FOXBORO, Mass. — Keion White would not view himself as Matthew Judon’s substitute.
That narrative was a lot common main into Patriots coaching camp, and picked up after New England traded Judon to the Atlanta Falcons. White, nonetheless, believes that could be a job for New England’s exterior rushers, together with Joshua Uche and Oshane Ximines.
“I am an inside rusher, I really feel like. We received good exterior rushers exterior of me,” White informed NESN.com after the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Patriots 14-13 at Gillette Stadium on Thursday night time. “That is not my position to fill. I really feel like my position is to be the inside rusher that I have been.”
I really feel like my position is to be the inside rusher that I have been.
Keion White
White confirmed his private choice is to play on the inside. He began on the sting towards the Eagles, however moved inside when Deatrich Clever Jr. and Uche entered the sport on the primary third down of the sport. White did come off the sting on a 3rd down, nonetheless, doing so reverse edge rusher Anfernee Jennings when Daniel Ekuale and Jeremiah Pharms Jr. had been on the inside.
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“I am a sluggish rusher exterior and a quick rusher inside,” White mentioned. “So normally first and second down, when it is run-pass choice, I rush on the skin. However when you’ve got an apparent move state of affairs, I would quite kick down on the within and rush the passer and get these mismatches.”
White created a mismatch wherever he lined up Thursday night time. His lone sack got here when he rushed on the sting towards Eagles offensive lineman Max Scharping. However White had a near-sack on the finish of the primary half when he rushed from the inside.
White recorded one in every of 5 sacks for the Patriots, a number of coming when New England rushed with 4. Clever tallied a sack of his personal shortly after White, and Uche was the primary to carry down Eagles backup quarterback Kenny Pickett.
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Whereas New England’s success got here towards a backup unit from Philadelphia, very similar to it did within the preseason opener towards the Carolina Panthers, White and others are assured it is going to translate towards beginning teams.
“I really feel like we have confirmed what we would have liked to point out,” White mentioned. “Clearly, when you’re going towards a backup offense and you are going to have starters on the market we should always dominate, we should always get sacks and issues like that. I really feel like if we weren’t getting the sacks it will be extra of a (trigger for concern), however as a result of we’re getting the sacks, we really feel somewhat bit higher.
“And I really feel like we had a fairly good joint apply towards them so far as pressuring the quarterback and doing the identical factor towards the starters, as effectively. So you are able to do that and construct upon it and proper issues that must be corrected and issues like that.”
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo referred to as the commerce of Judon a “win-win.” New England obtained a third-round decide and Atlanta improved its protection because it makes a run for the NFC South title.
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So whereas White may not really feel like he is the plug-and-play substitute given his personal preferences, it is clear the Patriots are assured within the pass-rush manufacturing the second-year defender may have.
“I really feel like we’ve got the following man up mentality,” White mentioned. “Clearly (Judon) goes to be missed and it is large footwear to fill, however I am assured within the guys we’ve got to fill his footwear.”
