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There is no magic formula to fixing the Patriots’ leaky run defense

Heading into its Week 7 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, the New England Patriots run defense faced some major questions.

In its previous four games, the group had surrendered a combined 667 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 122 carries, allowing opponents to average 5.5 yards per run. As a consequence, head coach Jerod Mayo and defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington decided to make some changes in the front seven.

Bigger-bodied defensive tackles Daniel Ekuale and Davon Godchaux ended up playing a season-high 54 and 50 snaps, respectively. Two other DTs — Jaquelin Roy and Eric Johnson — also saw an increase in reps.