Sack totals don’t always represent a team’s ability to get to the quarterback. Pass-rushers can impact a play without actually taking the quarterback down.
In that way, the Patriots did a decent job last season creating pressure and bringing the heat. Statistically, between sacks (24), hits, or hurries on dropbacks by the quarterback, they had the fifth-best percentage (26.4) of any NFL team during the regular season.
But let’s cut to the chase: if Bill Belichick hands over the most money he ever has for a defensive player — namely elite pass-rusher Matt Judon — he must have felt the Patriots’ anemic sack totals last season held significant meaning and didn’t bode well for the future.
Being down at the bottom of the league in terms of making the bigger plays, scoring those sacks, was an issue going forward.
Judon’s four-year, $56 million deal ($32 million guaranteed) essentially spoke to Belichick’s desire to not only get to the quarterback, but bring him down. It spoke to his desire to have a player opposing offensive coordinators actually have to worry about on every pass attempt.
The Bills, Dolphins, Bucs, et al, are all going to sweat stopping Judon.
Naturally, it falls on Judon to deliver, and live up to the expectations created with such a contract.
During his availability Thursday following the Patriots training camp practice, Judon shrugged off the notion of being under more pressure to perform given all the cash Belichick agreed to put in his bank account.
“I think y’all (media) add the pressure,” Judon said. “I got paid off what I did previous to being here. I’m going to gain respect (with) what I do on the field. Right now the pressure is all y’all. Right now I’ve just gotta come gel with my team, learn my plays, and execute when it’s game time.”
Judon has the reputation for having good instincts and being a high-effort, high-motor type of player.
To that end, it was interesting to see during the opening days of camp, Judon found himself on punt and punt return teams. So Belichick wants to take full advantage of Judon’s skill set and get his money’s worth out of the former Raven, who also did some special teams work for John Harbaugh in Baltimore.
The primary focus, though, couldn’t be clearer. It’s Judon’s job to make life miserable for the opposing quarterbacks the Patriots are set to face this season — hello, Tom Brady.
Thus far, Judon has been getting into the backfield with regularity, but without pads in a legitimate contact setting, it almost doesn’t qualify. That should change this week, as the Patriots will finally engage in fully padded practices, starting Tuesday.
Still, Judon’s speed has been noticeable coming off the edge during the first four days. For a big man (6-foot-3, 261 pounds) he can really move. He’s actually been running the conditioning hill at the end of practice with the wide receivers, pushing himself.
Rookie edge-rusher Ronnie Perkins said he’s already learned so much from Judon just by watching him practice.
And at least one Patriot is glad he no longer has to see Judon on the opposing team.
Defensive lineman Davon Godchaux, the former Dolphin, is a card-carrying member of the Judon fan club. He much prefers seeing Judon lined up with his defense.
“Watching him in Baltimore, I always thought he was kind of like Terrell Suggs, kind of like a dirty player but big, aggressive, good player,” Godchaux said Thursday. “Never told anyone that, but I’ve always been a big fan of his game, coming off the edge, talking trash, hitting the quarterback.
“When I heard he signed I was like, ‘Man, I’m so happy.’ He’s gonna be bringing a lot of juice at the edge, so I’m very excited about him … I’m very excited about having him on the team.”
The Patriots haven’t always been bereft of stud pass-rushers who warrant double-teams, or extra attention. During Belichick’s time, Willie McGinest, Richard Seymour, Mike Vrabel, Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones are a few that come to mind.
After a season where Chase Winovich was the top sack man with 5.5, it was time for Belichick to land one of the best available in the free agent market. So along with the return of Dont’a Hightower and Kyle Van Noy, and the emergence of Josh Uche (who Judon believes is going to be a star), the Patriots should be able to bring more heat, and convert more of their opportunities to bring the quarterback down.
As a Raven, Judon used to hate the Patriots. But he’s come around to now being one.
“These are my brothers now, my friends, my teammates. Now I want them to win,” he said. “So I just come out here and put my best foot forward and do anything for the team to win.”
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August 02, 2021 at 03:30PM
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Guregian: Patriots need Matt Judon to bring the heat - Boston Herald
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