Yeah the defense really sucks but... they come through in clutch moments

[supafly]

Did I say they were good? No. Read the title.

McCourty's play still gave as the W and I loved him for it. Anytime a player makes such a huge play that directly leads to the win to close out the game it's a big deal for me.

Just think back to the losses this year where we lost by a combined 3 points. Remember that feeling? Remember that gut wrenching feeling deep deep in the pit of your stomach? Remember how you sat there speechless, so shocked, deflated and defeated? This game was going in that EXACT same direction.

McCourtey's play turned that feeling into jubilation. That's all.

I think that you have a point that the defense sometimes finds ways to either:

1. luckily

2. by another team's gaffe

3. a bit of both

to win games at the very end, and that's great at times, but the fact that so many go to the end is what is troubling.

As far as McCourty's INT--yes that was great, and I am happy that you are jubilant, but that was much more on the pathetic pass from Fitzgerald in my opinion.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

And how does that take away the fact that it WAS a clutch play that saved Baltimore's likely game winning touchdown?

A winning touchdown with 15 seconds left to win the game isn't clutch because they should have blown them out?

Come on...

It was one play. A clutch defense is one that can win a game by STOPPING teams not rely on a kicker to miss a 25 yard FG. They've done it twice in the last 7 tries.

 

[PatriotSeven]

It was one play. A clutch defense is one that can win a game by STOPPING teams not rely on a kicker to miss a 25 yard FG. They've done it twice in the last 7 tries.

But that's all I'm saying and no, what you are describing would be a great D, which we don't have nor did I claim we do.

But we do have a D that can step up and make some clutch plays with the game on the line. Arizona, Jets, twice yesterday. I'm sure there's a few more in there.

Despite all their suckage all we needed yesterday was 1 big play from them to win the game. And we got just that. I think they get beat down regularly here day in and day out.

Why not credit them with something that they actually deserve and directly resulted in wins for us? Why the hate?

 

[tuckeverlasting]

But that's all I'm saying and no, what you are describing would be a great D, which we don't have nor did I claim we do.

But we do have a D that can step up and make some clutch plays with the game on the line. Arizona, Jets, twice yesterday. I'm sure there's a few more in there.

Despite all their suckage all we needed yesterday was 1 big play from them to win the game. And we got just that. I think they get beat down regularly here day in and day out.

Why not credit them with something that they actually deserve and directly resulted in wins for us? Why the hate?

because us octogenarians are tired of having to up our medication just to watch the pats play.

 

[DarrylS]

Blaming the secondary is the easy answer, but yesterday the whole D played like crap.. in the past they have taken away the strength of the team, yesterday the Bills played as if they had none.

There were a lot of missed tackles by the LB's, stupid penalties and a lot of out of position plays by everyone... there is plenty of blame to go around.

Spiller, Chandler and Jackson had 13 catches for 151 yards, this is on the LB's..

The Patriots lost the time of possession stat, they Bills had 35 first downs it goes on and on...

The defense was completely out of sync yesterday....

 

[CityOfChampions]

I think they're more lucky than they are clutch. Getting a stop on 4th down to end the game is clutch. Having a QB throw a pass straight to your receiver is luck.

 

[ausbacker]

It's a shame that I cringe when the opposition has the ball with a chance to go on a game winning drive to end the game. The championship Patriots D's were clutch, this D is damn lucky they have this Offense.

 

[Nunchucks]

I came into the season believing that the secondary was much improved. I truly believed that the additions of Gregory, Ras-I, and Wilson along with a re-focused McCourty would be enough to improve the secondary.

I was wrong. It is worse than last year. I did not believe it was possible, but there is really no reason to run on the Patriots, just throw the ball.

 

[MrNathanDrake]

I'm really jealous of the Texans. They took a defense exactly like ours, hired Wade Phillips, and now it's top-5.

They had a Top 15 draft pick to get JJ Watt.

Without him their defense isn't that good.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

But that's all I'm saying and no, what you are describing would be a great D, which we don't have nor did I claim we do.

But we do have a D that can step up and make some clutch plays with the game on the line. Arizona, Jets, twice yesterday. I'm sure there's a few more in there.

Despite all their suckage all we needed yesterday was 1 big play from them to win the game. And we got just that. I think they get beat down regularly here day in and day out.

Why not credit them with something that they actually deserve and directly resulted in wins for us? Why the hate?

First off they shouldn't even need most of these 'clutch' stops. The Jets lousy offense scored almost 30 on us, the Bills lit us up like time square on New Year's eve and despite scoring 37 points, we were on the brink of losing that game too. And in the AZ game, the reason they were in a situation where they had to force a fumble is because they couldn't stop them from getting a first down on the previous series IIRC 3 obvious run plays. I mean yeah you'd hope EVENTUALLY they make a play.

And the biggest point you continue to miss is that they've been in several recent clutch situations and failed on a majority of them, including THE most important one. That's great they can make a clutch play about 1/3rd of the time they actually need to step up. That doesn't make them clutch. In 2010 they were clutch there were 5 games that came down to needing a stop and they made the stop in EACH game (the Baltimore game they made several stops). That's a defense you can honestly say was pretty bad but you could give them credit for being clutch, not one that comes up with that stop about 1/3rd of the time.

 

[RodThePat]

They had a Top 15 draft pick to get JJ Watt.

Without him their defense isn't that good.

We also had a top 15 pick and got Jerod Mayo, how has our defense been with him? They deserve credit for picking the right player and giving him a chance to succeed schematically. The Texans completely revamped their defense through the draft and free agency in about 3 years. They got Barwin, Reed, Watt, Cushing, Kareem Jackson, Manning, Jonathan Joseph. That's a fantastic job, it can't be attributed solely to JJ Watt, much less the fact that "oh, they had a top draft pick and drafted a great player, anyone can have a good defense in that situation".

 

[patsinthesnow]

This Pats D isn't clutch, it sucks. The PPG hooplah excuse for the defense (not from people here really, but radio and friends) needs to end too.

Pats Defense: 22.3 ppg (16th)
Jets Defense: 25.3 ppg (24th)

Noob fan: "See, the Pats defense is average! The Jets defense sucks harharhar"

If Sanchez is the QB for the Pats, the Pats D gives up 28-30ppg. If Brady is the qb for the jets, the Jets D gives up 16-18ppg.

 

[goheels22002]

This Pats D isn't clutch, it sucks. The PPG hooplah excuse for the defense (not from people here really, but radio and friends) needs to end too.

Pats Defense: 22.3 ppg (16th)
Jets Defense: 25.3 ppg (24th)

Noob fan: "See, the Pats defense is average! The Jets defense sucks harharhar"

If Sanchez is the QB for the Pats, the Pats D gives up 28-30ppg. If Brady is the qb for the jets, the Jets D gives up 16-18ppg.

If the Patriots actually held the next seven opponents to 22 points per game, they'd sail right into the playoffs. It is a possibility - the Dolphins 2X, Jets, Colts, Jags, 49ers, and Texans are not exactly the 2007 Patriots.

 

[Major **********]

The PPG hooplah excuse for the defense (not from people here really, but radio and friends) needs to end too.

Don't hold your breath.

 

[Major **********]

If the Patriots actually held the next seven opponents to 22 points per game, they'd sail right into the playoffs. It is a possibility - the Dolphins 2X, Jets, Colts, Jags, 49ers, and Texans are not exactly the 2007 Patriots.

No, they are not. But our defense can sure makes them look like it though. :nooo:

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

If the Patriots actually held the next seven opponents to 22 points per game, they'd sail right into the playoffs. It is a possibility - the Dolphins 2X, Jets, Colts, Jags, 49ers, and Texans are not exactly the 2007 Patriots.

With the Dolphins losing to teams like Tennessee, I think we're going to sleepwalk into the playoffs regardless of how the D does unless the Fins somehow sweep us. This division looks like it can be won at 9-7 or maybe even 8-8.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I think we can all agree that if the offense weren't a scoring machine and didn't have all the talent they have and even if they were just an average offense,the Patriots would be a doormat team reminiscent of the early 1990s teams.

This team is one Brady,Gronkowski,Welker,Ridley and Hernandez away from being a last place team,fortunately those mentioned above remain healthy and keep the team in playoff contention year after year.

Yes,the offense is the glue that keeps it all together,the defense is not capable of winning any game when Brady and co. has a real bad game or at least has not proven they can do it.

 

[ThatllMoveTheChains!!!]

This Pats D isn't clutch, it sucks. The PPG hooplah excuse for the defense (not from people here really, but radio and friends) needs to end too.

Pats Defense: 22.3 ppg (16th)
Jets Defense: 25.3 ppg (24th)

Noob fan: "See, the Pats defense is average! The Jets defense sucks harharhar"

If Sanchez is the QB for the Pats, the Pats D gives up 28-30ppg. If Brady is the qb for the jets, the Jets D gives up 16-18ppg.

Yep people should definitely stop talking about real stats and start using patsinthesnow's incredible, revolutionary, highly accurate, theoretical stats!

 

[ThatllMoveTheChains!!!]

I think we can all agree that if the offense weren't a scoring machine and didn't have all the talent they have and even if they were just an average offense,the Patriots would be a doormat team reminiscent of the early 1990s teams.

This team is one Brady,Gronkowski,Welker,Ridley and Hernandez away from being a last place team,fortunately those mentioned above remain healthy and keep the team in playoff contention year after year.

Yes,the offense is the glue that keeps it all together,the defense is not capable of winning any game when Brady and co. has a real bad game or at least has not proven they can do it.

Are you saying lost them all at the same time? Because they've been without Hernandez much of the season... Most teams would be a doormat if they lost 5 players that are all in the conversation of being the best at their position...

 

[patsinthesnow]

Yep people should definitely stop talking about real stats and start using patsinthesnow's incredible, revolutionary, highly accurate, theoretical stats!

You're kidding me? The defense benefits from Brady moving the chains constantly and never turning the ball over.

Picture instead of having, ya know, the 8th best offense of ALL TIME (which will probably move to 5th best after Sunday) we had an average offense, that, turned the ball over and had multiple 3 and outs a game.

Every other metric shows that this defense sucks: Yardage, passing yardage, 3rd down %, plays of more than 20 yards, etc.