FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The secondary was supposed to be the strength of the New England Patriots’ defense, but a quarter into the 2017 season, it has been anything but.
The secondary is a growing concern, as evidenced by Sunday's 33-30 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
Until it is fixed, assuming it even can be, the team’s Super Bowl championship hopes will be shaky.
Where to start?
With a big contract comes higher expectations, and cornerback Stephon Gilmore – who inked a five-year, $65 million free-agent deal in March – hasn’t met them to this point.