Beating the Los Angeles Rams in Week 11 will require the New England Patriots defense stifling a creative offense, something team sack leader Keion White can do by winning a key matchup in the trenches.
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It’s a vital battle described by Patriots.com Staff Writer Evan Lazar. He used an apt pop culture reference to explain how the Pats are using roving pass-rusher White, and why right guard Kevin Dotson is likely to be No. 99’s next victim.
According to Lazar, “it’s now a weekly ‘Where’s Waldo’ for the Pats defensive staff, targeting the weak link on the interior with White. Dotson ranks 45th out of 57 qualified guards in PFF pass-blocking grade, so one would expect White to target him in the pass rush on Sunday.”
Finding the right matchup for White can inspire the Patriots pass rush to repeat its heroics from last week. When White and the rest of the defense sacked quarterback Caleb Williams, the first-overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, a season-high nine times against the Chicago Bears.
Keeping White on the move also shows how this staff is getting increasingly creative.
Keion White Key to Patriots Defense of Moving Parts
Moving players around for opponent-specific gameplans has long been a theme for the Patriots defensively. It was the speciality of former head coach Bill Belichick, and the six-time Super Bowl winner’s successor Jerod Mayo and his assistants are carrying on the tradition.
Last week it was special teams ace Brenden Schooler, who played spy against Williams as part of a creative sub-package. Outside cornerback Jonathan Jones also spent time playing safety at Soldier Field, according to Taylor Kyles of Patriots on CLNS.
The #Patriots didn’t play much nickel vs the Bears, but when they did, they used 4 CBs with Jon Jones at FS
The screen Jaylinn Hawkins blew up came from a 3-deep fire zone with late safety rotation, with Marcus Jones making a heads-up play to peel off his blitz
Jahlani Tavai…
Mayo and defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington are finding new ways to maximize the talent at their disposal, but White’s roving brief makes the biggest impact.
Keion White Can Answer Challenges Posed by Rams
The 6-foot-5, 285-pounder is a natural disruptor in the trenches thanks to a combination of length and power. Those attributes are why White is tied for the team lead with five sacks.
He’s already generated 21 pressures, eight more than his entire total for last season, according to Pro Football Reference. White can dominate against Dotson, who has surrendered three sacks, 18 pressures and five QB hits, per Pro Football Focus.
Even when he isn’t getting to quarterbacks, White is able to cause havoc. Like when he swatted down a Williams pass from defensive tackle to end a Bears drive, per The QB List’s Ben Brown.
Keion White tipped this pass away to force a punt right before the half
Collapsing the pocket around static veteran Rams QB Matthew Stafford should be near the top of the Patriots to-do list. So should getting in the 36-year-old’s throwing lanes to stud wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua.
White can do both, but moving him into different spots and having him play alternate alignments will extend his game-wrecking influence beyond the pass rush. Especially since White is also an invaluable force player against the run.
A great example occurred when the second-year pro stood up as an outside linebacker and chased down Bears running back D’Andre Swift from the back-side. The impressive stop was highlighted by For The Win’s Christian D’Andrea.
Keion White:
– embarrasses Larry Borom by immediately shedding his block
– forces D’Andre Swift into the wildly D’Andre Swift move of cutting back where no lane exists
– gets the tackle for loss anyway
Having White set the edge will be vital against a Rams offense sure to “still feature outside zone” runs, according to Lazar.
Continuing to be creative with key players like White is how Patriots stymie a Rams offense loaded with playmakers in both phases. Another stout defensive effort is the only way for the Pats to score another notable upset and continue their recent improvement.
