It has not been a good season for the New England Patriots. And while the players and staff are looking to salvage a win as they close out the regular season, one of the more consistent contributors suffered a setback. This will make it much more difficult for a run-down New England Patriots team to find a path to victory against their remaining opponents.
New England Patriots Lose Defensive Leader
Since the latest injury reports, one of the more critical additions included New England Patriots safety, Jabrill Peppers, who has been classified as “out” for the Sunday night matchup against the Denver Broncos. After missing practices this week due to a lingering hamstring injury, this is a significant blow for a defense that has played well despite the lack of team success.
Playing over 95% of the defensive snaps for the New England Patriots, Jabrill Peppers not being able to play will leave a significant hole in the secondary. Known as a hard hitting player, he does well playing the run, in pass coverage, or pressuring the quarterback, as needed.
In a telling quote before the Kansas City Chiefs game, Jabrill Peppers shared the following with reporters:
You gotta build. You gotta have some type of momentum. Gotta see what you look like, see how you stack up against who people that say are the best teams in the league.
We’ve seen it before where certain teams visibly give up on each other or the coach midway through a losing season. But in order to establish a winning culture, people like Jabrill Peppers are needed during tougher times. For the New England Patriots, he is one of the key players that continues to keep a positive, hard working mindset.
In his absence, who are some of the players to potentially look out for to step up until he is able to return?
New England Patriots Secondary Players Enhanced Roles
What could likely lead to some shuffling at the backend of the defense, several players will likely need to fill the void left behind by Jabrill Peppers being sidelined. Three potential players to keep an eye out for on Sunday are Alex Austin, Marte Mapu, and Adrian Phillips.
Adrian Phillips was originally brought into the New England Patriots as a utility player on the defensive end. The former Pro Bowler is more than capable on holding is own in his fourth year as a member of the team. Alex Austin made an unexpected New England Patriots start against the Kansas City Chiefs last week, playing 100% of the defensive snaps. Marte Mapu is coming off of a game that saw him will a forced interception away from tight end Blake Bell.
New England Patriots To Face The Broncos
Being out of the business of guessing what adjustments Bill Belichick will make, it’s impossible to predict how the New England Patriots will look against the Denver Broncos.
One aspect is for certain, Jabrill Peppers echoed the sentiments of coach Bill Belichick, and their approach for the upcoming matchup. His continued answer when asked why teams would still give full effort expanded further:
It’s just for your pride and your character. We’re paid to play football and produce… And we can ruin some people’s offseasons.