Patriots Veteran Randomly Drug Tested After Huge Game vs. Falcons

Getty Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy was drug tested following his game versus the Falcons.

Following his best performance of the season, New England Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy was selected — for drug testing.

The 30-year-old veteran took to Twitter on Friday, November 19 to tweet about the NFL randomly drug testing him just a day after his performance in a 25-0 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

“Yoooo y’all won’t believe this…… I make a couple plays last night and guess what happens??? The NFL is drug testing me today you can’t make this up!”

Van Noy posted a season-high eight tackles and two sacks to go along with an interception that was returned for a touchdown in the win over the Falcons.

While the timing of the drug testing is sure to raise a few eyebrows, it’s purely random. The NFL’s drug-testing rules use a computer program that randomly selects 10 players from each team’s active roster, practice squad and reserve list each week.

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Judon on Why Pats Defense Excels

Speaking of the Patriots’ defense, they’ve now allowed zero points over their past six quarters of play, extending back to their Week 10 drubbing of the Cleveland Browns in a 45-10 win.

The Patriots rank second in the NFL in points allowed, allowing just 16.1 points per game. To top things off, they’re also third in the NFL in turnovers forced (21).

After a dominant defensive effort in which they held former NFL MVP Matt Ryan to one of his worst games in recent memory — 19-of-28 for 153 passing yards (4.7 yards per attempt), zero touchdowns and two interceptions — linebacker Matthew Judon outlined why the Patriots are so good on defense.

“We kinda wanna be a-holes on the field but good guys off the field,” Judon said following the game. “Make sure we don’t get penalized. We play within the rules but we’re a nasty group. That’s how we gotta play in order for our team to win.”

Judon Could Threaten Pats Single-Season Record

Judon has arguably been the driving force behind the Patriots’ stout defensive effort. His 10.5 sacks rank third in the NFL and is on pace to challenge the single-season franchise record of 18.5 sacks set by Andre Tippett in 1984.

The veteran linebacker racked up another sack on Thursday as the Patriots sacked Ryan four times. Per Pro Football Focus (via Evan Lazar of CLNS Media), New England pressured Ryan on 59.4% of his drop-backs.

“Over the last four games, the Patriots defense has pressured opposing quarterbacks on 48.5% of their drop-backs. Matt Ryan was under pressure on 19-of-32 (59.4%) of his drop-backs last night, per PFF,” says Lazar.

“My teammates put me in position. They were pushing the pocket and making it hard for the quarterback to step up and making it easy for me to run the edge,” Judon continued. “They just put me in a really good position to make those plays. When my number is called I have to go out there and make it, just like J.C. [Jackson] and Mac [Jones]. When their number is called they go there and do it. I am just one of the 11 of the defense.”