Judon’s three-word reaction to Keion White’s breakout performance

Matthew Judon comments on Keion White’s breakout performance

Former New England Patriots linebacker Matt Judon had a three-word reaction to Keion White’s breakout performance in the Patriots’ Week 1 upset win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

“3 of em,” Judon posted on Instagram, referring to White’s sack total in the game.

White finished the game with four tackles and 2.5 sacks against a Bengals offense led by a returning Joe Burrow. The second-year defensive end wreaked havoc along the offensive front and played game-wrecker in place of Judon, who was traded to the Atlanta Falcons in August.

There was hope that White could help fill the pass-rushing void left by Judon. So far, so good for the second-round draft pick out of Georgia Tech.

“Passed the torch,” White responded to Judon.

The Patriots got creative by moving White around to multiple spots along the defensive front. It’s impressive that a player with such limited NFL experience was able to seamlessly move between positions like White did in Sunday’s opener.

Judon would make any team instantly better. He’s a four-time Pro Bowler who deserves the respect as such. With that said, White showed he is ready to step beyond the shadows and carry the torch to the moon.

Opposing offenses should be wary.