Patriots’ Defensive Coaches Rank Best in NFL?

Between Bill and Steve Belichick, the New England Patriots top a list of the league's defensive coordinators.

In recent years, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has become less and less interested in giving those on his staff titles that reveal exactly what their role is. 

Bill O'Brien is back as offensive coordinator after a disastrous season in which Matt Patricia and Joe Judge split the responsibilities once held by Josh McDaniels. But the defensive coordinator position remains vacant, with Belichick overseeing his son, Steve -- the outside linebackers coach -- and inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo. 

Given that Belichick's background is in defense, this arrangement -- one in which his son calls plays -- has worked out significantly better than the offensive-coordinator-by-committee approach that crashed and burned in 2022. In fact, Pro Football Focus recently ranked the Belichick's as the top defensive coordinators in the NFL: 

"The Patriots' defensive coordinator spot is technically unoccupied. Steve Belichick is currently the team's linebackers coach and the one who calls the defensive plays, but we all know who the mastermind is. I don’t say that to take anything away from the job Steve has done; the Patriots have been a top-seven team in the NFL in overall expected points allowed per play since 2020, including No. 1 in the league in 2022 with an EPA per play allowed figure of -0.117." 

In addition to the Belichick's, we would again point to how valuable the presence of Mayo is. Mayo spent his entire eight-year playing career playing for the Patriots, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2008 and being named a First-Team All-Pro in 2010. Now 37, Mayo has held his current role since the 2019 season. The Patriots said in January they were negotiating a long-term contract with Mayo, who would have otherwise had head coaching interest from teams with vacancies. There's been speculation that Mayo could one day succeed Belichick as the team's coach. 

In any event, the defensive coaching trio in New England will face perhaps their stiffest test yet in 2023. The Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins return two of the more explosive offenses in the NFL, and four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers is now the quarterback for the New York Jets, who suddenly feel like a legitimate contender even in a crowded AFC. For all the focus given to O'Brien's return as offensive coordinator, it will likely be New England's defense that determines whether they can avoid finishing last in the AFC East.

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