The Patriots’ defense was lauded as the better part of the team’s roster going into the 2025 regular season, which was no different than the general assumption over the last few years. And based on the free agent additions the new regime made earlier this year, it seemed like a fair projection, yet it hasn’t exactly lived up to the hype so far.
The biggest questions continue to stem from the secondary and the linebackers, but the absence of Christian Gonzalez can at least explain the problems with the cornerbacks. The linebackers, however, are a considerable mess, especially since Robert Spillane has become more of a liability on the field than the help he was supposed to be.
Fortunately, the defensive line and pass rush have been significantly better than anyone could have imagined. With the returning Christian Barmore, along with the highest-paid player in team history, Milton Williams, they have been the triumphant duo the Patriots have long needed.
They have been such a good pairing that they currently lead the league in some impressive stats, which is not exactly something the Patriots have been known for over the years.
Nobody saw this Patriots defensive dominance coming in 2025
Since the departure of Matthew Judon, the Patriots’ pass rush has been virtually non-existent. Before he was signed in 2021, the same could be said, so the rise of Barmore and Williams is an exciting development that was not predicted this offseason.
The duo has produced the highest quarterback pressure rates in the league through the first two games, with Williams in first and Barmore in third.
NFL Next Gen Stats: Interior defensive linemen with highest QB pressure rates through 2 weeks —
1.Milton Williams – 16.7% (#Patriots)
2.Javon Hargrave – 16.3% (#Vikings)
3.Christian Barmore – 15.8% (#Patriots) pic.twitter.com/gr0oQ8HACY— Pats-Planet.com 🪐 (@patsplanetmedia) September 16, 2025
This is the kind of progress Mike Vrabel and his team were clearly hoping for by aggressively pursuing Williams in free agency, which led to them stealing him from a deal that was already done with the Panthers, and the return of Barmore after he missed most of the 2024 season due to health issues.
Questions about Williams’ production surrounded him in free agency, since he didn’t get a significant amount of snaps during his time with the Eagles. But that hasn’t been a problem so far in his Patriots’ tenure, as stats like this prove.
In fact, he is a big reason the team beat the Dolphins last weekend, with his game-clinching sack on Tua Tagovailoa being the most notable part of his performance.
Pressures x Run Stops for DTs through week 2
– Sacks = 2 pressures pic.twitter.com/Qk2JaeTRNN— Stat Acccount (@AcccountStat) September 16, 2025
If he and Barmore can maintain this level of production for the remainder of a long season, there’s good reason to believe the Patriots defense can be among the best in the league, particularly their defensive line. That’s a massive jump from where they were just last year, further proving the new regime made the right decisions with the roster ahead of Week 1.
