In mid-December, the New England Patriots owned the No. 1 seed in the AFC and arguably the NFL’s top defense. Then, they collapsed.
New England proceeded to lose four of its last five games following its Week 14 bye, including a 47-17 Buffalo Bills spanking in the wild-card round. During that span, the Patriots’ formidable defense disintegrated, suddenly struggling to force turnovers (one over their final four losses), rush the passer (two sacks, seven quarterback hits) and stop the run (177 yards allowed per game with just seven tackles for loss).
What happened? What went wrong? Pro Bowl outside linebacker Matthew Judon offered his take during an appearance Wednesday on 98.