The Patriots also had some good reps in what appear to be match quarters or cover-7 variations, which play out like man coverages downfield. Above, the Pats are bracketing the receiver at the top of the screen and No. 2 (right slot) to the bottom, with Gonzo carrying Hill on the vertical. Huntley’s first read is to the juke route by No. 2, but S Jaylinn Hawkins closes it off. Then, the pressure starts to disrupt Huntley, while S Marte Mapu correctly becomes a free defender when No. 1 at the top of the screen breaks out into CB Marco Wilson’s coverage. Mapu gets back on the post to help Gonzalez, Huntley holds the ball, and it’s a sack.

Although comparing him to two All-Pro corners is unfair, Gonzalez gives the Patriots their version of 2018-19 Stephon Gilmore or Broncos star CB Patrick Surtain. The Pats hit similar coverage notes with Gilmore locking up his man on an island, allowing for cover zero blitzes and post-safety alignments. Denver is also building their defense similarly around Surtain, ranking second with a man coverage rate of 46% and third in cover zero usage (9.5%).

Every defense mixes it up from time to time to keep passing offenses guessing, a must in this league with so many great quarterbacks, receivers, and schemes. However, the film and statistics back up that the Patriots are locking offenses down in man coverage. We’ll see if the coaching staff continues to lean into a more aggressive man coverage defense.

Quick-Hit Film Notes From Patriots-Dolphins After Further Review

– The Patriots pass protection was better in this game than the last few weeks. Some of that is that the Dolphins front doesn’t have the same talent level as the Jets and Niners. Still, there were fewer physical losses this week, and the run-blocking had great flashes. A few times, the protection slides and picking up schemed pressures were issues. Still, credit where credit is due: the 43.2% pressure rate was the lowest of the season.

– OT Vederian Lowe is the Patriots best option at left tackle. Lowe had a clean sheet with 14 one-on-one reps against Dolphins rookie Chop Robinson and nine vs. Tyus Bowser. Lowe has good initial movement in his pass sets and long arms to keep pass-rushers at his fingertips. If he remains consistent with his technique, he can be a serviceable tackle in these types of matchups.

– C Nick Leverett took the brunt of the blame for the QB pressures, allowing 10 pressures with a sack, four QB hits, and five hurries. He could’ve gotten more help from his guards in certain instances where they were late to help out when uncovered. As expected, replacing David Andrews is not going to be easy for this offense.

– G Mike Onwenu allowed four total pressures (two hits, two hurries) in his first game back at right guard. Onwenu’s eyes were caught in the wrong place a few times, and it’s an adjustment to go from playing on an island at tackle to the quick-strike nature of guard play. Onwenu will settle in, but you would’ve liked to see him be better on Polk’s reversed TD.

– Receivers Ja’Lynn Polk and DeMario Douglas each had their opportunities. Douglas was a problem working inside against split-safety coverages, and Polk was winning on third down/red zone routes but had some bad luck. Eventually, the passing offense as a whole needs to produce, but I still see these two getting open often enough on film.

– WR Kendrick Bourne played 16 snaps in his debut. Besides the screen target, he wasn’t very involved in Brissett’s initial reads. Mostly, it seemed like this was about getting his feet wet.

– RBs Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson each had their moments, adding 85 yards after contact with a combined four forced missed tackles. Stevenson mainly got his yards on gap schemes with G-Lead, power, and counter producing his longer runs. Gibson got the outside zone carries and did well with those. It’s a good tandem. Feed them.

– QB Pressures: Leverett (sack, four hits, five hurries), Onwenu (two hits, two hurries), Jacobs (two hurries), Jordan (hurry), Henry (hurry), Gibson (hurry), Lowe (clean sheet).

– CB Christian Gonzalez lined up over Dolphins star WR Tyreek Hill on 21 routes, taking Hill in pure man coverage on five times. Although, many of the Pats zone structures play out as man coverage downfield. Gonzo allowed three catches for 55 yards with a pass breakup into his coverage vs. Hill and had an outstanding interception jumping a backside slant route on an option-style play intended for Odell Beckham. Even on the catches he allowed, Gonzalez did a great job mitigating the damage, allowing 16 yards after the catch. The Pats have themselves a lockdown corner.

– Along with Gonzalez, the Joneses duo allowed just two catches for 10 yards into their coverage. New England has three legit cover corners. They should be living in man.

– The Pats run fits from their off-ball players were shaky. It’s a group that’s new to playing with one another, and it showed. There were several plays where defenders took the same gaps, weren’t great with their post-snap reads, and weren’t playing blocks with enough force. They really miss Bentley. He could condense space and plug gaps to bottle up the ball carrier.

– NT Davon Godchaux was a bright spot in the run defense with four stuffs and a batted pass at the line. Godchaux played multiple techniques, with recently signed DT Jaquelin Roy playing some nose tackle so that Godchaux could play strongside 3-4 end. Godchaux has been good for two consecutive weeks, and OLB Anfernee Jennings’s return helped as well. Jennings tied Godchaux with a team-high four stuffs.

– LB/S Marte Mapu deserves credit for playing 100% of the defensive snaps in his first game back from injury. With three practices under his belt since camp, that’s very impressive. He also had some solid plays forcing a screen back inside to the numbers in the defense for a TFL, drew a hold that wiped out a 35-yard run and recovered nicely to the post to take away a potential end zone shot to Hill. However, Mapu’s ability to read out play-action concepts from the second level is a work in progress, as he was beaten by TE Jonnu Smith on a 17-yarder and got baited out of passing lanes too often. Mapu plays fast and gives them some coverage ability between the numbers – I’ll take that as he continues to grow as a processor.

– EDGE Keion White’s two-penalty drive was a killer with his roughing the passer penalty on third down extending a FG drive. White logged a QB hit, a hurry, and a stuff and was used more in this one in a spy role. The second-year pro is disruptive, but he and the coaches need to find a way to harness that correctly so he can reach his ceiling as a player.

– Kudos to the coaches for getting LB Jahlani Tavai and pass-rusher Joshua Uche into roles that they can blossom in. The film for Tavai was still mixed, but he played a season-high 38 snaps on the line, while Uche was back to a situational role with Jennings returning (21 snaps). The Pats mitigated the number of coverage snaps for Tavai off the ball (8) and ran defense reps for Uche (5). That should continue moving forward.

– Safeties Jaylinn Hawkins and Dell Pettus weren’t perfect, but they held up well enough vs. this level of competition. Hawkins had a nice rep playing robber to take away a read on Uche’s sack, and Pettus mostly handled his zone responsibilities (one mixup on a 13-yard completion on third-and-16). The only knock would be some late triggers out of two-high structures vs. the run. Dugger and Peppers quickly get their hats in there to support the lighter boxes.

– QB pressures: Uche (sack, hurry), Roy (sack, hurry), Jennings (0.5 sack, hurry), Ekuale (0.5 sack, hurry), White (QB hit, hurry), Godchaux (hurry). Run stuffs: Jennings (4), Godchaux (4), Tavai (3), Ekuale (3), Roy/White/Mapu/M.Jones/Hawkins/McMillan/J.Jones (1).

– Coverage: Gonzalez (11/5/74 yards/INT/PBU), Mapu (6/6/51 yards/PBU), McMillan (2/2/30 yards), Pettus (2/1/13 yards), Elliss (1/1/8 yards), Tavai (4/1/8 yards), J. Jones (1/1/6 yards), M. Jones (1/1/4 yards), Wilson (1/0/0).