Mina Kimes explained why the Patriots defense could be ‘unique and special’ in 2023
"You have to be able to make these genius, brilliant, athletic quarterbacks think, and New England can certainly do that."
The Red Sox defeated the Twins 9-3 on Monday, extending the current winning streak to five games in a row.
The two teams play again this evening at 7:40 p.m.
Mina Kimes on the Patriots’ defense: While much of the Patriots discussion in the offseason has revolved around the team’s offense — and the ways in which its disastrous performance in 2022 can be fixed — New England also possesses a talented defense.
The Patriots finished 11th in points allowed last season, and eighth in total yards allowed. Beyond that, advanced stats like weighted DVOA (via Football Outsiders) hold New England in higher regard.
The reasons for optimism on the defensive side of the ball revolve around both scheme and team personnel. The latter was recently discussed by defensive end Matthew Judon, who referenced the presence of “unicorns” on the Patriots’ defense.
“We have unicorns, for real,” Judon told reporters after a recent minicamp practice. “We got a guy like [Kyle] Dugger that can play on the line of scrimmage, at linebacker depth. He can play at corner, but he’s a safety. And we drafted players that can play from nose to middle linebacker.”
Versatility has always been a staple of Bill Belichick’s defensive system, and 2023 will be no different.
Dluring a Monday appearance on ESPN’s “NFL Live,” football analyst and senior writer Mina Kimes dug into why she agrees with Judon’s assertion.
“The versatility and confusion,” Kimes said when asked what she likes about New England’s game-plan and its effect on opposing quarterbacks. Referencing a similar level of versatility in the 49ers offense — and its usage of skill players in various roles — Kimes compared it to the Patriots.
“I would contend that the Patriots defense is almost like the defensive version of that,” Kimes explained. “They play more dime personnel than any team in the NFL last year, meaning three safeties on the field.”
Belichick and New England utilized “dime personnel” — a formation group that includes more defensive backs — in 28 percent of plays called, which led the NFL in 2022 according to ESPN.
“As a result, whether it’s Jabrill Peppers, Adrian Phillips, or my favorite, Kyle Dugger, you don’t know if they’re blitzing, if they’re playing the post, if they’re in the box,” said Kimes. “It’s constant confusion because they are, in fact, unicorns. I would argue that makes them really unique and special, and a very challenging proposition for quarterbacks because of the level of uncertainty that they create.”
In a discussion with fellow analyst Marcus Spears, Kimes concurred that the Patriots’ ability to constantly keep quarterbacks guessing is more important than ever in the era of high-scoring offenses.
“That ability to dictate to offenses, that’s the only way you can beat some of theses mutant quarterbacks in the NFL right now.”
“You can’t just come out with superstars and line up them up and say, ‘We do what we do’ on defense anymore,” Kimes concluded. “You have to be able to make these genius, brilliant, athletic quarterbacks think, and New England can certainly do that.”
Trivia: The Red Sox win on Monday night was the 400th of Alex Cora’s managerial career in Boston. Of Red Sox managers to win at least 400 games, only two have better winning percentages than Cora. Can you name them?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: One was a first-round pick by the Expos in 1980, while the other played for the 1955 World Series champion Brooklyn Dodgers.
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- Shohei Ohtani or Babe Ruth? Jonathan Papelbon would rather watch Angels star.
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- Sweeping the Yankees speaks well of Red Sox future, but what of their present?
- DeAndre Hopkins, Bill Belichick could find ‘room for compromise’ about practice
Mike Yastrzemski walks it off: The grandson of Carl Yastrzemski helped the Giants get an eighth consecutive win with a splashdown home run.
Triston Casas continues to hit: Since batting just .133 with a .576 OPS in April, the Red Sox first baseman has been noticeably better (batting .264 with an .823 OPS from May on).
On this day: In 1975, legendary Brazilian soccer star Pele played in Boston at Nickerson Field in a North American Soccer League matchup between the Cosmos and Minutemen.
Unfortunately, poor organizing meant that there was an overflow crowd, which eventually rushed Pele after it appeared he’d scored a goal (though it was called back for a foul). The result was that the Brazilian was hurriedly removed from the scene having picked up an injury in the process. It dimmed what would’ve been an iconic matchup against Portuguese great Eusubio, who was playing for the Minutemen.
The home team eventually won, 2-1, in overtime.
Daily highlight: Sebastian Korda hit an improbable shot in his match (which he eventually won) against Dan Evans at the Queen’s Club Championships on Monday.
Trivia answer: Terry Francona, Don Zimmer
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