Patriots Pass Rush Making Life Easier for Revis, New England Secondary

While New England Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia holds a degree in aeronautical engineering, it seems that he may have been paying attention in his biology classes as well. The mutualistic symbiotic relationship between the pass-rushers and the pass-defenders on the Patriots is starting to hit its stride.

After holding Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford to an abysmal 18-of-46, one might automatically give the credit to the defensive backfield. While Darrelle Revis and company played a big part in the defense's success, they weren't the whole story. Only two sacks showed up in the stat sheet, but pressure on Stafford was a necessary component.

Revis will get the credit on the layman's stat sheet for the following play, but the Patriots coaching staff will probably see it a bit differently.

NFL Game Rewind

Before their 3rd-and-10 in the third quarter, the Lions are in "10" personnel, with a bunch formation on the field side. The Patriots counter that with a look designed to confuse Stafford and his offensive line, with only Vince Wilfork in as a defensive lineman. New England has seven potential rushers that the Lions have to account for.

NFL Game Rewind

At the snap of the ball, six of the seven box defenders show rush. Rob Ninkovich will later peel off into a zone drop. Revis drops into man coverage on Golden Tate. The outside corners are playing soft—the Lions needed 10 yards here—and there are safeties deep as well. Stafford knows that he is going to have to get the ball out quick, but doesn't know where the pressure is going to come from yet.

NFL Game Rewind

The Lions deploy five blockers to the right side of the formation, where New England is only bringing three rushers. On the other side, their left tackle has to account for the defensive end and a blitzing Patrick Chung. That is not going to end well. Getting the offense to use their resources unwisely is exactly what the pre-snap look was designed to do.

Meanwhile, Ninkovich drops into his zone, taking away one of Stafford's easiest reads. Stafford actually did a good job of recognizing the zone blitz here, as many quarterbacks would have given Ninkovich an easy interception. Logan Ryan and Brandon Browner are on top of their marks, giving Stafford only one option: Tate.

NFL Game Rewind

Tate executes a subtle pushoff at the top of his stem and gains separation from Revis. A properly thrown ball will give Detroit a first down and an explosive play of 25 yards or more. However, Chung is able to arrive on time with Dont'a Hightower containing to the outside. The result is a sidearm sling from Stafford that was doomed from the outset.

It is a rare feat to beat Revis. The premier cornerback for New England was glad to have the pass rush clean up his error and turn it into a win.

As the prior play illustrates, you don't have to always get pressure with your defensive ends and tackles. The Patriots have pressure from all over their defense. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), more than 30 percent of the total pressures New England has generated come from their linebackers and defensive backs. If you count Chandler Jones and Ninkovich—who sometimes play with their hands off the ground—as linebackers, that number jumps to nearly 65 percent.

As Revis, Browner, Devin McCourty and the other members of the Patriots secondary continue to make plays, look for pressure on the quarterback before you start assigning credits or demerits.