Where will the Patriots rank on Defense in 2014?

I'm interested to see what people think on this.

top 5-10 if healthy!

Top 3 in points. Top 10 in yards. Top 10 in 3rd down completions. #1 in 4th down completions(#1 in 2013, only the 49ers defense faced more 4th down attempts than the Patriots.)

It all depends on (1) injuries, especially at DE and LB, and (2) resolving the second safety position. That is the major glaring weakness in a defense that could otherwise be top 3.

7 in yards allowed
6 in total points
1 in turnover ratio

Top 10 yards
Top 3 in points
Top 2 in takeaways

hopefully top 5-10. we have alot of talent. only thing I am worried about is our depth at LB and DE

HOF Talent:
Revis

All-Pro Talent:
Mayo
McCourty

Probowl Talent:
Jones
Wilfork

Solid Starters:
Ninkovich
Dennard
Browner
Arrington (slot)

Young talent that could prove to be solid starters or above:
Hightower
Collins
Easley
Butler
Ryan
Siliga/Jones

BB is to blame if this defense isn't top 3-5. The only spot were talent deficient is SS.

patsinthesnow said:

HOF Talent:
Revis

All-Pro Talent:
Mayo
McCourty

Probowl Talent:
Jones
Wilfork

Solid Starters:
Ninkovich
Dennard
Browner
Arrington (slot)

Young talent that could prove to be solid starters or above:
Hightower
Collins
Easley
Butler
Ryan
Siliga/Jones

BB is to blame if this defense isn't top 3-5. The only spot were talent deficient is SS.

Click to expand...

Hmmmm... Not sure about Mayo. He was terrific last season - probably his best - and I think he was peaking at pro-bowl level. He's definitely not All-Pro without another up-tick.

It is also possible that the young talent adds another term:
Young talent that could prove to be solid starters or above or below.

I think we can safely say HT is starting caliber, but thus far he's been a mediocre starter. I'm high on Collins, but he's only had one great game. Ryan/Siliga/Jones all flashed, but you need more than that speak with any confidence about. And Butler is a UDFA who hasn't even played a game yet. Sure he had a promising camp, but every team in the league has a Butler at some position.

Yes, I know you said "could", but there are numerous scenarios I can see where a few youngsters disappoint. Not that I'm not confident, I'm just not ready to say that there is no way this defense is outside of the top 5 just yet.

Edit: Oh, and injuries could make a huge impact due to depth issues. Imagine if just Collins and MCourty get hurt early. As good as Revis is, just that would give NE real problems stopping the pass.

High hopes top 3.

Health,health,health.

patsinthesnow said:

HOF Talent:
Revis

All-Pro Talent:
Mayo
McCourty

Probowl Talent:
Jones
Wilfork

Solid Starters:
Ninkovich
Dennard
Browner
Arrington (slot)

Young talent that could prove to be solid starters or above:
Hightower
Collins
Easley
Butler
Ryan
Siliga/Jones

BB is to blame if this defense isn't top 3-5. The only spot were talent deficient is SS.

Click to expand...

If you want to talk about “talent”, I would say these players I listed all have All-Pro talent.

Darrelle Revis
Vince Wilfork
Jerod Mayo
Chandler Jones
Dominique Easley
Jamie Collins
Devin McCourty

Will they be All Pro players in 2014? That is very unlikely that all of them will, but they certainly have the talent to get there.

My biggest concern with the defense is that we do not have an identity. I do not like that we are constantly changing how we do things in terms of scheme, if we want to be multiple that is fine we can be a hybrid scheme, but last season we were mostly 4-3 and this preseason we were mostly 3-4. It is concerning to me that 4 years into the gig Patricia has yet to really take on an identity as a coordinator.

Pete Carroll has a scheme out in Seattle, they have been consistent with it for years now, no matter the personnel. I think that makes a big difference for them.

Starting 11 (in its various iterations) is top-10, better if it plays to its potential. But concerned about depth (and thus health) pretty much everywhere: DL, LB, S. A rash of injuries like 2013, and we're toast IMO.

Top 5 in points allowed (which is what really matters.)

FourierSeries said:

Top 5 in points allowed (which is what really matters.)

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Not to certain National and Boston Mediots.

I begrudgingly had to listen to douche and squeaky on 98.5 yesterday as my choice was either listen or look like an idiot with his fingers in his ears at a HVAC supply house.

Anyways they were rattling off what that Pats defense ranks have been the past few years and not one time did I hear them mention where they had ranked in PA. Which has been

'13- #10
'12- #9
'11- #15 (Even with that bad defense they were sill in the top half the league in PA)
'10- #8

I guess beating a team 38-7 isn't good if you allow the opposing QB to throw for 300 yards and convert on a few third downs when the opposing team has to come out and sling in the 2nd half because they are down 20-0 at HT and you just go into sort of a vanilla, prevent and keep everything in front of you defense.

Top 3 if we stay healthy.

top 5 somewhere

Let's say the 2014 Patriots D is top 5 (by points scored against). Which other teams are part of that elite five group? Seattle? Bengals?

Brady6 said:

My biggest concern with the defense is that we do not have an identity. I do not like that we are constantly changing how we do things in terms of scheme, if we want to be multiple that is fine we can be a hybrid scheme, but last season we were mostly 4-3 and this preseason we were mostly 3-4. It is concerning to me that 4 years into the gig Patricia has yet to really take on an identity as a coordinator.

Pete Carroll has a scheme out in Seattle, they have been consistent with it for years now, no matter the personnel. I think that makes a big difference for them.

Click to expand...

The difference between a 3-4 and a 4-3 is so slim these days it almost isn't even worth talking about. Some 3-4's look more like a 4-3 (think Houston when JJ Watt is at RDE) and some 4-3s look more like a 3-4 (think Seattle).

injuries are going to be a big part of it too though. last year for the first part of the season, I thought our defense looked like it had turned a corner with a healthy Talib, wilfork mayo. once those guys started to go down and Talib went down we went back to our usual defense. BUT, when you lose your BEST LB, NT, CB your defense is bound to suffer.

Good thing is that 1. Revis is more durable than Talib, and is MUCH better than talib.