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Patriots defense hopes to set the Bar more high than 2021

By Tom King - Staff Writer | Aug 4, 2022

Kyle Dugger was asked what kind of asset Christian Barmore is for the New England Patriots defense.

“A big one,” he said with a slight grin.

Indeed, Barmore, the second-year defense tackle, was the talk of the first half of the training camp week with padded practices in the hot sun. He was said to have dominated the line of scrimmage, making mincemeat out of whoever was across the line. Including rookie lineman Cole Strange.

With no pads or contact on Wednesday as the sun continued to beat down on the grass fields behind Gillette Stadium, it was hard to tell who was having a good day and who wasn’t. Quarterback Mac Jones threw his hands up in the air after having to dump off a short pass.

But really, all the crying about what coach is in charge of the team’s supposed “zone attack”, etc. really doesn’t matter. We know –that makes you scream because the NFL is all about points.

Well. If you want to talk points, what you should be looking at is the 48 the Buffalo Bill’s put up against this team back in mid-January in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. The Bill’s punter could have had a nice Saturday night meal somewhere, caught a movie etc. His foot never touched a football.

So pay more attention to what Barmore, Dugger and the rest of this defense does from here on out. Barmore who had a nice rookie season, appears to have made the next step in his now veteran year. Heck,he admitted Wednesday he has his own room at the team camp hotel, complete with a kitchen, etc. My how the times have changed since the Bryant College (now University) days when it was dorm room time.

“Enjoying the weather, playing football,” Barmore said. “I’m way more comfortable than I was last year, faster, really getting better every day.”

Barmore, the former Alabama beast, trained in Texas so this heat is nothing to him. Today’s 100 degree temperatures won’t bother him in the least.

Barmore says he’s playing the “stretch” better, playing the run better, his footwork is better, etc. “It’s going to get me better and get my team better, he said. “It’s all about working together and getting each other better.”

Playing the run and his footwork is something he worked on, trying to help make a slow defense faster. “Dominate the run,” he said, noting he’s never really felt physically overmatched. Teammate Trent Brown can give him a little bit of trouble, he said. “I’ve learned a lot from him.”

“You see veteran players working with younger players all the time,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “Especially the ones that want help.”

Belichick hinted Barmore came in much better condition this year than when he was a rookie, and now has “a better idea of quicker recognition, reads, anticipation, things like that.”

The question, too, though, is at linebacker. That’s why safeties like Dugger will be playing up more near the box. This defense will need all the help it can get with players doing multiple things. “Today,” he said, “was probably one of our better days.”

Sure, the offense has struggled. But there’s too much talent on that side of the ball to not eventually evolve. The Patriots hope they can win games with their defense, and Dugger likes what he sees.

“Just the way we’re jelling together,” he said. “Somebody (like Barmore) that can be consistent is always good for the defense. … I feel a lot better, not trying to be too comfortbable, looking at ways that’s going to throw the quarterback off, the offense off.”

Again, yesterday was a non contact day. There are other days when the pain will be there with the pads on, and guys like Barmore will be inflicting some of it. This is what the Patriots want to see.

“Everybody’s feeling pain,” Barmore said with a laugh. “You know what I mean?”

We did last January. The Patriots want to contain that feeling to August.

Tom King can be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com, or on twitter @Telegraph _TomK.

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