FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick annually references the Dallas Morning News special teams rankings as a barometer of excellence, so when the rankings are released, it is noted at this address.
In 2015, the Patriots finished 11th, slipping from No. 3 last year.
The Patriots had some notable transitions this year on special teams, with assistant Joe Judge taking over for the retired Scott O'Brien, and Ray Ventrone hired as his assistant. Injuries made it a challenge for Judge and Ventrone to juggle their units, with the low point coming Dec.