PatsFaninAZ
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Yesterday's game got me wondering -- how often has the patriots defense won a game on a last drive? In other words, the other team has the ball with an under 7 point deficit and the defense is in a win or lose scenario.
My impression is that, in recent history, our success rate in that situation is average at best. I don't have a reason to say that other than the very memorable games -- the two games against the Colts and, of course, the Super Bowl against the Giants. Maybe those are the only examples and I'm forgetting others. I wouldn't count the Super Bowl v. the Eagles as an example. Maybe it should be, but the Eagles had so little time left that it's not really what I'm thinking of -- more occasions where we had to stop a team on 4 downs and we did.
The reason I wonder is that this team has now done it twice this year, both in big games -- against the Colts and against the Chargers. Both were kind of lucky. One was a hit upright and one was a bad decision by a good quarterback (although I don't mean to diminish Sanders' outstanding play -- wish we'd had that kind of jumping concentration against the Giants in the Super Bowl).
It's kind of ironic. Defenses of the past wouldn't have put themselves in that position -- the reason that the defenses in those games had to be in the position was giving up very quick scores. Still, it's an interesting irony that we've won two games on defense in two chances this year.
My impression is that, in recent history, our success rate in that situation is average at best. I don't have a reason to say that other than the very memorable games -- the two games against the Colts and, of course, the Super Bowl against the Giants. Maybe those are the only examples and I'm forgetting others. I wouldn't count the Super Bowl v. the Eagles as an example. Maybe it should be, but the Eagles had so little time left that it's not really what I'm thinking of -- more occasions where we had to stop a team on 4 downs and we did.
The reason I wonder is that this team has now done it twice this year, both in big games -- against the Colts and against the Chargers. Both were kind of lucky. One was a hit upright and one was a bad decision by a good quarterback (although I don't mean to diminish Sanders' outstanding play -- wish we'd had that kind of jumping concentration against the Giants in the Super Bowl).
It's kind of ironic. Defenses of the past wouldn't have put themselves in that position -- the reason that the defenses in those games had to be in the position was giving up very quick scores. Still, it's an interesting irony that we've won two games on defense in two chances this year.
