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The Patriots are cooking on offense, and the Packers’ defense isn’t giving an inch
With 11 weeks of the 2025 NFL regular season behind us, the league has separated into the haves, the have-nots and the maybes. And inside each team, the same split appears - some units win with pure offensive juice, others with defense that stands tall when needed.
Here, DAZN News’ Gavin Babbitt breaks down two such NFL units to watch - the outstanding offense of the New England Patriots and the stingy Green Bay Packers' defense.
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Drake Maye and the Patriots’ offense
The Patriots rank seventh in the NFL in scoring (26.5) thanks to an efficient passing game. New England has won eight straight games, scoring 27 points or more in five of those contests.
In only his second NFL season, Drake Maye is a bona fide MVP candidate through 11 weeks. He leads the league in completion percentage (71.9%) with 20 touchdowns and five interceptions. Most impressively, this production is coming without heavy use of play-action.
The 23-year-old has been excellent at throwing the ball deep. His passer rating is 139.6 on routes over 20 yards this season, and his 703 passing yards rank fourth among quarterbacks on those plays. The chunk gains are giving the Patriots regular scoring opportunities.
Maye’s mobility is a major compliment to his throws downfield. He has gained 20 first downs with his legs this season and leads the NFL in total scrambles (44). Defenders cannot drop out when Patriots receivers break the second level.
New England has a deep receiving corps, another reason for its quarterback’s efficiency. Stefon Diggs, Hunter Henry and Demario Douglas all have three or more receiving touchdowns. This forces defenses to cover the whole field throughout drives and in the red zone.
Covering Diggs is no easy task. He consistently plays in the slot and on the outside. This has drawn attention away from Kayshon Boutte on deep routes. Boutte has caught nine of 10 targets and scored five touchdowns going over the top.
Along with Boutte’s deep prowess, TreVeyon Henderson’s speed and physicality are wearing on opposing defenses. The tailback is averaging nearly six yards per carry running to the outside and ranks among the elite in yards after contact per attempt (3.99).
The Patriots’ offense can spread you out with a plethora of skill players, and its quarterback rarely makes mistakes. New England faces one of the NFL’s softest defenses against the Bengals in Week 12.
The Packers’ lockdown defense
The Packers’ defense has allowed only 40 points over its last three games. Green Bay is defending the pass on nearly 60% of its snaps, but ranks third in the NFL in yards per play allowed (4.6).
This defense is effective at stopping the run while playing with a light box. The Packers’ front seven does not miss tackles or allow yards after contact.
Micah Parsons, Rashan Gary, Quay Walker and Isaiah McDuffie have played in all 10 games and missed a total of three tackles in the running game. Additionally, the Packers make it difficult to finish drives on the ground. They have allowed only eight rushing touchdowns this year.
The Green Bay pass rush is led by its top two edge rushers. Defensive Player of the Year candidate Micah Parsons remains one of the NFL’s best at the position. Parsons’ nine sacks and 37 hurries are both top-six totals among all defenders this season.
Rashan Gary plays mostly from an outside linebacker alignment. This consistently complicates protection, especially when he is stacked on the same side as Parsons.
Karl Brooks and Devonte Wyatt anchor the interior effort. This group is in the top half of the league in total pressures despite playing with the league’s second-lowest blitz rate (20.3%).
The Packers allow receptions, but do not give up big plays after the catch or downfield. Green Bay ranks fourth in passing yards per play allowed (5.2) and has conceded the fourth-fewest yards after the catch this season (966).
The Packers’ light-box scheme allows them to drop more players into coverage. Cornerbacks Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine are protecting the boundaries well. Neither is allowing a reception rate higher than 60%, and Nixon leads the NFL in pass breakups (11).
Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper patrols the middle of the field. Cooper leads the team in passing play tackles (38) and is allowing only seven yards per reception.
Safeties Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams are essential to limiting big plays. The two have allowed only 112 yards after the catch this season and combined for four interceptions.
The combination of Green Bay’s personnel and scheme enables them to defend the entire field. The Packers’ defense heads into Week 12 ready to extend their hot streak when they clash with the Vikings in a divisional showdown.
