The New England Patriots defense stepped up in a major way in Week 1, slowing down the high-powered Cincinnati Bengals offense in a 16-10 win at Paycor Stadium on Sunday.
Many players were responsible for this excellent defensive performance.
Kyle Dugger made a great play in the second quarter to prevent a touchdown and force a fumble at the goal line. Keion White had a huge impact as a pass rusher and tallied two sacks with three QB hits. Christian Gonzalez played great in coverage against Bengals superstar wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase.
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Another defensive standout was veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones.
One of the most important plays of the game was Jones making a tackle on a fourth-and-2 in the third quarter. The Bengals drove to the Patriots' 36-yard line, but they couldn't go much further after Jones tackled Cincy wideout Andrei Iosivas short of the line to gain.
This play wasn't the only impressive aspect of Jones' performance. The veteran cornerback didn't allow a single reception during 25 coverage snaps and also tallied a pass breakup. He made three tackles, too.
Jones was Pro Football Focus' second-highest graded cornerback in Week 1. PFF gave him a 86.1 out of 100 grade.
The cornerback tandem of Jones and Gonzalez was fantastic in Week 1, and that's very encouraging for the Patriots because they play against many of the league's best wide receivers this season. If this duo stays healthy, the Patriots secondary could be really productive.
