FOXBORO — Jonathan Jones used to have this running joke.

The last few years, he would return to the Patriots’ facility in the spring. He would work out and practice and sit in meetings. And as the coaching staff began to reinstall Bill Belichick’s defense all over again, he would invariably crack: “Are we running something new?!”

Then Jones’ position coach would smile and tell him no.

That is, until this spring.

“Yeah, actually,” Patriots cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino told him. “We are.”

Under new defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington, the Pats have installed a pressure package borrowed from Baltimore’s defense under ex-Ravens signal-caller and new Seattle head coach Mike MacDonald. Meaning, when the Patriots and Seahawks go head to head on Sunday, their defenses could be looking in a mirror on passing downs.

“It’s like a deep ball for the defense,” Jones told the Herald about the new schemes. “Like (saying), ‘I need to make a play here.’ ”

The 30-year-old corner was reluctant to share many details.

“It’s just some of the things (the Ravens) do with pressure,” he said. “And I’d say — how do I say this right? Ah, I’ll save it for the end of the year.”

But, Jones was adamant the Patriots never would have run these concepts under Belichick.

“Definitely something that I don’t think he would’ve implemented,” he said. “Definitely new.”

During his time as head coach, Belichick said on multiple occasions he studied other defenses for new ideas; particularly those run by coaches he respected. But Belichick rarely hired outside position coaches, something Covington and Jerod Mayo did twice this offseason with new outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins and defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery. Their additions seem to have inspire the schematic shifts; especially Wilkins, who worked in Baltimore for more than a decade and coached linebackers with MacDonald.

“Baltimore has been one of the league’s top (defenses) when it comes to getting pressure on the quarterback on early downs and doing different stuff for offenses to see,” outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings said. “So we have some guys who were in those types of systems, and being able to pick their brains and add to what we already do has been good. I think it’s been beneficial.”

Jones and Jennings aren’t the only Patriots defenders excited by the changes. New captain Jabrill Peppers — who preferred to stay tight-lipped on the subject — said the new play-calls have expanded the defense’s optionality, which was already a strength given the Patriots’ collective experience and versatility.

“I ain’t really want to get into that. Whoever told you that told you too much. But there are a lot of new wrinkles,” Peppers said, “things that we can pull out if need be.”

New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers (5) celebrates as he walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Cincinnati. The Patriots won 16-10. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who faced the Ravens as a divisional opponent in 2022, said Wednesday he’s seen similarities between Baltimore’s system and the defense he practiced against all summer.

“Obviously, they give you a lot of different looks up front. Obviously, having good cover guys helps, which we do, and they do, as well. I think taking that approach and screwing with the offensive rules, as far as protection or run game and things like that, I think that’s what this style of defense tries to do really well,” Brissett said. “I mean, that’s what they do really well.”

Mayo agreed.

“It’s really the unknown rushers that make that Baltimore defense special. You don’t know who’s coming,” he said. “They drop out defensive ends. They do things that are very similar to some of the things that we do as well, the zone blitzing and protecting the deep part of the field.”

Under MacDonald last season, the Ravens defense finished No. 1 in points allowed, overall DVOA and passing DVOA. In three of the last four years, the Ravens ranked top-five in scoring defense. Baltimore-style defenses create confusion with their creative blitz packages and multitude of coverages.

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According to the NFL Network, the Seahawks played at least 10% of their defensive snaps in Cover 1, Cover 2, Cover 4 and Cover 6 last week during MacDonald’s head-coaching debut, a 26-20 win over Denver. At Cincinnati, the Patriots also confused Joe Burrow with a myriad of coverages and disguises.

For Jones, adding a Ravens dimension to the Patriots defense has put more on his plate mentally. He said cornerbacks basically had four assignments in Belichick’s system. Now, it’s slightly different.

But Jones doesn’t mind.

“It’s a good changeup. People always say it’s a copycat league, copycat league. Because, I mean, hell, if something works for somebody, why wouldn’t I give it a stab?” Jones said. “Why wouldn’t I try it?”