{"id":4192,"date":"2016-01-07T06:00:01","date_gmt":"2016-01-07T11:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?p=4192"},"modified":"2016-01-06T14:16:56","modified_gmt":"2016-01-06T19:16:56","slug":"patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2016\/01\/07\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\/","title":{"rendered":"Patriots 2015 End of Regular Season Report Card – Defense"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the Patriots regular season in the books for 2015, it is a great time to take a look at the positions and give them a grade for the season before the playoffs begin.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll start with the offense, then the defense and finally special teams and coaching. With a 12-4 season, there will obviously be plenty of positives, as there should be. But there was lots of room for improvement in lots of areas as well.<\/p>\n

But the bottom line is the Patriots won their 13th<\/sup> division title in 15 years. This was supposed to be the year that they were pushed by the Bills and Dolphins and that never materialized. The Jets made great improvements this season but never seriously threatened the Patriots for the division crown.<\/p>\n

The defense made big changes in 2015 after being a strength of a team that won the Super Bowl last year. The Patriots cut ties with Vince Wilfork, Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner and Kyle Arrington, all of whom played key roles in the 2014 defense.<\/p>\n

Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia had plans to beef up the front seven and trust in some young players in the secondary to carry the team this season. How\u2019d they do? Were they up to the task? Read my final grades by position for the defense and special teams, and feel free to chime in with your own thoughts. <\/p>\n

Defense-<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Defensive Ends: A-<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
\nChandler Jones led the team with 12.5 sacks in 2015.
\n(USA TODAY Images)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The Patriots defensive ends got a great deal of depth this season as they added Jabaal Sheard during free agency and Geneo Grissom and Trey Flowers during the draft. They were part of the beefing up of the front seven that Belichick and Patricia planned on in the event Revis et al. were gone. Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich have played so many snaps the past few years that they\u2019ve worn down in the second half of the season and late in games.<\/p>\n

But the addition of Sheard and the rookies has given a great boost to the depth, and effectiveness of the pass rush. The Patriots had 49 sacks in 2015, the most for a Bill Belichick team.<\/p>\n

Jones has arguably his best season in a Patriots uniform with 12.5 sacks and a much better season at setting the edge in the running game. Ninkovich can do it all, rush the passer, stop the run and play linebacker and drop back into coverage. He\u2019s the consummate professional and is invaluable for this defense. He\u2019s been his normal solid self this season.<\/p>\n

Sheard was one of the steals of free agency, while playing about 400 less snaps than Jones, he logged 8 sacks and had four forced fumbles. Grissom and Flowers both have potential and flashed some of it this season. They will bear watching in year two. Next up are the Tackles <\/p>\n

Defensive Tackles: B<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
\nAkiem Hicks was a steal for the Patriots this season.
\n(USA TODAY Images)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The Patriots parted ways with Vince Wilfork this season but they found a gift in the draft when Malcom Brown was still there at #32. The rookie defensive tackle from Texas has been steadily improving as the season progressed and looks to be a fixture for years to come.\u00a0 2nd<\/sup> year player Dominique Easley had an impressive season before being lost to IR. He provided that quickness, burst off the snap and penetration that he was noted for and will be missed in the post season.<\/p>\n

Alan Branch has been playing some impressive football this season, he\u2019s been stout against the run in the rotation and has been dependable all year long. Sealver Siliga was thought to be the heir apparent to Wilfork but it hasn\u2019t worked out that way. He\u2019s battled nagging injuries and was a healthy scratch as well.<\/p>\n

But the steal of the year has been Akiem Hicks, who the Pats got in a trade with New Orleans for backup tight end Michael Hoomanawanui. Hicks not only got a fresh start with New England but has been able to find his game again. He\u2019s been stout against the run but has been very impressive at pushing the pocket against opposing QBs from the inside.<\/p>\n

Overall the rotation at the tackle position has been solid and although it sounds blasphemous after a decade, they really haven\u2019t missed Vince Wilfork. This unit has the perfect blend of youth, experience and athleticism and was an improvement in 2015. Next up are the Linebackers
\nLinebackers: B+<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
\nJamie Collins is one of the best big play LBs in the game.
\n(USA TODAY Images)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The Patriots have a pair of fantastic young linebackers in Jamie Collins and Dont\u2019a Hightower. When both are healthy and in the lineup, they are disruptive, athletic and productive. Collins is an athletic freak who can do it all. He led the NFL with five forced fumbles (FF) in 2015. Sheard and Jones were tied for second in the league with four.<\/p>\n

Hightower is a big man (6\u20193, 270), who moves really well and is an excellent blitzer up the A-gap as well as a fantastic run stuffer. He\u2019s the glue in the middle of the front seven that holds everything together while Collins is the playmaker. Look for both to be re-signed this offseason and here for the long term.<\/p>\n

Jerod Mayo returned from two serious injuries and played well down the stretch after a slow start. He and Jonathan Freeny played quite a bit due to injury and were instrumental in keeping some continuity at the position.\u00a0 Jonathan Bostic and Darius Fleming have played mainly STs with just a few snaps on defense. Next up are the corners and safeties <\/p>\n

Cornerbacks: B<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

The sky was falling this spring when the Patriots jettisoned all three starting corners from the Super Bowl winning team in Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner and Kyle Arrington. But things had a way of working out and it turned out, they weren\u2019t in such dire straits after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
\nMalcolm Butler parlayed his SB performance into a Pro Bowl one in 2015.
\n(SBalestrieri\/PatsFans Image)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Malcolm Butler proved he wasn\u2019t a flash in the pan and had a Pro Bowl season. The coaches showed from Day 1 in the spring that he had their confidence and it has never wavered. The team frequently put him out on an island with no help against some of the best WRs in the NFL and while it wasn\u2019t perfect, it was plenty good enough. Butler is essentially in his first real season and has played outstanding. He\u2019s played with a short memory, been physical and has very good technique. His closing speed while the ball is in the air is outstanding.<\/p>\n

Logan Ryan after a lackluster sophomore campaign, really turned things around and had a very solid 2015. He\u2019s currently ranked as the 11th<\/sup> best CB in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). He and Butler were the biggest question marks heading into this season. Now they are positions of strength.<\/p>\n

The third cornerback position has been a question mark as well. Bradley Fletcher was signed in the off-season and was jettisoned. The team signed UDFA Darryl Roberts who had an impressive summer and actually started in the first PS game against Green Bay but was injured and reverted to IR. Veteran Tarell Brown had injury issues all season but he too ended up on IR.<\/p>\n

The team picked up Justin Coleman and Leonard Johnson and each has had their moments both good and not so good. But if there is an area that opposing QBs will attempt to target in the post season, it will be the third corner.<\/p>\n

Safeties: A-<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Safety is perhaps the biggest strength of this team, the Patriots are very deep at safety and it has really helped with the big turnover at cornerback. Devin McCourty was rewarded with a big contract extension this spring and it has paid off for the team. He\u2019s one of the better centerfielders in the league and has been outstanding in communication. He\u2019s the QB of the secondary.<\/p>\n

Pat Chung has thrived in his second stint with the Patriots; playing closer to the box where he\u2019s at his best, Chung has been excellent at run support, coming up on short passes in the flat and covering the short-to-intermediate stuff with the tight ends. Duron Harmon comes in on many sub-package situations and can play centerfield.<\/p>\n

Rookie 2nd<\/sup> round draft pick Jordan Richards has looked good in small sample sizes while the team still has STs Nate Ebner and Tavon Wilson as depth. Next up are the Special Teams and Coaching <\/p>\n

Special Teams: A-<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Patriots special teams had some uncharacteristic struggles in 2015 but none of them have to do with their kickers who are both outstanding. Stephen Gostkowski was rewarded this off-season with a new deal and is the highest paid kicker in the NFL. He should be; in a year where the extra point has become an adventure, he\u2019s still automatic. He hasn\u2019t missed a PAT since 2006; and missed just three FGs on the season while leading the league in points scored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
\nStephen Gostkowski is the best kicker in the NFL in 2015.
\n(SBalestrieri\/PatsFans Images)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Ryan Allen had a very solid season as the team\u2019s punter. He\u2019s adept at pinning opponents inside the 20-yard line and has excellent hang time. Allen is steady and rarely in a bad spot with his punts. Rookie LS Joe Cardona had a good rookie season as we rarely heard his name called. Balancing the NFL with US Navy hasn\u2019t been easy but he\u2019s in the right place for that to happen.<\/p>\n

The team didn\u2019t have a great return game in 2015 and that was one of the issues that plagued them throughout the year as well as turning it over while punts. That issue cost them one game and nearly a few others. Coverage units were for the most part very solid except against the Eagles.<\/p>\n

Matthew Slater and Brandon King have both been outstanding STs contributors this season. Slater is a team captain and perennial Pro-Bowler at STs and King we watched this summer get a ton of one-on-one coaching during training camp. So his ascension wasn\u2019t a big stretch this fall.<\/p>\n

Coaching: A<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

The defensive coaches especially DC Matt Patricia and Josh Boyer who\u2019s come under fire in the past, get very high marks this season. Joe Judge took over from Scotty O\u2019Brien as the special teams\u2019 coach and although the unit had its issues, performed well.<\/p>\n

Head coach Bill Belichick remains the gold standard against which other coaches are measured. While once again, he\u2019ll get zero consideration for Coach of the Year, there is not a doubt who\u2019s the best in the business. The Patriots led the league in man-games lost to injury and yet the team went 12-4, while others with less injuries floundered.<\/p>\n

No one is better at re-inventing a team\u2019s identity from week to week in game planning than Belichick. And in 2015, he was again a master at it. He gives great press conferences too\u2026<\/p>\n

Follow me on Twitter\u00a0<\/em>@SteveB7SFG<\/em><\/a>\u00a0or email me at\u00a0<\/em>stevebpatsfans@gmail.com<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Listen to our\u00a0<\/em>Patriots 4th<\/sup>\u00a0and 2<\/em><\/a>\u00a0podcast on blog talk radio as the writers Russ Goldman, Derek Havens and I from\u00a0<\/em>PatsFans.com<\/em><\/a>\u00a0discuss the latest Patriots news Wednesdays at 12 noon.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia had plans to beef up the front seven and trust in some young players in the secondary to carry the team this season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":3734,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,10],"tags":[185,460,464,48,34,37,31,19,16,15,86,44,70,8,38,40,247,201,248,36,13,35],"class_list":["post-4192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-patriots-commentary","category-patriots-news","tag-2015-nfl-season","tag-2015-patriots","tag-2015-patriots-season","tag-53-man-roster-projection","tag-bill-belichick","tag-chandler-jones","tag-foxboro-stadium","tag-geneo-grissom","tag-jabaal-sheard","tag-malcolm-butler","tag-malcom-brown","tag-new-england-patriots","tag-nfl","tag-patriots","tag-patriots-edge-rushers","tag-patriots-training-camp-photos","tag-picks","tag-pittsburgh-steelers","tag-predictions","tag-rob-ninkovich","tag-tom-brady","tag-trey-flowers"],"yoast_head":"\nPatriots 2015 End of Regular Season Report Card - Defense<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia had plans to beef up the front seven and trust in some young players in the secondary to carry the team this season.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2016\/01\/07\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\/\" \/>\n<link rel=\"next\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2016\/01\/07\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\/2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Patriots 2015 End of Regular Season Report Card - Defense | PatsFans.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia had plans to beef up the front seven and trust in some young players in the secondary to carry the team this season.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2016\/01\/07\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"PatsFans.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pfans\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/steve.balestrieri\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-01-07T11:00:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/2015-Week-15-Jabaal-Sheard-vXdd1reN.jpg?fit=1145%2C640&ssl=1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1145\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"640\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Steve Balestrieri\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@SteveB7SFG\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@patsfans\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2016\\\/01\\\/07\\\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2016\\\/01\\\/07\\\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Steve Balestrieri\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/71433b60b6fa7632bd955481ae49f3da\"},\"headline\":\"Patriots 2015 End of Regular Season Report Card – Defense\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-01-07T11:00:01+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2016\\\/01\\\/07\\\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1917,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2016\\\/01\\\/07\\\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/12\\\/2015-Week-15-Jabaal-Sheard-vXdd1reN.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"2015 NFL Season\",\"2015 Patriots\",\"2015 Patriots Season\",\"53 Man Roster Projection\",\"Bill Belichick\",\"Chandler Jones\",\"Foxboro Stadium\",\"Geneo Grissom\",\"Jabaal Sheard\",\"Malcolm Butler\",\"Malcom Brown\",\"New England Patriots\",\"NFL\",\"Patriots\",\"Patriots edge rushers\",\"Patriots Training Camp Photos\",\"picks\",\"Pittsburgh Steelers\",\"predictions\",\"Rob Ninkovich\",\"Tom Brady\",\"Trey Flowers\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Patriots Commentary\",\"Patriots News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2016\\\/01\\\/07\\\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2016\\\/01\\\/07\\\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\\\/\",\"name\":\"Patriots 2015 End of Regular Season Report Card - Defense\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2016\\\/01\\\/07\\\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2016\\\/01\\\/07\\\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/12\\\/2015-Week-15-Jabaal-Sheard-vXdd1reN.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-01-07T11:00:01+00:00\",\"description\":\"Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia had plans to beef up the front seven and trust in some young players in the secondary to carry the team this season.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2016\\\/01\\\/07\\\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2016\\\/01\\\/07\\\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2016\\\/01\\\/07\\\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/12\\\/2015-Week-15-Jabaal-Sheard-vXdd1reN.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/12\\\/2015-Week-15-Jabaal-Sheard-vXdd1reN.jpg\",\"width\":1145,\"height\":640,\"caption\":\"David Butler II - USA TODAY Sports\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2016\\\/01\\\/07\\\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Patriots Commentary\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"PatsFans.com\",\"description\":\"Patriots Blog with News and Analysis\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"PatsFans.com\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/PF_Social_Logo.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/PF_Social_Logo.webp\",\"width\":300,\"height\":300,\"caption\":\"PatsFans.com\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/pfans\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/patsfans\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/patsfans\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/patsfans\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/patsfans\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tiktok.com\\\/@patsfans.official\"],\"foundingDate\":\"2000-06-17\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/71433b60b6fa7632bd955481ae49f3da\",\"name\":\"Steve Balestrieri\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/dfc4c29c648a043b9caafa2dddd23d6eff929a8dee4095b872f8bdd1a072f2cd?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/dfc4c29c648a043b9caafa2dddd23d6eff929a8dee4095b872f8bdd1a072f2cd?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/dfc4c29c648a043b9caafa2dddd23d6eff929a8dee4095b872f8bdd1a072f2cd?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Steve Balestrieri\"},\"description\":\"A former US Army Special Forces NCO and Officer, Steve has been following the Patriots since their days at Fenway Park. Steve has worked in the film industry and wrote as an Military Editor at SpecialOperations.com, 1945.com as a reporter for the Millbury Daily Voice, Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, and the Grafton News. He's also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/steve.balestrieri\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/SteveB7SFG\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/sbalestrieri\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Patriots 2015 End of Regular Season Report Card - Defense","description":"Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia had plans to beef up the front seven and trust in some young players in the secondary to carry the team this season.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2016\/01\/07\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\/","next":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2016\/01\/07\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\/2\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Patriots 2015 End of Regular Season Report Card - Defense | PatsFans.com","og_description":"Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia had plans to beef up the front seven and trust in some young players in the secondary to carry the team this season.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2016\/01\/07\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\/","og_site_name":"PatsFans.com","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pfans","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/steve.balestrieri","article_published_time":"2016-01-07T11:00:01+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1145,"height":640,"url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/2015-Week-15-Jabaal-Sheard-vXdd1reN.jpg?fit=1145%2C640&ssl=1","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Steve Balestrieri","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@SteveB7SFG","twitter_site":"@patsfans","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2016\/01\/07\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2016\/01\/07\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\/"},"author":{"name":"Steve Balestrieri","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/71433b60b6fa7632bd955481ae49f3da"},"headline":"Patriots 2015 End of Regular Season Report Card – Defense","datePublished":"2016-01-07T11:00:01+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2016\/01\/07\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\/"},"wordCount":1917,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2016\/01\/07\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/2015-Week-15-Jabaal-Sheard-vXdd1reN.jpg","keywords":["2015 NFL Season","2015 Patriots","2015 Patriots Season","53 Man Roster Projection","Bill Belichick","Chandler Jones","Foxboro Stadium","Geneo Grissom","Jabaal Sheard","Malcolm Butler","Malcom Brown","New England Patriots","NFL","Patriots","Patriots edge rushers","Patriots Training Camp Photos","picks","Pittsburgh Steelers","predictions","Rob Ninkovich","Tom Brady","Trey Flowers"],"articleSection":["Patriots Commentary","Patriots News"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2016\/01\/07\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\/","url":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2016\/01\/07\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\/","name":"Patriots 2015 End of Regular Season Report Card - Defense","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2016\/01\/07\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2016\/01\/07\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/2015-Week-15-Jabaal-Sheard-vXdd1reN.jpg","datePublished":"2016-01-07T11:00:01+00:00","description":"Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia had plans to beef up the front seven and trust in some young players in the secondary to carry the team this season.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2016\/01\/07\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2016\/01\/07\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2016\/01\/07\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/2015-Week-15-Jabaal-Sheard-vXdd1reN.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/2015-Week-15-Jabaal-Sheard-vXdd1reN.jpg","width":1145,"height":640,"caption":"David Butler II - USA TODAY Sports"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2016\/01\/07\/patriots-2015-end-of-regular-season-report-card-defense\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Patriots Commentary"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/","name":"PatsFans.com","description":"Patriots Blog with News and Analysis","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#organization","name":"PatsFans.com","url":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/PF_Social_Logo.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/PF_Social_Logo.webp","width":300,"height":300,"caption":"PatsFans.com"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pfans","https:\/\/x.com\/patsfans","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/patsfans","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/patsfans\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/patsfans","https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@patsfans.official"],"foundingDate":"2000-06-17"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/71433b60b6fa7632bd955481ae49f3da","name":"Steve Balestrieri","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dfc4c29c648a043b9caafa2dddd23d6eff929a8dee4095b872f8bdd1a072f2cd?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dfc4c29c648a043b9caafa2dddd23d6eff929a8dee4095b872f8bdd1a072f2cd?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dfc4c29c648a043b9caafa2dddd23d6eff929a8dee4095b872f8bdd1a072f2cd?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Steve Balestrieri"},"description":"A former US Army Special Forces NCO and Officer, Steve has been following the Patriots since their days at Fenway Park. Steve has worked in the film industry and wrote as an Military Editor at SpecialOperations.com, 1945.com as a reporter for the Millbury Daily Voice, Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, and the Grafton News. He's also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/steve.balestrieri","https:\/\/x.com\/SteveB7SFG"],"url":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/author\/sbalestrieri\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/2015-Week-15-Jabaal-Sheard-vXdd1reN.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4192"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4192\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4195,"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4192\/revisions\/4195"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}