The New England Patriots aren’t known for their pass rush, but they’re one of the more consistently successful defensive fronts in the league. Over the past three years, the Patriots have racked up 123 sacks, good for 5th most in the NFL, behind the Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers, Minnesota Vikings, and Green Bay Packers.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick stresses the importance of defensive gap integrity and would rather his defensive linemen maintain their core responsibility than to freelance to generate a sack. The resulting defense acts like a vice, squeezing the pocket until the quarterback has no place to run.