New England Patriots: 3 Biggest surprises from win in Week 1
3. Defense continued to be dominant
During the 2019 season, New England had one of the best defensive units in the entire NFL. This year, many were wondering and questioning whether or not the Patriots would be able to return to dominance on that side of the ball with the start of a new season.
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On Sunday in the Week 1 contest against Miami, New England was able to display that dominance once again right out of the game, even with having some new faces flooding the depth chart defensively here in 2020.
In the 21-11 victory over the Dolphins, the Patriots were able to hold the Dolphins offense in check, forcing Miami into a total of three turnovers by the end of the contest.
In the first half, New England was lights out on defense while allowing Miami to record just a field goal before halftime. With the exception of a touchdown in the fourth quarter, that continued the rest of the game.
The reason why this might be somewhat of a surprise to some people is due to some Patriots players opting to sit out this season with COVID-19 concerns our after they had departed the team this offseason in free agency and the change in personnel in some areas on the defense.
In the season opener, however, New England’s defense flexed its muscles once again like it did often during the 2019 campaign. And it was really important and refreshing to see the Patriots defense continue to step up to get an early-season win over a divisional opponent.