When the New England Patriots promoted Jerod Mayo to head coach over Bill Belichick, the team’s defensive coordinator position opened up. They also remain within and are influenced from within to fill that space. All signs point to the Patriots elevating defensive backs coach DeMarcus Covington to the role of defensive coordinator, quarterback Albert Breer said Monday morning.
Covington, 34, is considered a rising star as an NFL assistant coach and has been with the Patriots since the 2017 season. He started as the team’s defensive assistant and worked his way up to outside linebackers coach before taking over the defensive line starting with the 2020 season.
It may seem strange for a team that has won just 12 games over the past two seasons (and was just 4-13 last season) to come from within, but the Patriots’ defense has never been a problem.This unit has been among the top in the league for the past decade, and despite some injuries (including to star defenseman Matt Judon), they’ve played very well this season.
They finished the 2023 season 15th in opposing points scored and 7th in receiving yards.The Patriots have lost five games by 20 points or fewer this season, including four games in which they allowed 17 points or fewer. In three of those meetings, they lost 10-6, 10-7 and 6-0.If nothing else, the defense played well enough to at least double the team’s win total despite an average offense.
If Mayo and Covington can continue to create momentum on defense and figure out their quarterback situation (perhaps with the No. 3 overall pick in the draft), it could be a relatively quick turnaround for the Patriots. Or maybe it’s faster than people originally thought.
