Will this defense be top ten? (hint: no)

[Rhodey]

They are a Top 10 D-fence to Pats fans. The rest can think what they want to.

 

[Huckleberry1]

What happened to the troll?

 

[Deus Irae]

While it's clear that "garbage time" isn't well understood around here (There was no garbage time in the Jets game, and just over one minute's worth in the Colts game, for example), something else is also clear:

As of now, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com, the Patriots are the #8 scoring defense in the NFL, and the #11 defense in terms of yards allowed.

2015 New England Patriots Statistics & Players | Pro-Football-Reference.com

 

[DaBruinz]

Best sequence was the statement series following the ST lapse and long run back that Gost had to stop. Sack - sack - pass stopped after three yards on third and long. Total domination by the Pats' defense.

And Chandler Jones fighting through two blockers for a sack. Determination. Rewarded.

I wish people would stop saying there was a special teams lapse. There wasn't. What allowed that play to happen was Ebner being sent flying out of position by an illegal block in the back that wasn't called.

 

[VrabelJr]

Chandler Jones has taken the next step and is healthy.
Malcom Brown is developing faster than any of us would have expected
Branch, Siliga and Hicks are solid and each have 1-2 plays a game where they blow up the pocket.
Dominique Easley is healthy and improving.
Collins and Hightower... nuff said.

I would say 3-4 of Chandler Jones' sacks could have easily gone to another player the way our defense swarms, but all in all our front 7 is complimenting each other very, very well.

 

[Interception]

You guys love to pick and choose stats. Of course the pats will be #1 if you take away all the garbage time stats... That has to do as much with our offense as our defense. Why not take away garbage time stats from other defenses too when collecting those statistics?

But I am pleasantly surprised with how well they're doing. I've been hoping Chandler Jones would turn out to be our best defensive player since I learned about him years ago in Syracuse, that seems like a possibility now.

Still, i'm worried about this defense giving up those plays that end the season in the playoffs.

I also want to see how they do against an elite QB, which we have not seen. Maybe Roethlisberger? But he did have a good game.

This defense has not been good on 3rd down, although yesterday was pretty great all around.

I can see a 10-15th ranked defense that will either make or break the team in the playoffs. The secondary can be taken advantage of, which is what scares me at this point.

Anyway, fire away with your dislikes, your angry comments about how you know better than everyone in the media, and how this team can have no flaws.

Funny to see every statistic presented that viewed the patriots defense negatively was ignored while all the positive statistics were showered with praise.

 

[Joey007]

Welcome back!

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

Oh boy....he's back

 

[Deus Irae]

You guys love to pick and choose stats.

Given the OP, which included the following:

This is a 15th-25th ranked defense and most likely in the 20s in everything except for scoring.

the irony of your statement is noted.

 

[VrabelJr]

You guys love to pick and choose stats. Of course the pats will be #1 if you take away all the garbage time stats... That has to do as much with our offense as our defense. Why not take away garbage time stats from other defenses too when collecting those statistics?

But I am pleasantly surprised with how well they're doing. I've been hoping Chandler Jones would turn out to be our best defensive player since I learned about him years ago in Syracuse, that seems like a possibility now.

Still, i'm worried about this defense giving up those plays that end the season in the playoffs.

I also want to see how they do against an elite QB, which we have not seen. Maybe Roethlisberger? But he did have a good game.

This defense has not been good on 3rd down, although yesterday was pretty great all around.

I can see a 10-15th ranked defense that will either make or break the team in the playoffs. The secondary can be taken advantage of, which is what scares me at this point.

Anyway, fire away with your dislikes, your angry comments about how you know better than everyone in the media, and how this team can have no flaws.

Funny to see every statistic presented that viewed the patriots defense negatively was ignored while all the positive statistics were showered with praise.

Because other teams play in garbage time between zero and 2 times a year and we play garbage time almost every week?

 

[FourierSeries]

You guys love to pick and choose stats. Of course the pats will be #1 if you take away all the garbage time stats... That has to do as much with our offense as our defense. Why not take away garbage time stats from other defenses too when collecting those statistics?

But I am pleasantly surprised with how well they're doing. I've been hoping Chandler Jones would turn out to be our best defensive player since I learned about him years ago in Syracuse, that seems like a possibility now.

Still, i'm worried about this defense giving up those plays that end the season in the playoffs.

I also want to see how they do against an elite QB, which we have not seen. Maybe Roethlisberger? But he did have a good game.

This defense has not been good on 3rd down, although yesterday was pretty great all around.

I can see a 10-15th ranked defense that will either make or break the team in the playoffs. The secondary can be taken advantage of, which is what scares me at this point.

Anyway, fire away with your dislikes, your angry comments about how you know better than everyone in the media, and how this team can have no flaws.

Funny to see every statistic presented that viewed the patriots defense negatively was ignored while all the positive statistics were showered with praise.

Other than the Buffalo game, where we tried to embarrass them and we started going for it on 4th down at midfield and continued passing it when we could have run out the clock, no one has put up more than 23 points on our defense. Not even Big Ben. Indy had 27 points, but 7 came off of a pick 6.

What elite QB/offense do you fear?

Rodgers is the 2nd best QB in the league, but GB's offense has been very average over the last few weeks. And we would be playing them outside of Lambeau.

Pittsburgh could be the only offensive threat when Big Ben gets healthy. But Brady vs Big Ben in a shoot out at Gillette would be in our favor.

Even last year's defense gave up 31 vs Baltimore (who was by no means an offensive juggernaut.) With the offense that we have, I think we can withstand one offensive performance from an opponent like Baltimore had against us in the Divisional round.

 

[rochrist]

It was the 3rd-worst rushing performance in Dolphins history.

It's a shame we suck against the run so badly.

Wow! They've had two performances WORSE than that?

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

With 26 sacks, the Patriots are now tied with the Broncos for 1st place in the League.

 

[TommyD4207]

The Patriots are tied with the Broncos with 26 sacks for the NFL lead.

But our pass rush is weak, and our secondary is terrible. How is that possible?

 

[ZoisKing]

The Patriots are tied with the Broncos with 26 sacks for the NFL lead.

That's huge. The hurries and tackles for loss are there too. Every team in the league will pass on you unless you hurry the QB.

 

[DaBruinz]

Funny to see every statistic presented that viewed the patriots defense negatively was ignored while all the positive statistics were showered with praise.

Which "negative" statistics were ignored?

The Pats are 11th in total yards allowed per game.. (A useless stat)
The Pats are 8th at points allowed per game at 17.
The Pats are 18th in total passing yards, having allowed 1745.
The Pats are 17th in passing yards per game allowed at 249.3
The Pats are tied for 15th with 11 Passing TDs allowed.
Opposing QBs have a rating of 86.2 which is good for 11th.
The Pats are 13th in total rushing yards allowed with 677.
The Pats are 7th in rushing yards per game at 96.7
They are tied for 10th at 4 rushing TDs allowed. (Note that 8 teams that they are either tied with or have allowed fewer also have only played in 6 games)

All the above haven't been ignored.. They just don't tell the WHOLE story about a team.
Furthermore, you ignore that this team has 26 sacks on the season, which is tied for first. They also have 26 QB hurries and 33 QB hits to go along with 41 Passes Defensed (good for 8th in the league). The Patriots have 8 interceptions (tied for 6th), 6 forced fumbles (14th) and 2 fumble recoveries.

But yeah, we're the one's ignoring statistics..

Dude. Face facts.. This team, which hasn't peaked yet, is well on it's way to being one of the best Belichick defenses and you made a stupid OP because you can't comprehend what stats mean something and what stats don't..

 

[Deus Irae]

But our pass rush is weak, and our secondary is terrible. How is that possible?

To be fair, the Patriots having played more games than a lot of other teams makes the stat at least potentially misleading/false.

 

[DaBruinz]

To be fair, the Patriots having played more games than a lot of other teams makes the stat at least potentially misleading/false.

Sorry Deus. 19 other teams have played 7 games..

 

[Bobsyouruncle]

They really didn't have a chance to score, Bowles admitted after the game it took two plays because Fitzpatrick's arm wasnt strong enough to get it to the end zone and they were unable to get two plays off. Was it humanly possible, yes, but the Patriots weren't facing themselves.

He doesn't have to throw it into the end zone to get a TD.

 

[Deflatemyballs]

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