Do Patriots have football's best cornerback duo? NFL.com reveals its ranking

Share

The New England Patriots weren't able to defend their Super Bowl crown last season, but it wasn't the fault of the team's defense.

The Patriots defense was spectacular for most of the year, and it only gave up 14 offensive points in the team's season-ending AFC Wild Card playoff loss to the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium. 

Download the MyTeams app for the latest Patriots news and analysis

Perhaps the biggest strength of this unit was its pass defense. The Patriots allowed the second-fewest passing yards and the second-fewest passing yards per attempt. They also led the league in opponents' completion percentage, opponents' QB rating and interceptions, while giving up the fewest passing touchdowns.

One player who played a major role in this success was cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who was named the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year award winner. He wasn't alone, though. Cornerbacks Jason McCourty and J.C. Jackson also had strong seasons.

Do the Patriots have the best cornerback duo in football? NFL.com recently ranked its top five CB tandems, and the Patriots came in at No. 2. Here's NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks' explanation:

2) Stephon Gilmore and Jason McCourty, New England Patriots: Gilmore, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, teams with McCourty to give the Patriots a formidable tandem. The duo excels at snuffing out WR1s in the Patriots' man-heavy scheme without having to deviate from their straightforward approach. Gilmore routinely takes on the challenge of shadowing the opponent's most dangerous threat, while McCourty blankets the sidekick on the opposite side of the field. Each guy has thrived in his respective role, which is why the Patriots' stifling pass defense was the talk of the town for much of last season.

The only tandem to rank ahead of the Patriots was the talented Baltimore Ravens duo of Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters. These two veteran cornerbacks were an essential part of a Ravens defense that helped Baltimore finish the regular season with an AFC-best 14-2 record before losing to the Titans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

The Patriots are likely to bring back almost their entire secondary from last year, which is good news ahead of the 2020 season. The only key player from that group who's departed this offseason is safety Duron Harmon. He was traded to the Detroit Lions last month.

Listen and subscribe to Phil Perry's Next Pats Podcast here: 

Contact Us