Is our defense really any surprise?

[English Patriot]

I had a gut feeling that as soon as the injuries were done with and we were 100% healthy we'd be back to playing real D. Then you had the bye week to get everyone rested up so it's no surprise really that at 100% this team can matchup with most teams.

Lets not forget we don't have Andre Carter either who just happens to be our leading sack man so this D stepped up big style on Saturday.

This D has a chip on their shoulder after all the trash talk by the media and wants to prove the doubters wrong and i have a sneaky feeling they'll outperform the 'star studded' Ravens D.

 

[Mogamedogz]

Let's not get ahead of our self here... the Donkeys aren't exactly the Saints. Just sayin..

 

[Reckedtrek]

I consider myself to be more positive minded than negative about this team.

Yes, I am surprised by the D on Saturday's game. Having said that, I don't think Flacco is the main challenge unless he suddenly gets hot, it's Rice. If our run D can remain stout AND our O line can hold off Balt's D enough, I feel we have a good chance of winning.

 

[tobias funke]

There is a reason I hugged my wife when the Broncos beat the Steelers.

Tim Tebow can make any poor pass defense look great.

I'm not trying to crap on our defense, just being realistic. Flacco may not be the 2nd coming of Montana, but he's going to be a bigger test than Tebow was, for sure.

 

[TheComeback]

Let's not get ahead of ourselves, but that defensive line had an unbelievable game on Saturday. They've played well all year long, but I didn't expect them to dominate the way they did. If they play like that the next two games, literally no one will be able to beat us. Big if...

 

[JoeSixPat]

Surprise?

Sure - it's the most unlikely cast of characters...

But when you think of it some of our best Defenses have been forged in the fire of the season, as with the cutting of Milloy to rely on a guy the Chargers didn't try to re-sign, and turning to Troy Brown at DB...

Peter King has a nice tip of the cap to the genius of Belichick the Mad Scientist

No one plays with a fired Oakland practice-squad safety, Sterling Moore, at cornerback in the playoffs, or backup wideout Julian Edelman, at nickel back, in the playoffs. The Patriots do. Every time I looked up Saturday night, Moore was on an island with Demaryius Thomas or Eddie Royal. A safety in Oakland, not good enough to stay on their practice squad last September, on the street in October. Now Moore's playing 36 snaps at corner (according to the charting of ESPNBoston's Mike Reiss) in a divisional playoff game.

Bill Belichick's a mad scientist. He knew his defense had to change when it was getting strafed so badly in midseason, and he changed it, drastically. Who knows if it works another eight quarters. But 10 seasons after he used a bunch of middle-class free agents to help New England win its first Super Bowl, Belichick is scotch-taping another run together with Tom Brady playing at his peak, and a bunch of complimentary pieces on the chess board. Should be fun to watch.


Read more: Eli Manning, Osi Umenyiora key New York Giants' upset over Green Bay Packers - Peter King - SI.com

 

[Deus Irae]

The defense is the defense. Fortunately, this weekend played out perfectly. The two offenses that would have *****slapped the Patriots defense all over the field are gone.

 

[NSPF]

Let's not get ahead of our self here... the Donkeys aren't exactly the Saints. Just sayin..

Well, fortunately, you know who else isn't exactly the Saints? The 49ers or Ravens. As much as I want a SB XVII rematch, the Giants do scare me more than either team remaining otherwise, because they are capable of producing at an elite level offensively. They don't do it consistently over the course of a season, but on a one game basis, watch out.

 

[mgteich]

I agree. We could win in the playoffs and SB against three very mediocre quarterbacks if we play the 49ers instead of the giants.

With our pass defense, we could not have hoped for more.

Well, fortunately, you know who else isn't exactly the Saints? The 49ers or Ravens. As much as I want a SB XVII rematch, the Giants do scare me more than either team remaining otherwise, because they are capable of producing at an elite level offensively. They don't do it consistently over the course of a season, but on a one game basis, watch out.