New England Patriots: Sony Michel, takeaways from Week 6 win vs. Chiefs

2. Run defense on the uptick

Despite the overall defensive struggles, there was a bright spot in terms of stopping the run. In view of the fact that New England is ranked 18th in rushing defense, teams have averaged 110.7 yards per game on them so far this season.

The defense held the Chiefs running backs to 94 total yards for the game, which is an improvement considering the caliber of running backs Kansas City have. The return of Trey Flowers and Patrick Chung has decisively improved the running defense. Flowers had seven total tackles while Chung added another total of four to keep the Chiefs at bay.

Provided that both remain healthy, New England’s overall defense should improve as the team goes deep into the season. Blitz packages and a variety of coverages can be implemented due to the power and speed of these players. Factoring in a healthy Dont’a Hightower will also see the defense enhanced from week to week.

1. Pass defense struggles continue

While we just mentioned how the rushing defense has slightly improved, the pass defense continues to be abysmal for the Patriots. The Chiefs threw a party during the second half as Patrick Mahomes was able to rally his team back due to multiple lapses in the backfield.

The Patriots gave up a total of 352 passing yards for the game, certainly not indicative of a Bill Belichick defense. But the coach is working with a less talented group of cornerbacks than he previously did when his defenses were ranked amongst the best in the NFL.

Tyreek Hill scored three touchdowns and collected 142 yards as he ended up burning the Patriots defensive backs to the end zone. However, the Chiefs have one of the more explosive offenses in the league, so it was expected that the Patriots would struggle to contain them.

Going forward, Belichick will certainly have the defense more prepared while facing less talented teams than the Chiefs along the way, the concern lies in whether or not these contenders will meet again in the playoffs, leaving a huge question mark over the passing defense.