Patriots have the #1 defense (PPG) in the NFL

[fightingirish595]

Compare 2013 Moreno/Ball to Freeman/Coleman

Virtually the same production.

ATL running game is good but it's not a threat. It's complimentary

The falcons had more more yards (less than 100 more) on 40 less attempts. They had about .5 more ypc. That's actually a significant difference. Ive watched both teams, and I'm sure you have too, and I feel like one line is clearly better than the other

 

[JMC00]

Statistically, the defense allowed 23 points against Baltimore but 14 of those points were due to fumbles in the red zone.

Other than that, this defense hasn't allowed more than 17 points in 9 games. However you slice it, they're really good.

Even with Slater's fumble it would have been 16. The real bad turnover was the ball hitting Cyrus Jones and given the ****birds the ball at the 3

So really it's only 1 time since week 2.

bills 2nd game it was 41-17 when the refs threw a bogus flag in the end zone an they scored with like 20 seconds left.

 

[jimnance]

I love how we're playing the undisputed #1 offense in the NFL (and really one of the best of all-time, statistically) for the whole thing, will destroy the "haven't played anyone good" narrative

Its s false narrative. Steelers are a better all- around team than falcons. I believe Pitts would beat atl as well.

 

[Huckleberry1]

If Jones gets a paper cut before the game, and the Falcons lose, you'll hear about it.

They need to treat him like Demaryious Thomas, make him pay every time he touches the ball. If he reacts like Thomas he will turn into a non factor, he may even become LaDanian Jones.

 

[Huckleberry1]

This Patriot defense lacks star power but the execute at a really high level and will execute the game plan in the SB the same way they have executed throughout the second half of the season.

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

 

[The Brandon Five]

49ers had the #3 scoring defense that year, as well as the #1 scoring offense, just for context.

Hmm, switch those numbers and you have the 2016 Patriots (#1 scoring defense and #3 scoring offense). I'd take that result (55-10)!

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

 

[Wheelman]

I love how we're playing the undisputed #1 offense in the NFL (and really one of the best of all-time, statistically) for the whole thing, will destroy the "haven't played anyone good" narrative

Lol, what planet are you living on? What you're hoping for won't happen after we beat them. They'll just come up with another excuse.

 

[Wheelman]

They need to treat him like Demaryious Thomas, make him pay every time he touches the ball. If he reacts like Thomas he will turn into a non factor, he may even become LaDanian Jones.

From everything I heard about Julio he's not a me guy so I highly doubt he'll behave like LT if he gets shut out.

 

[supafly]

Exactly what I had to do last week living in enemy territory. I saw some of the dumbest comments on social media where I didn't even bother responding because clearly the people posting are complete idiots. Here are some of the gems (basic stuff to ridiculousness):

--Brady gets all of the calls, so you can't even touch him or you'll get penalized (yawn)

--The Pats have no real offensive players outside of Brady

--Gillette doesn't really pose much of a challenge to the visitor and the Pats don't even really have much of a HFA

--It's actually KC who holds the superior HFA and Pittsburgh had just beaten them (meanwhile they haven't won a home playoff game since '93)

--NE has no defense, certainly nowhere near KC

--Although Belichick tries, he is rarely able to take away the opposition's best player

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

This Patriots Defense Is The Most Effective Unit Belichick Has Ever Had

[Click Here For Full Entry]

The idea that the offense was going to have to carry the team gained credibility mid-season, when Belichick dealt Pro Bowl linebacker Jamie Collins to Cleveland. That one was a head-scratcher, and brought no shortage of criticism. But it turned out that jettisoning Collins and his penchant for freelance work made this unit better and more cohesive, not worse.

Even as the Patriots continued to march through their regular season schedule, winning eight of their first nine – including 3-1 while Brady served his suspension — the defense still looked like it might be dead weight in the team’s championship chase. A seven-game stretch in which they created only two total turnovers looked particularly troubling. After all, a defense that doesn’t create turnovers leaves you vulnerable if Brady and the offense were to stumble.

But then things changed.

Following a defeat to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 10, the defense grew more stout, not only keeping opponents out of the end zone, but also giving Brady and the offense more opportunities to do what they do so well.

The Patriots have forced 19 turnovers in their last eight games, including five in their two playoff games. Two of them came on Sunday against Pittsburgh. The first of them, a fumble by Eli Rogers late in the third quarter, set up Brady to hit Julian Edelman on a 10-yard touchdown pass to make it 33-9, essentially ending the game right there.

At this point, there should be no more questions about a defense that allowed a league-low 250 points in the regular season. (The Giants were a distant second at 284.)

They don’t have a Von Miller or a J.J. Watt. They don’t have anyone in the top 10 in sacks (Trey Flowers led them with seven) or in interceptions (Malcolm Butler led them with four). There is nothing sexy about this unit, but there doesn’t need to be. They don’t have one or two deadly players but are more an army of ants, each doing precisely what they’ve been programmed to do, each carrying more weight than they appear able to haul.

And they were too much for the Steelers in the AFC title game, dominating an offense that on paper is as good as they come — shutting them down just as they have nearly every opponent this season. The Patriots have now allowed 20 or more points just five times this season, and two of those were in the first two weeks of the season.

Now this group faces its toughest opponent yet in the Atlanta Falcons, a team that led the NFL in scoring during the regular season and has racked up 80 points in two playoff games. They’ve got a great quarterback in Matt Ryan, a two-headed running back monster in Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman, and of course Julio Jones, who scorched the Green Bay Packers for 180 receiving yards in the NFC Championship game.

It’s hard to envision Jones running wild like that against the Patriots, however.

“At some point,” Logan Ryan said, “we just want to try to earn the respect when it’s not given.”

One more game, and you can consider it earned.​

 

[SVN]

This game should be quite good challenge . BB has had trouble with mike shanahan's offense in the past esp with the zone running and bootleg schemes which his son also runs.

 

[Doctor DDS]

If the Patriots do not have a good defense then none exists in the league. Giving up 283 points in 18 games regardless of competition is impressive. Did the 2003 Pats have a good defense or was it "exposed" in the Superbowl when it gave up 29 points to the Panthers in the final 35 minutes or so? It was an excellent defense that gave up some plays - it happens. The 2016 Pats had a good defense regardless of what happens next.

 

[RobertWeathers]

If the Patriots do not have a good defense then none exists in the league. Giving up 283 points in 18 games regardless of competition is impressive. Did the 2003 Pats have a good defense or was it "exposed" in the Superbowl when it gave up 29 points to the Panthers in the final 35 minutes or so? It was an excellent defense that gave up some plays - it happens. The 2016 Pats had a good defense regardless of what happens next.

Rodney, Ty Poole and Geno Wilson all got hurt and were out of the game. I attribute that as the #1 reason why they collapsed in the 2nd 1/2

 

[PatriotsReign]

Can we list the names of members that doubted our defense earlier in the year?

We should call it, "The Wall of Shame"!

 

[Pessimistic Pete]

The ultimate final exam in about an hour.

 

[Marqui]

The ultimate final exam in about an hour.

Ahahaha

 

[TennisBallHead]

Coaching only takes you so far. Maybe the best spending team in the NFL can acquire some talent next year.