The Patriots have some defensive studs, but what else would we expect from a Mike Vrabel-led team?

The following statements may not come as a surprise, but the New England Patriots don’t consult us for advice. That has never stopped us from offering our opinion while watching from a distance. There have been times during the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick era when we’ve attended a Baltimore Ravens game and wondered what it would take for the guys in purple and black to create the same championship formula.

Time passed, and Brady and Belichick left. That seemed like the time for the Ravens to make a run. Enter the Kansas City Chiefs and their dynasty. That led to some delay. Now, Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and company have fallen on hard times.

Surely, the Ravens can place a chokehold on the AFC now, right? What’s that? Did you say the Patriots are good again? Don’t look now, but a game we thought would be an easy late-season win months ago now looks like it may be one of Baltimore’s toughest matchups of the campaign.

Those doggone Patriots won’t go away. They’re now led by a former Brady teammate and a Belichick disciple, Mike Vrabel, and wouldn’t you know it? They have some stars on offense, but they also have some studs on the defensive side of the ball.

Here are five Patriots defenders to watch while the Ravens are operating on offense.

First, let’s discuss injuries. After paying Milton Williams and making him the highest-paid free-agent acquisition in franchise history, bad luck came. During a Week 11 game vs. the AFC North-rival New York Jets, he left the game with an ankle injury. Four days later, he was placed on the team’s injured reserve.

On the Wednesday leading up to the game, interior defender Christian Barmore was listed as a limited participant, but that apparently had nothing to do with injury. Calrton Davis III (hip), Christian Elliss (illness), Marcus Jones (knee), Harold Landry III (knee), and Robert Spillane (ankle) also sat out.

The six players mentioned have combined for 363 tackles, including 25 for lost yardage. They have also collectively added 10.5 sacks, five interceptions, a pick-six (Jones), 28 pass breakups, and three forced fumbles.

That is a lot of production to replace, so we’ll see who plays and who doesn’t. Any of these guys can play the role of X-factors, but let’s discuss some of the guys who are expected to be on the field and healthy.

Craig Woodson & Jaylinn Hawkins, safeties

Craig Woodson is a rookie fourth-round draftee who earned First-Team ALL-ACC honors in 2024. He ranks third among his teammates in total tackles (70) and fifth in solo stops (36). He has also collected three pass breakups and a fumble recovery.

Jaylinn Hawkins has played 12 games but has produced 62 tackles, 1.5 sacks, three TFLs, two interceptions, four pass breakups, and a fumble recovery. He literally does it all for this defense.

Jack Gibbens, linebacker

Fourteen games in, Jack Gibbens has played 351 defensive snaps and another 262 on special teams. Those numbers represent 42% and 73% of the team’s total snaps, respectively. He has played well, collecting 61 tackles, six TFLs, a sack, and two pass breakups. He has produced the second-highest number of tackles from the team’s linebacker corps.

Christian Gonzalez, cornerback

On July 28, Gonzalez suffered a hamstring injury during the second week of training camp. He missed the first three games of the regular season but has rounded into form and appears to be in good shape physically.

His job is to help keep the Ravens’ receivers in check. No interceptions on the tally for him yet, but he’s a solid defender. He currently has nine pass breakups and 54 tackles on his ledger.

K’Lavon Chaisson, EDGE

Here’s a sack artist the Ravens would love to keep away from Lamar Jackson. That’s no easy feat for the game’s best offensive tackles, as K’Lavon Chaisson has already celebrated 22 tackles, including eight TFLs, to go along with his 6.5 sacks.

He is also responsible for a pass breakup. He has forced a fumble, and his fumble recovery resulted in a scoop-and-score in Week 7 vs. the Tennessee Titans.