New England wants to stay competitive on scramble drills.
Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs might be the best quarterback in the NFL right now, in large part due to his ability to keep plays alive even after they break down. The New England Patriots defense saw this first-hand last week, and did not always have an answer at the ready.
Heading into Week 16, the unit will not go up against a player of that same quality — there aren’t many of those around. However, Denver Broncos QB Russell Wilson offers some of the same skills as Mahomes when it comes to extending plays.
Naturally, those scramble drills and “second routes” will again be a point of emphasis for New England’s defense this week.
“Just making sure that we don’t allow the plays to get extended,” said linebacker Jahlani Tavai on Thursday. “We struggled on that last week, but it’s a new week. We’ve had a great week of practice to prepare for that. So, we’re just making sure that we perfect our craft and get ready for whatever they come out with Sunday.”
Tavai obviously has experience against Mahomes, having seen him go 27-of-37 for 305 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions last week. He has not played against Wilson yet over the course of his five-year career in the NFL, but he does see similarities between the two quarterbacks.
“They’re very similar,” he said. “They’re still looking deep down the field to find a receiver. But when plays are extended we just got to make sure that we latch on to the nearest receiver and trust that our D-line will make a play, whether it’s making a sack or swarming whoever’s got the ball in their hands.”
The long-time starting quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks, Wilson is in his second season as a Bronco and first under new head coach Sean Payton. And while he has not yet returned to the form he showed pre-trade, the 35-year-old has played some productive football for Denver so far in 2023.
In total, he has completed 272 of 410 pass attempts (66.3%) for 2,832 yards with 24 TDs and 8 INTs this year. The Broncos’ passing offense is ranked 21st in the NFL with -0.001 expected points added per play.
But while those numbers do not jump off the page, the Patriots know underestimating Wilson and his supporting cast is a recipe for disappointment.
“A guy who’s been doing it for a long time,” said safety Jalen Mills. “For sure, in the backend, what is plastered this week is once he gets off his first or second read that’s when he becomes Russell Wilson, scrambling around. He’s got some good targets to throw to as well — [Courtland] Sutton, [Jerry] Jeudy, and those backs.”
If the Patriots are able to stay disciplined on scramble drills this Sunday, their chances of victory should increase drastically. Whether or not that is enough to leave Denver with a win is another story altogether, though.