New England Patriots Need Vince Wilfork to Return to Form vs. Oakland Raiders

The blame game for New England's poor start on defense has begun, and one person whose name was never expected to be involved in that discussion is Vince Wilfork.

For years, he has been the driving force of the Patriots defense as the key guy in the middle who is expected to clog those holes in the running game. That ability earned him a big contract last offseason.

His rough start to the 2011 season, though, is alarming.

Pro Football Focus ranks him 67th overall among defensive tackles and nose tackles, and 74th in run defense. That's not exactly what we're used to seeing from big Vince, who usually commands double teams from the offensive line the way he commands the line at the buffet. He clogs up all the holes and prevents anything from getting through. 

The Patriots will need him to get right back to his dominant days of old against the Raiders, as they rely very heavily on their rushing attack.

It won't be easy. Darren McFadden is tied for the league lead with 477 yards from scrimmage, and tied for second in yards per carry with 6.4. Not only that, but the Raiders feature the second best Offensive Hogs in the league, as measured by Cold, Hard Football Facts. The Hog Index measures yards per carry on offense (5.5 YPC) and third-down conversions (38.24 percent).

Not only has McFadden been one of the best backs in the league in 2011, he's also running behind one of the best offensive lines in the league. Wilfork needs to impose his will on the Raiders offensive line, forcing them to double-team him and clog the lanes where McFadden could burst through.

It's not just Wilfork that has to improve, though. The entire front seven as a whole, be it because of play-calling, coaching or simply a lack of execution, needs to get better. 2010's 22nd-ranked Defensive Hogs have spent much of the first three weeks of the season rolling around in the mud, and currently rank 26th in the Defensive Hog Index.

Specifically, the Patriots rank 21st with 4.3 yards per carry allowed on defense. If they hold McFadden to that kind of average, that would be considered an accomplishment, but it still may not be enough. The Patriots must force the ball into quarterback Jason Campbell's hands, as he is a much less dynamic threat than McFadden.

Wilfork will get some help with the return of Albert Haynesworth, who missed last week with an injury. It also helps that the Patriots signed back one of his linemates from 2010, Gerard Warren. But this unit is clearly much better when Wilfork is playing at the top of his game. The sooner that happens again, the better.

Erik Frenz is the co-host of the PatsPropaganda and Frenz podcast. Follow Erik on Twitter @erikfrenz.