Patriots have #1 offense (PPG) in the NFL

[VJCPatriot]

The Pats have a TON of weapons and options for Brady to use this year. The OL is playing extremely well, giving him plenty of time to throw. The Pats offense is going to be top 5 during the regular season for sure. Whether or not they stay #1 I don't know, but I do know we're going to score a lot of points this year and it's going to be fun to watch. I'm really more worried about the Pats defensive unit. The offense will get theirs.

 

[strngplyr]

Yeah, it doesn't take an amazing defense to win a championship in the NFL anymore. The Saints, last year, had a defense JUST good enough to get the job done when it mattered. I'm certainly not expecting a shutdown defense out of the Pats this year. As I've said before, our ceiling is the 2009 Saints. If that can happen, and our offense can actually execute through all four quarters of a road game, there's nothing stopping us from going all the way. However, our defense has a LOOOOONG way to go before it even reaches "just good enough" status.

The saints defense didn't make all the stops but they forced turnovers left and right to give the offense extra chances to score.

They were a good defense, just not in the same sense as the Steelers, Ravens, and Jets, that beat the crap out of you. They were more of a Green Bay type turnover forcing defense, giving the offense that extra chance.

Both types of defense are great, right now we just have no identity but with the youth and speed, I think we can definitely become an opportunistic defense that will force someone to make the crucial mistakes that the saints and packers do. We just need time to develop, most of these players are so young, they have no time working together, they just need to build the chemistry and trust each other like our defense from 2000-2008 did.

It won't happen overnight.

 

[Disco Volante]

2007 Patriots defense vs. 2007 Giants defense

PPG
Patriots: 17.1
Giants: 21.9

Yards
Patriots: 288.3
Giants: 305.0

3rd Down %
Patriots: 34%
Giants: 35%

Turnovers
Patriots: 31
Giants: 25

 

[Calciumee]

The Pats have a TON of weapons and options for Brady to use this year. The OL is playing extremely well, giving him plenty of time to throw. The Pats offense is going to be top 5 during the regular season for sure. Whether or not they stay #1 I don't know, but I do know we're going to score a lot of points this year and it's going to be fun to watch. I'm really more worried about the Pats defensive unit. The offense will get theirs.

If they aren't #1 offense, they will be very close I would think.

 

[MustaphaM0nd]

But Buffalo is horrible, I mean the weight on our shoulder is Rex and his team, they talk and then we failed to shut them up.

I just don't want it to be like last year where we put up near 40 a game on Buf and then struggle to a good defense, why not spread the ball around against a Jets defense that barely put pressure on him, I could see if he didn't have time but he just forced it. Again this Buf game for the most part is being ignored by everyone, no football fan even acknowledges them as a serious team so those stats are kind of misleading.

I just see Fitz hitting bums left and right, Sanchez going to a guy like Keller who couldn't find the markers week 1 for a huge night, so why not give Tate or Price/Aiken or whoever we have a chance? In 07 we had Stallworth number 2 so Welker could get the slot time, last two seasons we have signed a good number of guys and cut them in favor of predictable offense.

I saw the stats and if its true he is spreading it more than Peyton (hard to believe watching them both) then we honestly can not claim the best offense, because Peyton would have made the Jets pay, and if we spread it with this line avoiding pressure, no excuses for 14 points 3 TOs and a horrible yard count.

We scored 25 and 17 against Buffalo last year, not exactly 40.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Defense infrequently wins championchips.

Ironically, the only Super Bowls the defense "won" was 1999 and the "Greatest Show on Turf" (Mike Jones makes stop) and 2009 Saints (Porter interception).

The vaunted 2008 Steelers defense actually pitched the biggest collapse in Super Bowl history only to be bailed out by Big Ben vs the worst defense in Super bowl history.

In 2007, the miracle David Tyree catch offset the surrender of a late go ahead touchdown by the Giants.

Ditto in 2001/3 when our "clutch" defense surrendered leads only to be bailed out by the offense.

Super Bowl XL was bailed out by the officials so that doesn't count either way.

Tampa Bay knew exactly what Oakland was going to do so that's quasi defense. Actually, Baltimore can be in the defense camp.

Therefore, defense wins about 1/4 the time.


Getting into the playoffs is different, winning in the playoffs is a little more different. Super Bowls are then another matter.

The best stat for championchip rating is probably QB rating differential since a QB rating accounts for turnovers. The problem with this board and so many football related medium is that they are too fixated with traditional yardage when today's rules dictate "big plays" have a greater impact than ever before. Also, with a raw defense, time of possession for us is currently important.

Defense has not been the biggest problem. Failure to sustain scoring on the road in the second half has been our problem. Solve that and many problems go away. Likewise, sustainng drives is important.

It's amazing nobody has noticed that the worst periods for the defense (Rams pre-season, second half Jets, second period Bills) were marked with a string of bad 3 and outs/quick turnovers by the offense.


Right now, the better measure for the defense should be turnover generation and red zone defense. It appears that the big yardage plays surrendered and general "keystone cops" nature of some of them are very fustrating. Yet that should have been expected.

However, if the defense limits the damage in the red zone and makes plays with the some turnovers; the rest can be filled back in.

 

[Uncle Rico]

Some pretty good stats from Rapoport:

did you know Randy Moss was thrown 28 percent of the passes at this point last year, with 30 percent of the completions and 32 percent of the yards. This year? Just 21 percent of attempts, 14 percent of completions, and 18 percent of yards.

Those stats tell me Brady is throwing a bit less to Moss but also less successfully to him -- though I'd think those number are skewed by well documented failures in the Jets game last week.

Also has some good stats on Hernandez v Ben Watson.

BostonHerald.com - Blogs: Rap Sheet Blog Archive Exactly how much more valuable has Patriots TE Aaron Hernandez been than Ben Watson?

 

[slash83]

It didn't last year. The Saints defense was average at best, but good enough to support their dominant offense.

In the end, the Saints defense sealed the game and won it all.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

It seems odd to say this team lacks talent.

In 2009 the offense and defense were both statistically ranked top 5 in the entire NFL. The 2009 Patriots had the #1 1st half point differential of any team.

The stats are misleading though.

I think they show that this team HAS enough talent on both sides of the ball, but their 2nd half failures are due to teams adjusting to their good pre-game game plans as the game progresses.

 

[Pessimistic Pete]

Even though most of the points were scored on special teams/defense tonights game increases the Patriots to 32.0 PPG, remaining at #1 in the NFL.

 

[JB1089]

I think that the Patriots have the best offense in the NFL. They've made a concerted effort to run the ball this year, and that balance is doing wonders for the offense.

San Diego is nipping at their heels and may surpass them if AJ Smith can remove his head from his *** and get Vincent Jackson back on the field.

 

[pheenix11]

It didn't last year. The Saints defense was average at best, but good enough to support their dominant offense.

Wrong.

http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/Articles/Quality Stats_3297_x.html

 

[strngplyr]

The saints defense didn't make all the stops but they forced turnovers left and right to give the offense extra chances to score.

They were a good defense, just not in the same sense as the Steelers, Ravens, and Jets, that beat the crap out of you. They were more of a Green Bay type turnover forcing defense, giving the offense that extra chance.

Both types of defense are great, right now we just have no identity but with the youth and speed, I think we can definitely become an opportunistic defense that will force someone to make the crucial mistakes that the saints and packers do. We just need time to develop, most of these players are so young, they have no time working together, they just need to build the chemistry and trust each other like our defense from 2000-2008 did.

It won't happen overnight.

...showed that opportunistic side sooner than I figured.

 

[pheenix11]

The Saints defense was a lot better than anyone realized. They proved that fact in the Superbowl holding the Colts to 17 points and getting a pick 6.

As always yards are crap. Show me points and turnovers.

 

[strngplyr]

Yeah, to be honest i like that kind of defense better than the steelers or ravens "beat you up" defense. I like turnovers alot more than forcing a punt (unless you block them like the pats did tonight )

 

[pheenix11]

Yup, if The Pats can have a defense like the Saints had last year, Brady will be getting #4 this year.

 

[strngplyr]

I don't think we're quite there, we double our season total of turnovers tonight, we need to keep playing at this level week in and week out. Still, hopefully this is a buiding block for the defense to improve on.

I'll give up 400 yards every week if we hold them to 14 and force 3-4 turnovers.

 

[Pessimistic Pete]

So uh with Moss, is our offense even better than the Jets now?

They have a better running game and better receivers. Mark Sanchez doesn't suck anymore and his stats are right on par with Brady so far.

 

[Disco Volante]

Yes, we have a better offense than the Jets.

 

[Disco Volante]

Patriots still rank #1 in the NFL with 30.8 PPG.