With their backs against the wall, the New England Patriots handled business against the Arizona Cardinals after a rocky first half. They found life in the second half when the defense turned up the heat and shut down the Colt McCoy-led Cardinals offense.
By the end of the game, the unit had compiled six sacks and two turnovers, including a scoop fumble returned for a touchdown in a 27-13 victory.
The victory improved the Patriots’ overall record to 7-6 and paved the way for them to climb back into the playoff picture. It was a must-win game, and they needed an all-hands-on-deck mentality to come out on top.
However, here are the three stars that made the biggest impact on the game.
First Star: Josh Uche
Josh Uche tallied three sacks, and handed out a plethora of pressures to Colt McCoy, continuing his emergence as one of the league’s best pass-rushers this season.
Yes, I said it. Uche is one of the league’s best pass-rushers.
Sitting at the top of the league with pressure rate, and 21 percent pass rush win percentage, Uche’s 10 sacks are more than just cleaning up after Pro Bowl linebacker Matthew Judon.
He is instilling fear in opposing offensive lines and drawing huge praise from his peers in the process.
Second Star: Kyle Dugger
Kyle Dugger had a “quiet” game, but that’s just what he does as the unsung hero of the Patriots defense week in and week out.
Dugger tallied seven tackles and a forced fumble that led to a touchdown, but he was also responsible in coverage, keeping the opposing weapons in check. Don’t mistake being quiet as not contributing because Dugger remains one of the Patriots’ best defensive playmakers on the field.
His game didn’t explode Twitter like Josh Uche’s, but it was just as important. That talent on the backend of the defense is going to be huge in the coming weeks against the offensive superpower teams.
Third Star: Pierre Strong Jr.
Damien Harris was listed as out before the game started, and early into this contest, we saw Rhamondre Stevenson go down with an ankle injury.
The next man up mentality kicked in for Pierre Strong Jr., the rookie speedster who racked up 90 all purpose yards (70 rushing, 20 receiving) and his first career touchdown.
When New England selected Strong in the 2022 NFL draft, they did so knowing they were getting the fastest running back in the draft. Up to this point, Strong has been purely used as a special teams player, but this week, he showed why he has the talent to be an explosive change of pace back in the future.
Honorable Mentions: Marcus Jones and Matthew Judon
Marcus Jones and Matthew Judon had incredible games, but just didn’t make the cut for me.
Jones played on all three units, and secured his first interception while playing solid in coverage all game long. A great night for the rookie who secured a reception, interception, and punt return in the same game.
Judon tallied 1.5 sacks and had some huge tackles in the run game, but Uche, Dugger and Strong had the bigger impact this week.
