The New England Patriots finished the 2025 season with one of the NFL’s better defenses by several traditional measures.
A new ranking points to an area that still leaves room for concern.
NFL analytics expert Warren Sharp ranked New England 19th among defenses at forcing opponents into third downs.
1. Broncos 2. Chiefs 3. Seahawks 4. Texans 5. Browns 6. Vikings 7. Raiders 8. Ravens 9. Rams 10. Steelers 11. Packers 12. Eagles 13. Jaguars 14. Bills 15. Panthers 16. Falcons 17. Chargers 18. Saints 19. Patriots 20. Lions 21.
The Broncos ranked first, the Seahawks third and the Rams ninth. New England was the only conference finalist outside the top 10.
That distinction matters because the Patriots were already effective once third down actually arrived.
Opponents converted 77 of 200 third-down attempts during the regular season, a 38.5% rate that ranked 12th in the NFL, according to FOX Sports. New England then allowed an even lower 29.3% conversion rate during the playoffs.
The concern is what happened before those snaps.
Patriots’ Third-Down Numbers Hide an Early-Down Problem
GettySANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 04: Head coach Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots addresses the media prior to Super Bowl LX at the Santa Clara Marriott on February 04, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
New England allowed 320 points during the regular season, fourth fewest in the NFL, while surrendering 5,019 total yards, per Pro Football Reference and the Patriots’ official statistics.
The defense found ways to limit damage even when opponents moved the ball.
Sharp’s ranking offers a different view of how those drives developed.
If offenses are frequently picking up first downs on first or second down, a defense loses opportunities to use its best third-down pressure packages and coverage calls.
That issue showed up at points during the season.
Patriots.com reported in November that New England ranked 25th in EPA per play against early-down passes.
At the time, the defense ranked fifth on third down, creating a sizable gap between how it handled the beginning of a series and how it performed when it reached the money down.
The same report noted that New England’s perimeter cornerbacks gave opposing receivers an average cushion of 6 yards on early downs, which ranked 16th. That structure created room for offenses to take shorter completions and stay ahead of the sticks.
The third-down results finished solidly, but Sharp’s ranking suggests the early-down concern never completely disappeared.
It also connects to another area New England has discussed throughout the offseason.
The Patriots finished with 35 sacks, tied for 22nd in the league, while ESPN ranked their pass-rush win rate 19th at 35%.
Harold Landry III led the team with 8.5 sacks, but the defense often needed pressure packages and coverage to create disruption rather than winning quickly with four rushers.
That formula worked particularly well in January.
New England increased its Cover 0 usage from 3.9% during the regular season to 11.5% over its first two playoff games. Those pressure looks are easier to unleash when the defense first forces an offense into an obvious passing situation.
Patriots Need More Disruption Before Third Down
GettyFOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – SEPTEMBER 07: Milton Williams #97 of the New England Patriots celebrates after a sack with teammate Christian Barmore #90 during the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium on September 07, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
The avenue to improving the ranking starts with creating more negative plays before third down.
Milton Williams gives New England one of its best interior disruptors when healthy. He finished with 3.5 sacks in 12 regular-season games before adding three more during the playoffs.
Christian Barmore remains another player capable of collapsing the pocket from the middle, while Landry gives the defense an experienced edge presence.
The secondary can help, too.
Christian Gonzalez gives New England the ability to challenge receivers outside, which can create more opportunities to squeeze underneath throws and force quarterbacks to hold the ball.
Those pieces already helped the Patriots finish fourth in scoring and carried them through three playoff wins.
Sharp’s ranking shows where the next development can come from.
New England Patriots Land Surprisingly Low in Key Defensive Category