FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Most of the best Patriots defenses of the past not only had star power and great playmakers, but one other special ingredient.

They had a mindset, a level of confidence that bordered on cockiness and took them from great to a championship level.

“Whether it’s swagger, whether it’s toughness, you have to have some type of identity as a defense,” said Patriots Hall of Famer Rodney Harrison, a former player who, along with Ty Law and others, brought some swagger to the secondary. “Whether that means you have a young kid like (Jack) Jones trying to establish it, or it’s an older guy like (Matthew) Judon who already brings it, you have to embrace it.”

What’s the Patriots identity in 2022?

Harrison points to the team’s red-sleeved wonder and sack leader to discover the answer.

“I just think it all starts with Judon,” he said. “He takes a lot of pride in trying to be that leader, set an example, and have other guys follow. And when you have a guy like Matthew, and you see him playing his butt off, making big plays, and celebrating, and getting the team pumped up, how can you not want to be a part of that as a defensive player?

“I just think his impact is a lot greater than sacks and hurries and pressures and stuff like that.”

Along with making quarterbacks miserable on a weekly basis, Judon conveys an attitude, an air of confidence that permeates throughout the unit. And he backs it up.

Judon has been nothing short of a force, registering a sack in each of his first five games, and shares the NFL lead with six overall.

Then there’s uber-confident corner Jones, the promising rookie who has stepped in and has done nothing but make plays when called upon.

With two interceptions, including a pick-six, and a forced fumble in games against Green Bay and Detroit, Jones is starting to gain notice and make a meaningful impact.

For their part, members of the Patriots current defense do feel like they’re establishing who they are, and the type of defense they want to be. They are forging an identity, and doing so in rapid fashion.

Shutting out the league’s top-scoring offense on Sunday helped cement the belief they have in themselves, backing that air of confidence they have now, and plan to bring every week.

Safety Adrian Phillips said it’s about having the ability to step on the field, flip the switch and convey the attitude that they can’t be messed with.

That’s what they’ll do when they step onto FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday to take on the Cleveland Browns and their potent rushing attack.

“It’s like, ‘I’m the baddest dude on the field, and I got the baddest dudes around me on this field.’ That’s the confidence you have to have,” Phillips said Wednesday. “And I think that’s what we’re finding out about ourselves.”

Phillips agreed that attitude starts with Judon. He’s the ring-leader, or “flag carrier” as Phillips called him. Judon just emits a vibe that’s infectious.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever played with anyone like Judon before, and I played with Melvin (Ingram) who has the craziest confidence in himself, and Joey Bosa, and guys like that,” said Phillips. “But Judon is … mentally he’s on a different wavelength. You can see it on the field, him jawing after the play. It’s just fun to be out there with him because you know, no matter what, he’s going to be turned up all the time.”

Judon has certainly earned the right to have some swagger. Jones not so much, but if he continues to make plays like he has, no one will call him on it.

“I just think having a guy who makes plays, along with Judon, having this kid, another playmaker, is so important to them,” said Harrison. “You need as many playmakers as possible.”

Especially if they bring an attitude, a mindset that boosts the entire defense.

Said cornerback Jonathan Jones:  “It’s borderline cockiness. You need it. You need to have that edge.”

THE STATUS OF quarterback Mac Jones seems to be positive, if you ask Coach Bill Belichick, but just when he will be ready still seems a mystery.

“Mac, I think is making good improvement,” Belichick said Friday. “We’ll see where he’s at today.”

As for whether the decision to be clear Jones could be made Saturday, when the Patriots will fly to Cleveland, Belichick wouldn’t touch that, either.

“I know everybody wants a definite answer, but it’s just totally unrealistic to be able to do that,” Belichick said. “We don’t know how a player is going to feel after three days of practice, depending on what the volume is or the intensity is. That’s impossible to know that until you actually experience it. Or he experiences it.

“So we’ll see.”

But, Belichick added, Jones could be cleared any day, indicating the decision has not been made but may happen before kickoff.

“It could happen any time,” Belichick concluded.

Jones has been limited for five straight practices with the high ankle sprain he suffered on Sept. 25 against Baltimore. Fourth-round rookie Bailey Zappe started in his place last week versus the Lions and helped lead the Patriots to a 29-0 win. Zappe took most of the practice reps leading up to that game, but appears to be splitting more reps with Jones this week.

“(Jones) certainly did a lot more this Thursday than he did last Thursday,” Belichick said.

Jones has also been wearing his regular knee brace and an armband complete with plays, potential signs his activity has increased in team periods.

JOSH UCHE  was a new absence at Patriots practice on a soggy Friday afternoon. The linebacker landed on Thursday’s injury report with a hamstring ailment and wasn’t spotted during the media window at practice. Practice squad kicker Tristan Vizcaino returned after missing Thursday’s session and was kicking on the upper fields with the other specialists.

Elsewhere on the practice field, Damien Harris (hamstring), Jonnu Smith (ankle) and Nelson Agholor (hamstring) were all present for the stretching portion of practice. Smith missed Sunday’s win over the Lions, while Harris and Agholor left after sustaining their hamstring injuries. Practice squad member LaBryan Ray was wearing a yellow No. 95 pinnie, so he’s been playing Cleveland All-Pro Myles Garrett on scout team this week.

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