Mac Jones is seeing just how dominant the New England Patriots’ defense can be firsthand. The unit itself is projected to be one of the best in the NFL this season.
And Jones can attest to that.
The unit was stellar last season. It ranked third in yards per play and had a knack for takeaways. The 30 takeaways ranked second in the entire league. The Patriots are returning several of the same names on the defensive side of football, with the recently retired Devin McCourty being the only player lost.
The addition of Christian Gonzalez in the draft, along with Keion White, among others, should help strengthen the unit. It also should make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks.
Jones recently spoke on the difficulties of facing the unit throughout the spring practices.
“They throw the kitchen sink at you,” said Jones, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “[Playcaller] Steve [Belichick] is in there all night drawing something up that looks like something you’ve seen, but it’s something else.”
If anything, this news bodes well for a Patriots team that has the second-hardest schedule in the NFL for 2023. We can only hope that iron sharpens iron, and it all ultimately works out in favor of both the offense and defense.
