The New England Patriots entered their season opener against the Miami Dolphins with just three off-the-ball linebackers on their active game day roster: Ja’Whaun Bentley, Anfernee Jennings and Brandon Copeland. While Bentley saw considerable action by playing 51 of a possible 62 defensive snaps, the other two were used comparatively sparingly and were on the field for just nine and eight snaps, respectively.
And yet, the Patriots’ defense was able to hold up well against the Dolphins — both in the backend and the front-seven. One reason for that was how the team filled the versatile “star” position that was successfully played by Patrick Chung over the last six seasons.