Two games into the season, the New England Patriots own the NFL’s No. 1 scoring defense.
That alone would be enough to get defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr some attention. But zoom out beyond the first two weeks of 2026, and what New England’s defense has been doing becomes considerably harder to dismiss as a small-sample start.
The Patriots have quietly been building toward this for months.
According to the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan, New England ranks fourth in the NFL in scoring defense since Week 11 of last season. Over that same stretch, the Patriots rank second in unblocked pressure rate, third in blitz rate and first in total unblocked pressures.
The only DC also ranked top-5 by those metrics? Brian Flores. Read: t.co/qtA83hcPlz
There is only one other defensive coordinator whose unit ranks inside the top five in all four categories: Brian Flores.
For Kuhr, who doesn’t carry anything close to Flores’ national profile, that’s some impressive company.
More importantly for the Patriots, the numbers point to something that has become increasingly obvious on Sundays. This defense isn’t simply surviving on talent. It is consistently creating problems before opposing quarterbacks ever have a chance to solve them.
Zak Kuhr Has Patriots Defense Attacking From Everywhere
Pressure numbers can tell very different stories.
A defense loaded with dominant pass rushers can win individual matchups and pile up sacks without necessarily creating much schematically. That’s not what stands out about New England.
The Patriots ranking first in unblocked pressures since Week 11 is particularly telling. Kuhr has repeatedly found ways to manufacture free rushers, stress protection rules and force quarterbacks to make decisions before they want to.
New England’s third-ranked blitz rate fits directly into that picture.
Kuhr is willing to bring pressure, but the results suggest this isn’t simply a coordinator sending extra bodies and hoping somebody gets home. The Patriots are creating confusion. And they’re doing it often enough that opposing offenses haven’t consistently found an answer.
The scoring numbers are the payoff.
New England has allowed fewer points than any team through the first two games of 2026 after finishing fourth in scoring defense over the larger sample dating back to last season.
That distinction matters. Two dominant defensive performances can happen. Maintaining top-five production across several different categories for a stretch that extends into the previous season is much more difficult to wave away.
And Kuhr’s company makes the run even more notable.
Brian Flores Comparison Puts Patriots’ Run in Perspective
Patriots fans certainly don’t need an introduction to Flores.
The former New England assistant spent more than a decade in the organization before becoming head coach of the Miami Dolphins. He has since reestablished himself as one of football’s most respected defensive minds, building a Minnesota Vikings defense known for its aggressive pressure packages and ability to make life miserable for quarterbacks.
Kuhr finding himself alongside Flores in this particular statistical group doesn’t mean the two defenses are identical, nor does a handful of rankings suddenly put Kuhr’s résumé alongside Flores’.
It does provide some useful context for just how effective New England has been.
The Patriots have invested heavily in their defense, and Kuhr has talent at his disposal. Christian Gonzalez gives New England one of the league’s premier cornerbacks. The front has players capable of winning individual matchups. There are pieces throughout the unit that should allow the Patriots to play aggressive football.
The coordinator still has to put those pieces in position to succeed.
So far, Kuhr is doing exactly that.
There will be much tougher tests ahead, and two weeks of the new season won’t determine where this defense ultimately finishes. But the larger body of work is becoming difficult to ignore.
Since Week 11, New England has been one of the NFL’s stingiest defenses while simultaneously ranking among its most aggressive and effective pressure units.
At some point, that stops looking like a hot streak.
It starts looking like an identity.
Patriots’ Zak Kuhr Is Putting Up Numbers That Are Getting Hard to Ignore