I feel like the defense against the run has really turned It around.
For whatever reason(s), this season has seen a number of Patriot players, on both sides of the ball, start the season with a level of play well below what most of us, including pundits, and I would dare say, Patriot management, expected: Jonnu, Guy, Godchaux, Van Noy, Hightower, and Wynn. Most of those, with the glaring exception of Wynn and DHT, seemed to have turned their seasons around and returned to levels much closer to what he had hoped/expected. I have no idea why so many started so poorly, and I have no idea how most of them turned it around while Wynn has not. (I think DHT is simply done.)
Whatever the reasons, I think the Pats D has really played well, with the glaring exception of the Dallas game. Judon has been a beast all season, and Barmore has been unleashed as the best interior DL for the Pats since Vince Wilfork. But Guy, Godchaux and Van Noy have all improved notably over the last 2-3 games while Jamie Collins seems to be doing the things we had hoped that Wino or Uche would have done. Finally a huge shoutout to Miles Bryant for making me not miss Jonathan Jones who I think has been one of the Pats most under-appreciated players for the last few years.