Why are people still trashing the defense?

[goheels22002]

Just to piggyback off of two words in your post, and not the whole thing:

Last year is actually an excellent example. The first two weeks were against the Titans and the Cardinals, and the Patriots held them to a combined 33 points.

Then they faced the Ravens in week 3 and gave up 31, followed by giving up 28 to the Bills, and people saw that it was mostly the same old defense.

People have seen this before. They want to know that the story's going to be different moving forward. I don't see any reason to blame them for that.

The comparison to the 2012 Ravens game with the replacement refs in week 3 is a good one. Painful, but a good one. There's no question that the Falcons can hang 30 on this defense this coming week if the Patriots don't play well.

The Dolphins held Matt Ryan to 238 yards passing on 23 for 38 with one interception - at Miami. Roddy White and Julio Jones both played even though they were listed as questionable (who's messing with the injury reports now?)

If the Patriots can hold Ryan to 225 to 250 yards through the air, it should be a similar battle fought in the 20 to 24 point range. I don't see the Falcons wide outs being all that much better than the Bucs, but they're a huge upgrade at tight end and quarterback. It will be interesting to see 37-year-old Tony Gonzalez against the Patriots young linebackers.

The Falcons game is a nice measuring stick for the defense and against the Dolphins.

 

[Rob0729]

No, I'm not.



The Patriots surrendered 31 points in their first two games this season, compared to 33 last season.

Ummm.... The Pats defense surrendered 24 points this season and 33 last season. Or are you going to blame the Pats' defense for Ridley fumbling the football because the air stripped the ball from him?

And the Pats defense surrended 3 points the third game this season and 31 points in the third game last year. This year is mirroring last year so much that I had to check the calendar to make sure it still isn't 2012. What replacement ref who was a high school ref three weeks ago will be reffing the Patriots game next weekend?

Let's face it Deus. This is your little game of playing board god and determining what is relevant and what isn't. Surprisingly, all your points are relevant and everyone's points you disagree with are irrelevant. It is amazing how that works.

 

[Oswlek]

I don't know how important or predictive it is, but I find it interesting that, to date, NE has held every opponent to their lowest point total.

Buffalo - 14, 23, 20

NY - 18, 13, 27

TB - 17, 14, 3

 

[Deus Irae]

Ummm.... The Pats defense surrendered 24 points this season and 33 last season. Or are you going to blame the Pats' defense for Ridley fumbling the football because the air stripped the ball from him?

And the Pats defense surrended 3 points the third game this season and 31 points in the third game last year. This year is mirroring last year so much that I had to check the calendar to make sure it still isn't 2012. What replacement ref who was a high school ref three weeks ago will be reffing the Patriots game next weekend?

Let's face it Deus. This is your little game of playing board god and determining what is relevant and what isn't. Surprisingly, all your points are relevant and everyone's points you disagree with are irrelevant. It is amazing how that works.

Week one last season: 34-13 win against the Titans
Week two last seaosn: 20-18 loss against the Cardinals

While it's nice that you've at least come up to 24 points in two games rather than 20 points in 3 games, the numbers still are what they are.

As for the board god claim, as you put it, regarding relevancy, let's look to the person I'd written my post to on that one:

The comparison to the 2012 Ravens game with the replacement refs in week 3 is a good one. Painful, but a good one. There's no question that the Falcons can hang 30 on this defense this coming week if the Patriots don't play well.

I don't know why you've decided to go Simple Jack about this, when I'm not bashing the defense at all, but it is what it is.

 

[Dutchmaster617]

Ummm.... The Pats defense surrendered 24 points this season and 33 last season. Or are you going to blame the Pats' defense for Ridley fumbling the football because the air stripped the ball from him?

And the Pats defense surrended 3 points the third game this season and 31 points in the third game last year. This year is mirroring last year so much that I had to check the calendar to make sure it still isn't 2012. What replacement ref who was a high school ref three weeks ago will be reffing the Patriots game next weekend?

Let's face it Deus. This is your little game of playing board god and determining what is relevant and what isn't. Surprisingly, all your points are relevant and everyone's points you disagree with are irrelevant. It is amazing how that works.

Explain this 24 points thing, and elaborate on your point here please, when you replied to me you just repeated yourself.

Lets say Ryan, Dalton, and Brees have their best games this season what would you say then? Smith, Manuel, and Freeman having their worst 3 weeks in isn't shocking anyone.

 

[Rob0729]

Explain this 24 points thing, and elaborate on your point here please, when you replied to me you just repeated yourself.

Lets say Ryan, Dalton, and Brees have their best games this season what would you say then? Smith, Manuel, and Freeman having their worst 3 weeks in isn't shocking anyone.

14 points week one. 10 week two. That equals 24 points. Do you need me to show my math? ask Deus to elaborate because it wasn't my point, it was a response to his.

And if Ryan, Brees, and Dalton have their best games of the season, I will revise my assessment if the defense. I am glad that is already a forgone conclusion. I have no problem admitting that I am wrong when I am wrong.

 

[Rob0729]

Week one last season: 34-13 win against the Titans
Week two last seaosn: 20-18 loss against the Cardinals

While it's nice that you've at least come up to 24 points in two games rather than 20 points in 3 games, the numbers still are what they are.

As for the board god claim, as you put it, regarding relevancy, let's look to the person I'd written my post to on that one:



I don't know why you've decided to go Simple Jack about this, when I'm not bashing the defense at all, but it is what it is.

Yah! Deus got friend. I'm glad there is at least one other person on this board who isn't a ridiculous homer or a troll that you can play with.

I don't think you point is any more valid than mine, but unfortunately you are too arrogant to actual debate anyone and just dismiss anyone's point you don't agree with.

 

[Ozymandias]

The Dolphins held Matt Ryan to 238 yards passing on 23 for 38 with one interception - at Miami.

Or maybe Atlanta just isn't as good as everyone thinks they are right now with their injury woes. The Dolphins were basically missing 6 starters on defense in the second half, including their top defensive player and best pass rusher, Cameron Wake. And despite this, the so called vaunted Falcons passing attack could barely move the ball on them through the air.

Roddy White and Julio Jones both played even though they were listed as questionable (who's messing with the injury reports now?)

White has had a high ankle sprain and he's been limited to basically being a decoy so far this season. Although he's playing through the injury, the Falcons are missing a ton of people on offense, especially along their line. That played a factor into Ryan and the team in general playing poorly, obviously.

Neither one of those teams are any sort of barometer for the Patriots. If Atlanta doesn't start playing more consistently, they might not even make the playoffs one year after being in the NFCCG. The Dolphins' upcoming schedule will show us what they are really about. Beating on pushovers like the Browns and a Colts team that struggled mightily at home against the Raiders isn't that impressive.

 

[ATippett56]

People are praising the Dolphins defense, but they still gave up 23 points to Atlanta and 20 to Indy. The Falcons had 377 yards of offense and the Colts had 448 yards of offense. The Dolphins defense didn't shut down either of those offenses. They made some key stops at key times, but both offenses moved the ball on the Dolphins' defense.

The Miami Dolphins beat two teams that qualified for the NFL Playoffs last season. Meanwhile, the New England Patriots have beaten three teams that won't even sniff the playoffs this season.

 

[Snake Eyes]

I don't know how important or predictive it is, but I find it interesting that, to date, NE has held every opponent to their lowest point total.

Buffalo - 14, 23, 20

NY - 18, 13, 27

TB - 17, 14, 3

The problem is that those offenses are pathetic, a competent offense is going to light up this defense.

 

[SVN]

as chris price pointed out....we faced locker,kolb and flacco last yr and ended up 1-2 . The 4th game at the bills also we struggled on defense . We are 3-0 now, largely because of the defense. From recent history there is/was no guarantee this defense would play good vs avg QBs and offenses. We made the jags last yr look like SB champs. So this is a welcome progress so far at least.

 

[Kontradiction]

The problem is that those offenses are pathetic, a competent offense is going to light up this defense.

We don't know that. We won't get any semblance of a good idea on that front until Sunday night. We'll get an even better idea two weeks from then. All we know right now is that the defense did what it was supposed to do.

 

[Oswlek]

The problem is that those offenses are pathetic, a competent offense is going to light up this defense.

I think you might have missed the comparative element to my post.

 

[Rob0729]

The Miami Dolphins beat two teams that qualified for the NFL Playoffs last season. Meanwhile, the New England Patriots have beaten three teams that won't even sniff the playoffs this season.

Last season is last season. Right now the way the teams are playing, the Falcons aren't making the playoffs this season. Although I expect them to get much better when they get heathy.

 

[Kontradiction]

I've got to say, it feels strange somewhat defending the defense thus far after spending the better part of the last four years squatting and taking a dump on that trainwreck that was the defensive unit from 2009 to the halfway point of 2012. I'm really hoping this one doesn't let me down.

 

[BB4PRez]

This team's defnse is much better when Talib is on the field. Sometimes things are that simple

 

[Snake Eyes]

We don't know that. We won't get any semblance of a good idea on that front until Sunday night. We'll get an even better idea two weeks from then. All we know right now is that the defense did what it was supposed to do.

We know that the opposing offense have had plenty of opportunity to score and there was a LOT of really bad play by them, with competent players many of those opportunities won't be missed.

Sometimes you succeed not because you're good but because your opponent really sucks.

 

[ATippett56]

Last season is last season. Right now the way the teams are playing, the Falcons aren't making the playoffs this season. Although I expect them to get much better when they get heathy.

Don't even try to make comparisons at quarterback between Matt Ryan and EJ Manuel, Geno Smith, Josh Freeman.

As for the NY Jets:

Rule #1: The NY Jets SUCK!

Rule #2: If the poster argues otherwise, refer to Rule #1.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Falcons will be making the playoffs this year...they are a contender..not a pretender or whatever that stupid thing is on ESPN

 

[Jackson 2]

If a high-powered, successful offense is held to fewer than 20 points by the NE defense, it will be determined by many "fans" and media members that the high-powered, successful offense suddenly sucks and/or was never very good to begin with. You can bank on it.