With offense floundering, Patriots now face crisis on defense

Before Sunday, New England was already missing cornerbacks Marcus Jones (shoulder), Jack Jones (hamstring), Jonathan Jones (ankle) and DT Daniel Ekuale (bicep), all important players on New England's defense.

By adding superstars Judon and Gonzalez to the long list of injured defensive players, the Patriots have entered crisis mode for several reasons.

Currently, the best corner on the Patriots active roster is 25-year-old Myles Bryant. 

Bryant has been solid from time to time, but he is nowhere near first cornerback material due to his inconsistency. On any other NFL team, Bryant would be viewed as a rotational depth piece. 

Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb scored a touchdown with Bryant in coverage on Sunday.

The second corner on the Patriots roster is Shaun Wade, who has seen just 143 snaps in his entire three-year career. For reference, the average NFL offense snaps the ball 153 times in a single game.

New England's current cornerback situation is atrocious and one of the worst in the entire NFL. Fortunately, Jack Jones has hinted at returning soon from his hamstring injury, but for now, barring further change, Bryant and Wade are projected to be the starting cornerbacks for the upcoming weeks, which will likely not end in New England's favor.

New England's pass rush situation is also filled with questions in light of recent injuries.

With 31-year-old Judon out, the Patriots will have to rely on less experienced names to bring consistent pressure to opposing quarterbacks. Because the Patriots pass defense is remarkably weak, the team will be relying on quarterback pressure to bail it out of poor coverage. 

A name that may see an increased workload is rookie Keion White, who has promising film.

The team will be relying on White to step into Judon's role, which is a big ask, especially with White's inexperience. In the case he underperforms and the rest of the pass rush remains mediocre, the Patriots defense will have trouble keeping up with some of the teams on the schedule.

New England has been relying on its defense to carry it to victories. The Patriots offense has been dreadful to begin the season, scoring just 55 points through four games.

If the defense does not adapt to the current situation and the offense continues to struggle, games will start dropping left and right, and the playoffs will soon be far out of reach.