Patriots All-Pro Safety Looking to Maintain Elite Pass Defense

T

he New England Patriots’ defense took a hit with the loss of J.C. Jackson, but their pass defense still has a lot of potential.

While a lot of pressure will be put on Malcolm Butler and Jonathan Jones in the secondary, New England has one of the better pass-defending safeties in the NFL today. If this player is able to play as he did the last two seasons, the Patriots’ secondary will be tough to beat.

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Adrian Phillips has been great ever since joining New England. In 33 games, he has six interceptions along with 13 passes defended. Phillips’ defending in the air these past two years has put him in a league of his own among safeties.

Phillips was tied with safety Kyle Dugger for second in the team in interceptions in 2021 with four picks. He was also tied for second in total tackles with his fellow safety last season with 92 total tackles.

When you consider the talent in the NFL, it’s impressive to see that Phillips is the only safety to reach this feat. It’s a testament to his consistency and Phillips’ ability to maintain a high level of performance.

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Stopping The Run

While Phillips is clearly great at defending against the pass. He is also quite good at defending the run. In the last two seasons, Phillips has had 201 total tackles as well as a sack.

While standing at five-foot 11-inches and 210 pounds, Phillips is capable of delivering big hits and stopping running backs in their tracks. He really is a multi-faceted player who has helped New England’s defense out a ton. In the last two seasons, he has been one of the best defensive players for New England.

This is an area of the game that the Patriots will also need Phillips’ help in. With the departure of Kyle Van Noy along with Dont’a Hightower remaining to be unsigned, the front seven will look a little different.

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A 3-Headed Monster

Phillips will be a part of a group of safeties who will have the potential to do some great things. Along with Phillips, New England also has Devin McCourty, Jabrill Peppers, and Dugger on the roster.

Compared to Phillips, Dugger is much larger standing at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds. With so many safeties on the roster, Dugger could get more playing time closer to the line of scrimmage.

This could also allow for a safety such as the veteran McCourty to get more rest than he has in prior seasons. Entering his 13th season in the NFL, McCourty is coming off a 2021 season where he had over 1,000 snaps.

Bill Belichick will have plenty of options in terms of how he can deploy his secondary and confuse opposing quarterbacks. Phillips will definitley be a part of the head coach’s plans in 2022.

So Patriots fans should continue to expect a lot from Phillips. At 30 years old, he still has plenty of football left in the tank. Especially when you consider his performances in recent seasons for the team.

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