Patriots, amid injuries and offensive struggles, are finding an identity on defense

TheTools · 21.09.2026 10:29 · source · permalink

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- With the game already in hand and New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye going through the motions of a kneeldown, a mere formality before a 20-3 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers was sealed, coach Mike Vrabel got a jump-start on the hugs and handshakes he became so well known for a year ago. He walked the home sideline at Gillette Stadium, giddy about a much-needed win, celebrating with his team.

It didn't matter that, through two games, the Patriots have lacked the offensive prowess that was supposed to carry them this season. And it didn't matter that their list of injured players now included five starters.

That's because the Patriots won the kind of old-school street fight of a game that Vrabel surely appreciates. A longtime player under Bill Belichick, Vrabel enjoyed the way his defense harassed a future Hall of Fame quarterback in Aaron Rodgers and the way his offense ground through rainy weather to put up enough points.

"You're not going to ruin my Sunday," Vrabel said after the win when asked about the offense's struggles through the first two weeks.

And that's probably the attitude this team needs to have given what's on the horizon -- and what the active roster might look like.

A.J. Brown's injury in Week 1 has put a governor on this offense as Maye continues to knock off rust. Right guard Mike Onwenu suffered what is feared to be a season-ending ankle injury. Exciting rookie tight end Eli Raridon left the game with a thigh injury. Top edge rusher Dre'Mont Jones suffered a shoulder injury that could limit him going forward. Same for safety Craig Woodson.

Plus, two tough matchups loom with back-to-back trips to Jacksonville and Buffalo on the schedule.

That's why the Patriots may not be done playing in this kind of ugly, low-scoring game. And that's why it's a good thing that they know how to win them. At least until Brown returns or Maye finds his footing, this will likely have to be their identity, a tough-nosed football team willing to win with defense.

"Definitely not where we want to be," Maye said. "Our defense is playing great, and shout out to them. It's fun watching them play. We have got to match it and have some more urgency, and it starts in practice."

Of course, you can't be a win-ugly football team unless you have a good defense. And there has been no greater source of optimism through two weeks than the Patriots defense.

It was fair to have all sorts of questions about this group entering the season. Defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr is in his first full season in the job. The secondary lacks depth. Same for the linebackers. And the group of pass rushers is a bunch of relative nobodies at a premium position.

"You look over there, and they got T.J. Watt and (Alex) Highsmith and (Nick) Herbig, and we've got (Elijah) Ponder and (Gabe) Jacas and Quintayvious (Hutchins)," Vrabel said.

Yet for the second straight week, the defense was dominant. Kuhr's unit sacked Rodgers four times and intercepted him once. It forced two fumbles, one that Ponder scooped up and returned for a score. It limited the Steelers to 2-of-12 on third downs. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez erased Steelers receiver DK Metcalf from the game.

Put more succinctly, the Patriots defense outscored the Steelers offense.

"That has to be the formula," Vrabel said of the pressure New England put on Rodgers. "You know what I mean? You have to affect the quarterback each and every week. And we have to do a better job … of helping our quarterback be efficient, and he has a large part in that. But we know that that's the formula. I'm proud of our defense, proud of everybody. You know, a lot of guys stepped up. We had a lot of injuries, and we played a lot of guys -- some of these guys have been here for around two weeks."

All of which should buy some time for a Patriots offense that hasn't looked like we thought it would. The win lowers the temperature a bit. But questions are already mounting about when Maye will look like the quarterback from a year ago. After his last five games, Sunday was a step in the right direction, but it didn't provide the gaudy numbers that will silence his critics or ease fans' doubts. His footwork still looks shaky, and there have been more underthrows than you'd hope to see, including one Sunday that was intercepted.

But the way the defense is playing and the way the run game took a positive step forward, New England will have a bit more time to figure out the passing game as the offense awaits Brown's return.

That's because while it's fair to say that Maye made progress Sunday, he's capable of so much more. And he'll need to be better in the coming weeks.

"We want to execute and be successful on offense and still know that that was not our best football," Maye said. "So, you've got to see it both ways. You've got to be excited and enjoy the win, but at the same time, you realize that playing like this is not going to end up with (the offense) leading our team to wins."

So the Patriots march on with an important win, thanks in large part to the defense, some improvements in the running game and the belief that better football is on the horizon.

There will be plenty of time to talk about Maye, areas where the offense needs to improve and the team's lengthy injury report. But for now, the Patriots have found an identity as a tough football team with a dominant defense. And that was good enough on Sunday.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Patriots, amid injuries and offensive struggles, are finding an identity on defense

Related Content