On a five-game win streak, here are five reasons why the Patriots turned it around in 2021

With their Week 6 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the Patriots record fell to 2-4 and the outlook wasn’t great.

From 1990-2020, only 9.3% of teams that started with that record made the playoffs, according to Stathead. In Patriots franchise history, 11 teams started with a 2-4 record and all missed the playoffs. The only team to finish with a winning record was the 1988 Patriots, at 9-7.

But, as Bill Belichick often explains, what happened in the past has nothing to do with how his team will play in the future. Since that Cowboys loss, the Patriots have won five straight games. They’re now 7-4, in first place in the AFC East and the No. 3 seed in the conference.

It’s been an incredible turnaround. Here are the top five reasons why it happened:

The offense found its identity

During the first six weeks, the Patriots averaged 20.8 points per game. Over this five-game win streak, the offense is averaging 35 points per game.

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Mac Jones has improved — he's currently second in the NFL in completion percentage (70.2) and on pace to set an NFL rookie record for accuracy. However, a big reason for this turnaround is that the Patriots figured out what works for them on offense. During the first six weeks, the Pats were averaging 235.7 passing yards per game. During the win streak, they've averaged 235.4.

The difference has been the run game. With a rookie quarterback, you need to run the ball efficiently. The Pats are getting that with Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson. The Pats averaged 86.7 rushing yards per game during their 2-4 start. They're averaging 151.8 rushing yards per game over the last five games.

A better run game makes life easier for Jones. It shows.

The defensive front seven is dominating

Coming into this season, we all knew the Patriots defense had the potential to be dominant. The additions of Matthew Judon, Kyle Van Noy, Davon Godchaux and the return of Dont’a Hightower made the group look good on paper.

But at the start of the season, there were some issues. The unit wasn’t getting off the field in big moments and gave up some big plays. During that 2-4 start, the defense allowed an average of 246.3 passing yards and 112.8 rushing yards per contest. Over the last five weeks, the group has been stifling, allowing an average of 169.6 passing yards and 88.4 rushing yards per game.

In the first six weeks, the defense was tied for 11th in the NFL, allowing 127 points. However, they stepped it up and in the last five weeks it has allowed 50 points, which is second in the NFL in that time span.

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The Pats had 13 sacks in the first six games. During this win streak, they have had 15 sacks, tied for the most in the NFL in that span.

Judon, Van Noy and Hightower have been dominant. Rookie Christian Barmore and Godchaux have given the defensive line a boost, too.

Elite at cornerback and on sidelines

Would the Patriots be better with Stephon Gilmore? Of course, but the coaching staff has tweaked the defense to make up for a lack of cornerback depth. We’re seeing a unit that’s playing more zone coverage. After losing Jonathan Jones to a shoulder injury, the group lost so much man-to-man coverage talent that it made sense to make some adjustments.

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According to Pro Football Focus, the Pats are in zone coverage 56% of the time this season. They were in that coverage 51% of the time last season. In the last five games, however, they played zone 72% of the time. Add in a dominant pass rush and the defense is forcing opposing quarterbacks to make shorter, quicker throws and they don’t have enough time to target the secondary.

When they do, J.C. Jackson has made them pay. Over the last five games, Jackson has allowed just six catches on 22 targets (27%) for 79 yards to go with four interceptions. Those are insane numbers.

This season, Jalen Mills has allowed 60% of his targets to be caught. Joejuan Williams is at 56% and Myles Bryant is at 77%. Those aren’t great numbers, but the Pats are minimizing the amount of man coverage those corners are playing in. Add in an elite pass rush, more zone coverage and the results have been eye-opening.

Offensive line found its groove

The Patriots have leaned on their run game to help their rookie quarterback. The offensive line has stepped up. During the 2-4 start, Jones was being sacked 2.17 times per game. During this win streak, that number dropped to 1.8.

The big change happened in Week 5 when the coaching staff inserted Ted Karras at left guard. Prior to that, Jones was sacked 10 times in the first four weeks. The rookie went from being sacked 2.5 times per game to just 1.7 with Karras in the lineup.

The change has forced promising offensive lineman Michael Onwenu to the bench, but it’s hard to argue with the results. We’ve also seen a change from Isaiah Wynn with Karras next to him as opposed to Onwenu. In four games with Onwenu at left guard, Wynn allowed two sacks, five quarterback hits and two holds. In seven games with Karras at left guard, Wynn has allowed two sacks, three QB hits and two holds.

Patriots are winning the turnover battle

In the NFL, the team that wins the turnover battle is the team most likely to win. During their 2-4 start, the Patriots had 11 turnovers on offense compared to eight takeaways on defense.

That‘s completely changed.

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During this win streak, the Patriots have three giveaways in five games. On defense, they’ve forced 13 turnovers in five games. The 13 turnovers, over the last five games, are more than 17 NFL teams have all season long.

Remember that Damien Harris fumble in Week 1? It may have cost the Pats a victory. In the game that followed, the Patriots again turned over the ball. That has turned around, and so has this season’s outlook.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Here's how New England Patriots turned their 2021 NFL season around