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2021 saw the New England Patriots return to the playoffs after a one-year absence and finish the regular season a respectable 10-7 before a loss in the wild card round. While there was a lot of positive to take away from that season, the team did have some downs to go along with its ups. One of those downs was a comparatively high number of penalties.
One year after being the least penalized team in football, New England was a middle of the pack team in that department. The Patriots were flagged 110 times over their 18 games this year, with their 100 accepted penalties ranking 11th in the league in total penalties. They were ranked 19th in penalty yardage lost (888).
With that being said and by using data compiled by NFLPenalties.com, let’s find out who are the players responsible for the Patriots’ infractions this season split up by offense, defense and special teams (numbers are split up by where a player saw his most snaps):
Offense
2021: Offensive penalties
| Player | Position | Total penalties | Accepted | Declined/Offsetting | Penalty yards | Penalties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | Total penalties | Accepted | Declined/Offsetting | Penalty yards | Penalties |
| Isaiah Wynn | OT | 9 | 8 | 1 | 65 | Offensive Holding (5), False Start (3), Illegal Use of Hands (1) |
| Jonnu Smith | TE | 6 | 5 | 1 | 40 | Offensive Holding (4), False Start (2) |
| Shaq Mason | G | 4 | 4 | 0 | 40 | Offensive Holding (2), Illegal Blindside Block (1), Ineligible Downfield Pass (1) |
| Hunter Henry | TE | 4 | 3 | 1 | 15 | False Start (3), Offensive Pass Interference (1) |
| Michael Onwenu | OL | 3 | 3 | 0 | 25 | Offensive Holding (2), False Start (1) |
| Kendrick Bourne | WR | 3 | 3 | 0 | 25 | Offensive Holding (1), Illegal Block Above the Waist (1), False Start (1) |
| David Andrews | C | 3 | 2 | 1 | 20 | Offensive Holding (2), Taunting (1) |
| Ted Karras | G | 2 | 2 | 0 | 15 | False Start (1), Offensive Holding (1) |
| Jakobi Meyers | WR | 2 | 2 | 0 | 15 | False Start (1), Offensive Holding (1) |
| Jakob Johnson | FB | 2 | 2 | 0 | 15 | False Start (1), Offensive Holding (1) |
| Justin Herron | OT | 2 | 2 | 0 | 20 | Offensive Holding (2) |
| Mac Jones | QB | 2 | 2 | 0 | 14 | Intentional Grounding (1), False Start (1) |
| Trent Brown | OT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 15 | Unsportsmanlike Conduct (1) |
| Brandon Bolden | RB | 1 | 1 | 0 | 15 | Unnecessary Roughness (1) |
| James Ferentz | G | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | Offensive Holding (1) |
| Gunner Olszewski | WR | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | False Start (1) |
After being penalized just 27 times during the 2020 season, the Patriots saw 55 infractions called against their offense in 2021 (46 on specific players plus nine more on the entire team). The number one culprit was offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn with nine total penalties, eight of which accepted: the former first-round draft pick was flagged five times for holding as well as three false starts and one illegal use of hands.
Wynn did have some encouraging moments during his fourth season with the Patriots and looked good especially during the team’s seven-game win streak. Like the entire offense, however, he struggled with consistency and his high number of penalties was a part of that.
Defense
2021: Defensive penalties
| Player | Position | Total penalties | Accepted | Declined/Offsetting | Penalty yards | Penalties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | Total penalties | Accepted | Declined/Offsetting | Penalty yards | Penalties |
| Matthew Judon | LB | 8 | 6 | 2 | 60 | Defensive Holding (2), Roughing the Passer (2), Unnecessary Roughness (1), Running Into the Kicker (1), Defensive Offside (1), Neutral Zone Infraction (1) |
| J.C. Jackson | CB | 5 | 5 | 0 | 46 | Defensive Pass Interference (3), Defensive Holding (1), Illegal Blindside Block (1) |
| Deatrich Wise Jr. | DE | 4 | 4 | 0 | 46 | Unnecessary Roughness (1), Horse Collar Tackle (1), Roughing the Passer (1), Defensive Offside (1) |
| Jalen Mills | CB | 4 | 3 | 1 | 52 | Defensive Pass Interference (3), Defensive Holding (1) |
| Kyle Van Noy | LB | 3 | 3 | 0 | 41 | Neutral Zone Infraction (2), Defensive Pass Interference (1) |
| Dont'a Hightower | LB | 2 | 2 | 0 | 12 | Horse Collar Tackle (1), Illegal Contact (1) |
| Joejuan Williams | CB | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | Defensive Holding (1), Offensive Holding (1) |
| Myles Bryant | CB | 2 | 2 | 0 | 30 | Unnecessary Roughness (2) |
| Carl Davis | DT | 2 | 2 | 0 | 10 | Encroachment (2) |
| Justin Bethel | CB | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | Illegal Block Above the Waist (1), Defensive Pass Interference (1) |
| Kyle Dugger | S | 2 | 1 | 1 | 46 | Defensive Pass Interference (1), Disqualification (1) |
| Daniel Ekuale | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 15 | Face Mask (15 Yards) (1) |
| Adrian Phillips | S | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | Offensive Holding (1) |
| Lawrence Guy | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | Illegal Formation (1) |
| Josh Uche | LB | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | Defensive Offside (1) |
| Ja'Whaun Bentley | LB | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | False Start (1) |
| Christian Barmore | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | Encroachment (1) |
| Davon Godchaux | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | Illegal Use of Hands (1) |
| Jonathan Jones | CB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Defensive Holding (1) |
Patriots defenders were flagged 37 times in 2020, a number that jumped to 45 one year later (44 called on specific players plus one more on the entire team). The player that stands out is linebacker Matthew Judon, who was penalized a team-high eight times. The Pro Bowler was flagged for a variety of infractions: defensive holding and roughing the passer lead the way with two flags each.
All in all, the 2021 season saw some good and some bad for the Patriots defense. The penalty numbers were no exception.
Special teams
2021: Special teams penalties
| Player | Position | Total penalties | Accepted | Declined/Offsetting | Penalty yards | Penalties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | Total penalties | Accepted | Declined/Offsetting | Penalty yards | Penalties |
| Brandon King | LB | 3 | 3 | 0 | 29 | Offensive Holding (1), Unnecessary Roughness (1), Defensive Offside (1) |
| Chase Winovich | LB | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | Offensive Holding (1) |
| Cody Davis | S | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | Offensive Holding (1) |
| Matthew Slater | WR | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | Unsportsmanlike Conduct (1) |
| Joe Cardona | LS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | False Start (1) |
The Patriots’ special teams unit had a rough 2021 season, and the penalty count — 17 were called against the group — was no exception. Fo comparison, the 2020 kicking game group was flagged only 12 times.
Linebacker Brandon King led the group with three penalties called against him. The veteran was flagged for holding, offsides and one unnecessary roughness call.
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