Our Defense leading AFC in what stat...?

...well its points against, at 15.2 points per game. Top in the AFC and 2nd in NFL, behind only the Vikes.

So while we all angst about the D, they are doing their usual thing of giving up yards but few points, esp in the 2nd half. And of course have tons of room for improvement as the season goes on.

Are you surprised at this stat? Where can the D improve even more?

--> FRITZ

The number of negative comments in the game day threads?

The Patriots obviously need to improve on 3rd down defense (currently, we are ranked 27th in the league), red zone defense (currently ranked 30th in the league) and generating a pass rush (without blitzing)

Scoreboard!

PPG Allowed: 2nd
Yards:13th
Yards Per Play: 13th
3rd down %: 27th
FF: 11th
INT: 14th
Pass Per Att: 11th
Sacks: 19th
QB Rating: 14th
Plays over 40+ yards: 1st (zero)
Yards per rush: 7th
Yards per reception: 6th
Red Zone: 29th.

Clearly the 3rd down and red zone D stats are troubling but it doesn't seem as bad as the numbers indicate. The goal line stand yesterday was huge and limited CIN to 5/12 on 3rd down which is decent.

Their MO is to keep everything in front of them and make the opposing offense pick their way down the field

Overall, you don't get to be #2 in scoring defense without being good and this is a good defense. Just need to fine tune some areas and I'm confident as the season goes on they will.

We could be number one in Points against after Steelers next week.

Some people will still complain...but almost all of us used to say in 2011; "if only we had even a mediocre defense with this offense". Well, it's a pretty good defense we have here now.

Should we stay healthy on both sides of the ball, I give you the 2016 New England Patriots; the explosiveness of the 2011 offense with a damned decent defense...also with less murder and more children's books.

the only D stat that truly matters is points allowed

The two stats that stand out to me.

Points against and red zone defense.

We are 2nd in points allowed yet 29th in red zone. This tells me you are not looking at your typical bend don't break D. More often than not we aren't even letting them into the red zone. Or we just aren't letting them score much at all without actually driving the length into the red zone.

I think these two stats are a sign the d actually is a lot better than it looks.

Chiuba E. Obele said:

The Patriots obviously need to improve on 3rd down defense (currently, we are ranked 27th in the league), red zone defense (currently ranked 30th in the league) and generating a pass rush (without blitzing)

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People highlight the stats they like and forget everything else. While points against is one of the more important stats, it's going to be tough to win it all when you are at the bottom in red zone D and third down D. Almost impossible. This is especially when considering three of the five teams were MIA, HOU and CLE (playing a QB who just joined the team and running the scout team O).

It's certainly not all bad, nor is it all good. I like the versatility and depth. They should be okay for now. Suffice to say that I did expect better, but I also feel they will get better as the season progresses.

yukon cornelius said:

the only D stat that truly matters is points allowed

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This is not entirely true. It's the most important but hardly the only.

"Our Defense leading AFC in what stat...?"

You missed one: safeties.

PatsBoy12 said:

People highlight the stats they like and forget everything else. While points against is one of the more important stats, it's going to be tough to win it all when you are at the bottom in red zone D and third down D. Almost impossible.

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I think the red zone efficiency is still TBD since, as the low point total testifies, it's been a pretty small sample size. 3rd-down defense, though, leaps out at me --- via the eye test as well as stats.

In the threads where posters have been clamoring for more "big plays" from the defense, sacks have been the big focus. But a tackle 1 yard short of the marker on 3rd down is a much, much bigger play than a 1st-down sack.

PatsBoy12 said:

This is not entirely true. It's the most important but hardly the only.

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only one that truly matters

you don't get points for good 3rd down percentage



now, the other stats may be tools to identify areas that need improvement, but the only measure of a defense that actually matters is points allowed



score more points than the other team.....that's the only equation that matters

yukon cornelius said:

only one that truly matters

you don't get points for good 3rd down percentage



now, the other stats may be tools to identify areas that need improvement, but the only measure of a defense that actually matters is points allowed



score more points than the other team.....that's the only equation that matters

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You don't win SB's that way, my friend. Sorry, I stick by my viewpoint on this one, especially when we've played the likes of MIA, HOU, BUF and CLE. I don't know if any of those teams will crack the top 10 in scoring by year's end. The bottom line is third down D and red zone D matter as well. They were good in those areas every time they won a SB and not as good every time they failed to win one, even when they kept points down. The Pats are usually in the top half every year in points allowed. It's the other factors that push them over the top.

robertweathers said:

PPG Allowed: 2nd
Yards:13th
Yards Per Play: 13th
3rd down %: 27th
FF: 11th
INT: 14th
Pass Per Att: 11th
Sacks: 19th
QB Rating: 14th
Plays over 40+ yards: 1st (zero)
Yards per rush: 7th
Yards per reception: 6th
Red Zone: 29th.

Clearly the 3rd down and red zone D stats are troubling but it doesn't seem as bad as the numbers indicate. The goal line stand yesterday was huge and limited CIN to 5/12 on 3rd down which is decent.

Their MO is to keep everything in front of them and make the opposing offense pick their way down the field

Overall, you don't get to be #2 in scoring defense without being good and this is a good defense. Just need to fine tune some areas and I'm confident as the season goes on they will.

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I agree on the 3rd down conversion. The points allowed may have a lot to do with teams just dinking and dunking their way down the field and killing the clock. THey have not allowed many quick strike TDs this season, so the point totals are going to be less.

patchick said:

I think the red zone efficiency is still TBD since, as the low point total testifies, it's been a pretty small sample size. 3rd-down defense, though, leaps out at me --- via the eye test as well as stats.

In the threads where posters have been clamoring for more "big plays" from the defense, sacks have been the big focus. But a tackle 1 yard short of the marker on 3rd down is a much, much bigger play than a 1st-down sack.

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A hallmark of the Pats has always been how they've kept teams out of the end zone and settling for field goals when they reach the red area. That has not been the case so far this season. So while I see your point and mostly follow you, Patchick, I still think it's a bit alarming. They're not allowing teams to reach there often so far this season, but teams are able to score TD's when they do reach. That cannot continue into December and January. I really don't care as much about it right now, but I will more and more as the season progresses if I don't see the improvement that we're used to seeing (sans last season).

PatsBoy12 said:

You don't win SB's that way, my friend. Sorry, I stick by my viewpoint on this one, especially when we've played the likes of MIA, HOU, BUF and CLE. I don't know if any of those teams will crack the top 10 in scoring by year's end. The bottom line is third down D and red zone D matter as well. They were good in those areas every time they won a SB and not as good every time they failed to win one, even when they kept points down. The Pats are usually in the top half every year in points allowed. It's the other factors that push them over the top.

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um, check the stats the years the patriots won superbowls; their points allowed tended to be lower than their overall defense rank.....they always struggled in yards allowed, yet were solid in points allowed



ALL that truly matters is keeping your opponents from scoring

yukon cornelius said:

um, check the stats the years the patriots won superbowls; their points allowed tended to be lower than their overall defense rank.....they always struggled in yards allowed, yet were solid in points allowed



ALL that truly matters is keeping your opponents from scoring

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I don't have to check any stats, Yukon. Feel free to have your opinion. It's clear you are not even responding directly to what I'm saying since I made no mention of yards allowed. I couldn't care less about that stat. But you (and nobody else) is going to convince me that this is a SB defense at the present moment, considering they are at the bottom of the league in two other VERY important stats. So again, while I do understand the value of allowing few points, it's hardly the ONLY stat that matters. They played MIA, HOU, BUF and CLE. None of those teams will likely finish in the top 10 in scoring . . . maybe HOU if they get their sh*t together because they have good talent on O. Their bottleneck is obviously Osweiler.

Nikolai said:

Some people will still complain...but almost all of us used to say in 2011; "if only we had even a mediocre defense with this offense". Well, it's a pretty good defense we have here now.

Should we stay healthy on both sides of the ball, I give you the 2016 New England Patriots; the explosiveness of the 2011 offense with a damned decent defense...also with less murder and more children's books.

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Not too mention we should have won that SB too.