Sunday Patriots Notes: Improved defensive unit trending toward breakthrough

The NFL is in its slowest period, but that does not mean there is nothing to talk about when it comes to the league and the New England Patriots. Granted, the exciting days of training camp are still a few weeks away, but the pro football world still does not keep spinning.

So, with that said, let’s clean out the notebook from the week that was. Welcome to the latest edition of our Sunday Patriots Notes.

Defensive breakthrough

When forecasting what must go right for the New England Patriots to take a step forward as a team this season, much of the focus naturally shifts to the offensive side of the football.

Josh McDaniels is back on the sideline to coordinate the unit. One of the league’s…