The New England Patriots are having a resurgence after making the playoffs last season.
Football fans thought that it would take a while before they became postseason fixtures again.
However, Mac Jones‘ emergence at quarterback helped them finish with a 10-7 record last season.
Aside from their young play-caller, it’s easy to guess the Patriots’ defense as the primary reason for their success.
After all, that side of the ball has been head coach Bill Belichick’s signature throughout his career.
They do have some solid players on that side, including Deatrich Wise Jr., Christian Barmore, Matthew Judon, Malcolm Butler, and Devin McCourty.
But another unit has made their presence felt for the Patriots over the last half-decade.
Patriots NFL ranks over the last 5 seasons
Special Teams TD 1st
Punt blocks 1st
Opp. net yds per punt 1st
Opp. FG % 1st pic.twitter.com/CtSJ4AZKwp— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) June 17, 2022
The NFL on CBS Twitter account revealed that the Patriots’ special teams rank first in the league in four significant categories from 2017 to 2021.
They are first in special teams touchdowns and punt blocks.
The Patriots are also aggressive in this part of the game, making them the best in opponent net yards per punt and field goal conversion percentage.
The key players for their special teams are placekicker Nick Folk, punter, and holder Jake Bailey, punt returner Jakobi Meyers, kick returner Ty Montgomery, and long snapper Joe Cardona.
A Legacy Of Excellence
The Patriots have always sent a special teamer to the Pro Bowl over that period of time.
Matthew Slater made it in 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2021.
He was also a Second-Team All-Pro in three of those years and First-Team All-Pro in 2019.
In 2018, kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson became a Second-Team All-Pro.
In 2020, Bailey became a Pro Bowler and a First-Team All-Pro member.
He was joined by punt returner Gunner Olszewski on the first team.
These individual accolades are proof that the Patriots pay attention to detail, even on special teams.
That often-forgotten aspect of the game could spell a ton of difference between winning and losing.
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