Why isn't our defense considered elite?

[BradyManny]

Even despite having key injuries (Harrison, Wilson, Seau, Wilfork...) our defense is second in points allowed.

Yet, I haven't heard our defense being mentioned as one of the league's elite, have you?

I haven't heard our defense receive the same kind of praise as Baltimore's?

Why?

 

[fgssand]

Even despite having key injuries (Harrison, Wilson, Seau, Wilfork...) our defense is second in points allowed.

Yet, I haven't heard our defense being mentioned as one of the league's elite, have you?

I haven't heard our defense receive the same kind of praise as Baltimore's?

Why?

No respect....

Pats play their best with chip on shoulder and it seems to me that chip is being securely placed right there.

 

[edgecy]

We like to fly under the radar. We don't broadcast our achievement.

 

[smg93]

The media doesn't have a "sack artist" or a dominant LB to write about. Sometimes it's hard to write about team defense when it's easier to write about a personality like Merriman for instance.

 

[BradyManny]

Nice, the 3 posts above me all sum up some of the various reasons very well!! ^^^^

 

[PatsDeb]

The media doesn't have a "sack artist" or a dominant LB to write about. Sometimes it's hard to write about team defense when it's easier to write about a personality like Merriman for instance.

This is what I was going to write; we aren't flashy and don't make the highlight reel very often. We are just stingy and play bend, don't break. That is boring to the media, so we get no coverage. Our D has played great considering all the injuries they have suffered.

 

[pats1]

Because the Pats are old and their dominance is done.

They lost Givens, McGinest, and Vinatieri, didn't you know? The Pats' disrespect towards their veterans had to catch up with them sometime! It did with the Branch situation!

Didn't you know?

 

[PonyExpress]

Baltimore has over 50 sacks, more Ints, more passes defensed, and more defensive TDs. They are more aggressive and disruptive, tearing apart their opponents like beasts of prey. Our defense is an Anaconda, gradually crushing the life out of our enemies before swallowing them whole.

 

[Wotan_the_Wanderer]

Even despite having key injuries (Harrison, Wilson, Seau, Wilfork...) our defense is second in points allowed.

Yet, I haven't heard our defense being mentioned as one of the league's elite, have you?

I haven't heard our defense receive the same kind of praise as Baltimore's?

Why?

In terms of points allowed, I think the Pats D is neck and neck with Balt's with the difference between the two D's being that the Pats have given up more ST TDs.

What's amazing to me about the Pats D is that with both Rodney and Geno missing so much time as you've mentioned, the D leads the league in fewest passing points allowed.

Until the guys in the telecast booth figure out that the Pats D is all about points allowed and instead chooses to stress mostly meaningless stats like individual sack leaders on a team or average yards per play given up by the D, then they'll never get it and give credit to the Pats D for being one of the two best defenses in the league.

 

[BruschiOnTap]

It's because we have such an exciting offense that they grab all the limelight away from the defense.

Post of the week ^

 

[PatsDeb]

It's because we have such an exciting offense that they grab all the limelight away from the defense.

I know this was meant as a joke, but there is something to it. The focus is always on Brady, and depending on the week, what an awesome QB he is, or how the Pats screwed him by letting all his receivers leave.

 

[DarrylS]

I stilll don't think many of the national pundits understand this team, we do not have any sexy players like Lewis, Reed, Urlacher, Pomalau, Merriman or anyone else. We have a team comprised by a bunch of blue collar players, who individually do not stick out, but as a unit play to each others strengths. The D is complimentary to the ST and O, not something that is unique in this team.

 

[TomBrady'sGoat]

I've been wondering the same thing all year. I tend to avoid talking heads so maybe I'm not the best judge but I don't think I have once heard anyone talk about our D. Meanwhile I regularly read/hear talk of the Baltimore and Chicago defenses.

Add me to the list of people pointing to lack of stars and stats as the reason why. Solid and consistent is boring and unappreciated. Guys roaming around creating havoc is attention-getting, even if they give up more big plays.

That and the fact that Brady takes attention away from the defense.

 

[PatsFan37]

If anything flies under the radar, it's the 3 guys up front. They do get mention by the gametime announcers, and Seymour is well known, but Warren is not considered among the elite, though he clearly is, and Wilfork is not well known.

When each of your three down linemen command double-teams on every play, that's a dominant defense. How many other teams can rush 3 and still pressure the QB?

 

[CTPatsFan]

It is pretty amazing that given the injuries, only Baltimore has allowed fewer points, regardless of whether they were ST or D. Lots of vaunted (by the know-it-alls) in the NFL but nary a mention of the NE D.

 

[PromisedLand]

Another reason, which no one has mentioned so far, is that the media focus is on defensive "ranking", which is based on yards allowed, not points allowed. We're ranked 6th in that stat, which is excellent, but coming into last week we wre only 11th or so, which is good but hardly outstanding.

Why yards allowed is considered more significant than points allowed is beyond my ability to comprehend. Of course the offensive side is the same way. Neither way makes sense.

 

[thomas144]

The Patriots are an elite team with an elite defense.

Does that make you feel better?

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

As Rodney says,
Defense wins championships. And defense isn't always glamorous. The media tries to make it glamorous by talking about stats like sacks, pics, forced fumbles and yards allowed.

Our bend but don't break style isn't glamorous, just highly effective.

Defense (as in team) wins championships.

 

[AzPatsFan]

It is also because everyone knows that the team is ancient, and over the hill, with two starters at the extremely old age of Tedy at 33 and Vrabes at 31. Its any day that this defense will crumble with all of those old-timers playing for them.

They want to talk about the younger up-coming Defenses like the Ravens. All their players are young starters, like Lewis 32, Rolle 31, Reed 30, Greg 31 and Price 32.

 

[patsox23]

Two of our highest-profile games this year have been losses to Denver and Indy. The Pats didn't play well in either game and so it felt like they were "dominated," which I think is arguably true. What seems to get lost in all the hype is that Denver scored 17, and Indy scored 24. Not huge points totals at all.