New England PatriotsThe defense has been one of the best in the league in the second half this season, but they were clearly struggling late in Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons.
They suppressed the run game, holding Falcons running back Bijan Robinson to just 12 carries for 46 yards on the ground. However, there was no answer to Drake London's mismatch against Marcus Jones. The Falcons' star receiver totaled nine catches, 118 yards and three touchdowns.
His longest reception came on a 40-yard pass with All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez in coverage. Overall, it was a solid battle between the two stars, with Gonzalez winning more times than not. The defense eventually held out to give the offense the ball back and ultimately ice the game for the Patriots.
Even despite the victory, this is clearly not the best result this season. Here are the best and worst Pro Football Focus Scores for the Patriots defense in Week 9:
PFF's top five players
- DT Corey Durden – 81.7
- S. Jaylynn Hawkins – 79.4
- DT Milton Williams – 77.0
- OLB Harold Landry III – 74.5
- With Dell Pettus – 71.4
PFF's bottom five players
- LB Christian Elliss – 30.2
- LB Jahlani Tavai – 39.8
- CB Marcus Jones – 40.8
- DT Christian Barmore – 43.1
- DT Hiris Tonga – 54.4
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