The Patriots have just two games remaining on their schedule, but it doesn’t look like they’ll be able to get through them without addressing a few problems.
Keion White has an issue with how things are going down at One Patriot Place.
MassLive’s Karen Guregian published a story on Friday that outlined his issues, which flipped a season full of promise into one the soft-spoken defender is just trying to escape.
“I’m going to try to get through these next two games, and then figure it out after that, and see where the cards may lie for my future,” White said, startling those who penciled him in for a long career in New England. “… Just in general. In terms of everything. I mean, anything is possible. It’s the NFL. Anything can happen year to year. It’s a production-based business. It is what it is. You just figure out where you go … something’s gotta change. That’s the way I feel at this point.”
White didn’t mince any words, huh?
It’s been an extremely frustrating year for everyone down in Foxboro, Mass., but what exactly is at the root of the 25-year-old’s troubles? White pointed toward himself, clearly holding angst toward his own play in the run game — which has been an issue for the entire defense lately — while avoiding details about those around him.
“It’s the honest truth. I operate in black and white… I feel like I’m not playing good run defense. It’s a multitude of reasons why. It’s an internal thing we need to figure out,” White said. “I don’t think it’s just one thing. I think it’s a lot of things. First and foremost, it’s me. I need to improve me, and being on the same page with what the coaches want. I think it’s a lot of other things as well. Without going too much into details, that’s how I feel.”
White did a decent job not throwing his coaches under the bus, but watching games over the last several weeks will tell you what he’s upset about.
The Patriots are essentially trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, as their most disruptive interior player has been kept out on the edge playing in a containment role for several weeks. It’s not just an issue against the run, either, as only one of his five sacks has been recorded since Week 3. White hasn’t been good at setting the edge, but ever-decreasing depth on that edge has forced him to stay in a spot he clearly isn’t comfortable.
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo, as well as outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins, commended the second-year defender for his honesty regarding the entire situation. Wilkins doesn’t seem to view it as a huge deal, however, saying the growth of a young player is never “linear” and that he believes things would improve.
New England would do itself a favor by making some changes, however, because things clearly aren’t working out right now.
