The New England Patriots leaned into its biggest strength in their Week 1 win over the Miami Dolphins, and we’re not talking about Cam Newton’s rushing ability.
The Patriots deployed seven defensive backs on 17 of 59 total defensive snaps Sunday. The entire rest of the NFL — all 31 teams combined — used seven defensive backs on the field at the same time in 11 snaps. Every team’s head coach that used a “quarters” package — the New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans and Detroit Lions — has ties to Bill Belichick and the Patriots.