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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) – Bill Belichick was quick to remember what Aaron Rodgers had done against his defense the last time the Packers faced the Patriots.
"He killed us," Belichick said of New England's 26-21 loss to Green Bay in 2014. "He's doing all right … He's one of the big leagues in the National Football League. No questions about it. "
Four years later, Belichick's affinity for Rodgers and his abilities have not changed, as the Patriots prepare to host Green Bay on Sunday night.
It presents the latest challenge for a New England defense that has had problems slowing down teams this season, especially in high school.
After the departure of defensive coordinator Matt Patricia to the Lions, the Patriots struggled to stay consistent in 2018.
They currently rank in the bottom half of the NFL in total defense (25th, 383 yards per game) and in allotted yards (22nd, 227 yards per game).
The stopping of the pass has been a major problem in the losses of New England.
Blake Bortles had 376 yards and four touchdowns, including 61 with Dede Westbrook in the fourth quarter of the Jaguars' 31-20 victory in the second week.
A week later, Matt Stafford had just nine missing assists and totaled 262 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Lions to a 26-10 victory.
And although the Patriots were able to win a 43-40 victory over the Chiefs, it's despite Patrick Mahomes who turned on the defense for 352 yards and four touchdowns.
The similarities in all these games were the ability of three quarters to create time and space with their legs.
Rodgers should not be as mobile as he is still slowed by the knee injury he suffered on the first day of Green Bay. But he still managed to complete 61% of his passes by performing 13 touchdowns and one interception.
Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty was with the Titans in 2016 when they beat the Packers 47-25 in a game that saw Rodgers launch two interceptions.
But he said he did not expect to get less than the best of Rodgers this time.
"I really do not want to compare anyone to Aaron Rodgers, so I will not follow that path," McCourty said. "At the end of the day, no matter how many football games you play, you are prepared to prepare for that guy. … He will probably be the best quarterback against which we play this year, that 's for sure. "
Similarly, Rodgers is waiting to see various Belichick defensive looks to put him out of action.
"Bill is a phenomenal coach and he will always have his guys ready to play," he said. "They do a number of different things – they're not always major in one thing, they're going to try to fight what you do best and get rid of it, get out of the schedule and lock guys that they want to take along and get you beat with your third and fourth options. "
New England High School has improved in its five-game winning streak. Part of the reason is the support she got from the defensive line.
A week after losing 31 points in Chicago, the Patriots responded by limiting the Buffalo offense to six points on a difficult day for Tom Brady and his attack.
The defense had three sacks, including two from linebacker Kyle Van Noy. But the game came from safety Devin McCourty, who eliminated Buffalo quarterback Derek Anderson late in the fourth quarter and returned 84 yards for a touchdown.
The 11 interceptions of New England are tied for second place in the league in eight weeks.
The defensive wing, Trey Flowers, said that helping the secondary player to achieve similar success against Rodgers will depend on his ability to accelerate Rodgers' game.
"We will absolutely have to try to contain it as much as possible," Flowers said. "You take it out of your pocket and it's always good, keep it in your pocket and it's still good, we just have to keep pushing and pushing it a bit and doing our best."
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