7 New England Patriots players looking to shine vs Dolphins in Miami
No. 3: New England Patriots edge rusher Matt Judon needs to get right
Sticking with the defensive side of the ball, New England Patriots pass rusher Matt Judon needs to get back right in this game against the Miami Dolphins.
After putting the NFL on notice with his ability to sack the quarterback, Judon’s sack production has slowed down over the past few weeks. He did recover from COVID-19 which limited his production last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but overall, he hasn’t been getting to the quarterback like he was earlier in the season.
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Some of that is due to playing teams like the Indianapolis Colts who ran the ball, but Judon must get back to pressuring the quarterback and getting those quarterback hits like he was during the team’s seven-game winning streak and even before that.
If the Patriots are to limit what the Miami Dolphins do on defense, it will come down to Judon, Van Noy and Barmore shrinking that pocket and forcing Tagovailoa to make quick decisions, which could lead to some turnovers like what happened in the first matchup between the two teams.
Will Judon pad his 12.5 sack numbers on the season?
He’ll at least get one, but in the big picture for this New England Patriots defense, it will be satisfying just to see Judon causing havoc like he did prior to the team’s bye week in Week 14.