Stability is a fleeting state in the NFL. The New England Patriots defense found this out the hard way this summer.
Even though the 2023 season as a whole was underwhelming for the team, it’s performance on defense was encouraging. Despite dealing with personnel woes for much of the year, the unit kept the Patriots in several games they would have had no business being in based on their inept offensive showings.
Expectations for the group were therefore high entering 2024, especially with a significant portion of the group being retained. That continuity was not meant to last, however, with the defensive line in particular suffering some high-profile losses.