For the Patriots, defending the Falcons starts with shutting down Kyle Pitts

The Patriots defense is in the middle of an impressive run. So much so, that opposing quarterbacks probably aren’t in a hurry to face Bill Belichick’s unit right now.

Most recently, LA’s Justin Herbert (4-of-12 on third down), Carolina’s Sam Darnold (3 picks), and Cleveland’s Baker Mayfield (56.2 QBR) have had their worst games of the season, or close to it, thanks to the Patriots.

Now comes Matt Ryan.

The Falcons are coming off an embarrassing loss on the road against the Cowboys. They sit at 4-5 and are teetering on the edge of still having a chance to make the postseason.

One of their best offensive weapons, Cordarrelle Patterson, is a game-time decision with an ankle injury. Initial reports had Patterson, who leads the Falcons in rushing yards, receiving touchdowns, and overall touchdowns this season, missing time.

His absence would be a big one for their offense, but that still leaves Kyle Pitts to wreak havoc.

The rookie tight end, the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, has already formed a great chemistry with Ryan, with 40 receptions for 606 yards and a touchdown.

The Patriots will need to tame him, and the rest of the Falcons offense.

Here’s how they can do it:

1. Stop Pitts

At 6-foot-6, 246 pounds with a 4.44 40-yard dash time, Pitts is a unique athlete, and at that size, and ability to play inside or outside, Belichick called him a “matchup nightmare.”

“He’s a very dynamic player that’s going to demand some heavy attention or he’ll just kill you by himself,” Belichick said of the tight end.

So how to defend him?

The Patriots could go any number of ways. Last week, the Cowboys had their best cornerback, Trevon Diggs, lined up across from Pitts on most key downs. That proved to be effective given Pitts does line up out on the perimeter quite a bit.

Seeing that, the Patriots could take a page out of the Cowboys book, and put J.C. Jackson on him, also on the key downs.

Other options include doubling him with their safeties, be it Kyle Dugger or Adrian Phillips, with help from Devin McCourty over the top. Or, maybe try 6-foot-3, 212-pound Joejuan Williams with safety help.

Whatever the Patriots choose, Pitts will be the focus, assuming Patterson doesn’t play. If Patterson does play, a long shot at best, that’s another can of worms given he plays all over the formation.

2. Keep heat on Ryan

Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Ryan’s former head coach, seemed to know exactly what buttons to push to get his former quarterback off his game.

Quinn did so well, Ryan finished with a paltry passer rating of 21.4, the worst of his 14-year career, and lowest since Week 2 of his rookie season (29.6).

Ryan was 9-for-21 for 117 yards and two interceptions in the blowout loss. Ryan also went 1-for-11 on third down, and 0-for-2 on fourth down.

How did Quinn get Ryan off his game?

By penetrating two of the weaker links on the offensive line, rookie left guard Jalen Mayfield and right tackle Kaleb McGary.

With that, there was tons of pressure on Ryan when he dropped back. The Cowboys also managed to close all the rush lanes. But in terms of getting to Ryan, that also paid off in Super Bowl LI during the historic comeback.

Enter Matt Judon (31 pressures) and Christian Barmore (28 pressures). They need to continue to bring the heat along with the rest of the Patriots front.

3. Beware of gadget plays

Given little time to prepare with a short week, Patriots linebacker Judon says NFL teams typically rely on their “bread-and-butter” plays when faced with a Thursday night game.

But that doesn’t mean the Falcons won’t have a few things up their sleeve for the Patriots. Head coach Arthur Smith, the former offensive coordinator for the Titans, has had success against Patriots defenses in the past, and has already dialed up a few gadget plays this season. He might unload more against the Patriots given the importance of the game.

“Hopefully they stick to their bread-and-butter plays, but we’ve gotta be ready for anything and everything,” Judon said Tuesday. “We’re the only game on TV, so everybody kind of pulls out the trick plays for that type of stuff. We’ll be ready and prepared.”