The Patriots lost their Week 2 contest 23-20 in overtime.
Despite only being in his second year in the NFL, Keion White already has become a tone-setter for the New England Patriots both on and off the field. He showed that again during, and after, Sunday’s overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
On the field, the former second-round draft pick was his usual disruptive self. White registered one-and-a-half sacks to bring his season total to four through two games, and also was active at the point of attack in the run game. He was again one of the Patriots’ best players on either side of the ball.
Off the field, meanwhile, the 25-year-old wasted no time expressing his feelings on New England’s 23-20 loss and the role the defense played in it.
“The offense did what they needed to do for us to win today. I feel like as a defense, we need to play better, me included,” White said during his postgame press conference. “DBs, D-line, linebackers, everybody. So, we need to go to the drawing board, watch the film, and see how we can improve. It’s a short week, and that’s what it’s all about: making the corrections.”
Statistically speaking, the Patriots defense had its positive moments — something White’s teammate Deatrich Wise Jr. also made sure to mention during his own stint at the podium. With White leading the charge, the unit made Seattle one-dimensional and surrendered just two touchdowns.
However, the group also had some struggles in the passing game. Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith completed 33 of 44 pass attempts for 327 yards and a 56-yard score to wideout DK Metcalf. The team also passed the ball on seven of eight plays on the game-winning drive in overtime and managed to march 71 yards in eight plays.
If there is an area to make corrections on defense, the Patriots probably should start there.
What will those look like, though? White didn’t provide an answer, but rather said that he would trust the coaching staff to find them.
“I just know we didn’t play well enough. I don’t know what we did. I don’t know what we need to do better,” he said. “I haven’t had a chance to watch the film. I’m confident in our coaches, I’m confident in DeMarcus [Covington] to make the corrections and get us where we need to be.”