Patriots safety Kyle Dugger is one of those special dudes in the NFL
With 2023 officially here, we have the New England Patriots playing meaningful football in week 18.
If the Patriots can go into Buffalo and win the game, they make the playoffs as the seven seed in the AFC. They can also lose and have the Jets beat Miami to backdoor their way in as well.
It’s no secret that the Patriots best portion of their game is their defense. They have their players like Matt Judon and Josh Uche performing at a high level. But one other player that deserves our attention is safety Kyle Dugger.
Dugger had another pick-six on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins in a 23-21 Patriots win. It’s safe to say that Dugger is continuing to give the Patriots great production.
Dugger doing the thing 💥
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 1, 2023
📺: @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/Ucx9VbQFd5
The New England Patriots have a scoring machine in Kyle Dugger
The Patriots defense just has a knack for scoring points. Kyle Dugger in particular knows how to get into the end zone.
Take it back to Week 5 for a second, at home against the Detroit Lions. After a Judon strip sack, Dugger was able to scoop the ball up and take it 58 yards the other way to the house. Little did we know this would be the beginning of Dugger scoring plays.
In Week 15 against the Las Vegas Raiders, Dugger was able to pick off a Derek Carr screen attempt, intended for Davante Adams. Dugger was able to snatch it away and walk into the end zone on a 15 yard pick-six.
Then on Sunday, when the Patriots needed a spark; Dugger was able to provide it with a 39 yard pick-six off a Teddy Bridgewater throw. This was able to give the Patriots the lead for good in the win over the Dolphins.
It’s great to see the former Lenoir-Rhyne University standout find his niche in the NFL. A guy that can hit hard and has a nose for the ball at the right time!
The New England Patriots have a solid tackler in Kyle Dugger
One thing about this Patriots team is they value good players on defense who excel in tackling.
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Now I know that last comment sounds a little bit silly. But tackling is obviously so important in today’s NFL game. With high-powered offenses, defenses have to be able to finish plays when it’s warranted. Missing tackles on several plays can lead to trouble later on in the game.
Dugger is a really good tackler, having 67 tackles on the season before the Dolphins game. He also has a sack on the year, to his credit. The 6’2 safety fits in so well with this Patriots defense, with his ability to finish plays when needed.
In all, Kyle Dugger is an integral part of the future of this defense.
Next. Bill Belichick is suddenly public enemy No. 1. dark
He’s going to be a leader on this defense within the next few years. Especially with Devin McCourty on the verge of retirement, Dugger will be relied on even more to be even more productive. Let’s enjoy what he’s doing and appreciate him getting better and better as games come and go!