Statistics don't lie but they CAN misinform.
Nothing does it more than the "31st in the League in Pass Defense" statistic. The Patriots pass defense did yield lots of yards and throughout the season. BB doesn't mind, as long as no scores are yielded.
The 2005 Pass D yielded yards and scores, much more so in the first half of the season while Gay and Starks were hobbling.
Recall:
Law was gone.
Poole never got out of TC.
Starks was playing with a busted shoulder and hamstring.
Hobbs was finding his rookie sea legs.
Scott was IRed.
Rodney was IRed. Sanders was both injured, and a raw rook.
There was no viable SS.
And Guss Scott was back on IR.
Even when his Defense is firing on all cylinders, BB lets the opponents pass.
He insists Defense starts with shutting down the Run at all costs.
His is a "bend don't break" Defense and will yield short passes, in front of the DBs, who are good tacklers. He dares an Offense to score more than his Offense will, by utilizing a one dimensional short passing game without being able to run. He gambles that his players will get a turnover, or a drive killing stop, or the opponents will mess up... and drives will die.
For all the bad pass statistics, there are (and were), two near league leading ones. BB pass defenses always produce the lowest or near lowest opponent's pass completion percentage. And the same usually applies to third down completion percentage. This usually results in a derivative very low average yards per attempt as well.
Last year was no different although the first half season's porous and long completions ruined the average yardage per completion stat. It returned to normal in the second half. Patriot opponent QBs produced the lowest completion percentage in the League amidst the carnage.
An ILB combo of Bruschi-Vrabel will stop the run. Its not subject to debate. They did so last season.
Off of history, an OLB troika of Colvin, Brown and TBC can accumulate sacks and they will. Having an interior rush of Wilfork, Vrabel and Bruschi is a new twist to add to the Pass Rush, to accompany the outside heat.
So with a good rushing defense, a pass rush coming from among Seymour, Wilfork, Vrabel, Bruschi, Colvin, TBC and Brown, seven accomplished and proven rushers, and an "improved" if only by being healthy, secondary how can the 2006 Pats not have a better Pass D?
i haven't even added the BB comment on the coverage talent improvements.
I'm looking forward to drinking a case of Slagathor's free Guinness..
