Upon his arrival to New England, Christian Barmore has told us repeatedly that it's all about bringing the energy, which is interesting because the reason the big defensive lineman got picked in the second round and not the first back in 2021 was primarily due to that, a motor that ran hot and cold not just game-to-game, but sometimes in the same game.
That issue, if you will, was nowhere to be found in his rookie year. Barmore was a beast. Per Pro Football Focus, his 48 pressures were the second most by a rookie defensive tackle, trailing only Leonard Williams and ahead of the likes of Aaron Donald (44), J.J. Watt (43), and Chris Jones (42). I don't always love the PFF numbers, but his performance was impressive, and he more than passed the eye test. Sometimes, you couldn't take your eyes off him.
But hope that Barmore would build on that in year two was quickly snuffed by a knee injury that cost him seven games, and there were a few games early in the season in which the big fella could have been more consistently engaged in the action. That changed post-injury, especially over the final two weeks. Again, it seemed to be a jumping-off point for the player he was in year one.
2023 started inconsistently. Barmore was effective against Philadelphia and a hellion in the win over New York (6 pressures), but in losses to Miami, Dallas, and New Orleans, he made no impact statistically or otherwise. He was just…there. He's too talented for that.
That all changed in Las Vegas. The Pats might not have been good enough that day (or many others this season), but the former Alabama product has been a consistent force since, by my count, totaling 13 pressures, a pair of sacks, and a pair of QB hits. In a season where only a handful of players have elevated their play, Barmore has strung together a nice run here. The challenge for him now is to maintain that level of play and be a building block on a team in desperate need of some.
"B-More's had a really good year,” said Bill Belichick. “He's been healthy. He had a good offseason. I'd say this is the hardest he's trained or was able to train. Some of that's been a little bit rehab-related. He's had a good offseason, good training, and he's playing well,"
Studying Barmore's tape Sunday was a fun watch. He lined up on the nose, shaded inside and outside the guard and tackle. He did all that well, both as a run defender and, at his best, rushing the passer. You wanted some positives? Watch these plays below.
More must-reads: