The Patriots defense featured safety Devin McCourty in a prominent role for the last 13 seasons, but he’s now working as a broadcaster and New England will have to move on without him on the back end of their defense.
In addition to McCourty’s role as a tackler and pass defender, he was also a key part of disseminating information on the field during games. On Wednesday, edge rusher Matthew Judon said he thought that losing McCourty would hurt the unit’s communication but that he’s been pleasantly surprised for how well the team has handled the transition.
“If we get a look, and we have a check, I think it’s been getting out fast, and communicated,” Judon said, via Karen Guregian of MassLive.com. “It’s just a different voice. But I think it’s just as sharp as it was with Dev. . . . “I think we all thought it was going to slow down, and be a little bit complicated because Dev’s been doing it for so long. But I don’t think so. I think it’s as sharp as it’s ever been with me being around here. I think our play callers are doing a great job.”
The Patriots need a better offensive showing than they had last year, but surviving in the AFC is going to take strong defensive play as well and smooth communication is a good start on their bid to get it.
