Pats defense....

[Keyser Söze]

I've been very critical of this defense but I was very impressed last night. They play like that come playoff time we have a good chance.

 

[long distance]

Great team D effort. Great to see the energy.
Huge game again by “unwanted“ “bust“ McClellin (aside form FG block a top tackler again).
Actually Slater has a different name for him - the "silent assassin".
Huge game by Ninko. Thats so important him showing life before playoffs.
McCourty, criticised here for reasons hard to rationally understand, was a monster again - true DB all-rounder with great reads and power.
Chung - immense.

This safety presented a calling card for last nights D .. everybody making a play there ..


Note a great penetrating effort by Roberts as well. In the warmups he was with starting LBs. After this I didn't see him back in the game. Hopefully not a setback with his hamstring. He can be another asset down the road against the run and in specific situations.

I hope Rowe picks up where he left already in Denver. The other outside CB spot was the only suspect position. So yes, this D can only get better.

 

[BTTA]

This is not a mystery. These guys just needed some time to play together, and a lineup that will play to their assignments 100% of the time. Once they show they'll do that, the coaches have more freedom and diversity, creating more confusion for the offense. It all tumbles downhill at that point.

Great time of the year for it all to come together! And what a great group of players to root for.

 

[long distance]

And a short note to the “addition by subtraction” philosophy.

”We're not worth it“ once again to BB. What he was able to do in the middle of the season with cutting the #1 D talent and benching the (supposedly) #1 rusher - and in only 4 games of the second preseason managed to get exactly what he (and MP) envisioned from this “less talented“ unit - thats truly amazing. I dont think there is another HC capable, daring of doing this (they would sooner cut their DCs than the star player). That should be a huge lesson to MP if one day he wants to step in old man's shoes.

Here's from High (note that he specifically mentions SF game .. and we know what happened before that):

"We started out a little slow early in the season, but things picked up around the San Fran week. There's no excuses or things like that, but things are clicking on all cylinders. We continue to build on it," linebacker Dont'a Hightower said. "We're playing real good football right now, which is what New England wants to do after Thanksgiving. That's what we do here."
_

More: Patriots' D answers pressing questions in victory over Ravens

 

[brdmaverick]

Haven't the prior posts but felt I must comment on the defense...........

Last night I thought they were incredible. The thing that stood out the most was their quality tackling. They got enough pressure to make Flacco go to his quick reads and most importantly most of the night they didn't let that guy get yards after the catch.

 

[brdmaverick]

The team was sharp, except for special teams in the second half. I feel safe knowing that 1. Jones will be banished to the practice squad and 2. Slater is still coming off his injury and will be back to the Slater we all know and love very soon. Nothing negative coming out of this game at all. Blount was able to run on the #1 rushing defense, the offense was awesome against maybe the best defense in the league, and the defense totally shut down a legit Championship calibre QB. It's a great night gentlemen!

....and knowing that the game ended in a Pats win the two fumbles in a weird way turned out to be a good test. After all, they created the need for good situation football and execution at the end of the game. So last night we had.....

1.) Offense playing great
2.) Defense playing great
3.) Team making big plays during pressure situations at the end of the game

Usually when you have 1 and 2 it translates to a blowout (which this would have otherwise been if not for the fumbles)

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

Time to take this Patriots defense seriously after passing big test vs. Ravens

Before playing Seattle, over the first nine games of the year the Patriots were allowing 18.1 points per game, 361.4 total yards, 101 rushing yards, 260.4 passing yards and forced a total of nine turnovers. In the four games since, the Patriots have allowed 16.75 points per game, 285.5 total yards, 66 rushing yards, 219.5 passing yards and forced five turnovers.

It is important to note the last four games have been against the 49ers, Jets, Rams and Ravens, but the Patriots have improved dramatically in every major category, including allowing an average of two points fewer per game and almost 50 yards fewer on the ground. Also, over the last three games the Patriots have allowed 47.3 yards rushing per game, which is by far the fewest in the NFL, as the Titans are next closest at 63 yards per game.

These improvements have also caused the unit to rise up the charts as it relates to the rest of the league. After Week 10, the Patriots were sixth in the NFL in points allowed per game and now have climbed to second, allowing 17.7. The biggest jump has come in the run defense, as following the loss to the Seahawks the Patriots were 14th in the league and now they are sixth

 

[Joey007]

I can't call it the best defense in the NFL either. But the thing is, it doesn't need to be. It just needs to keep doing what it did Monday night, and it will be enough.

 

[BobDigital]

The D looks legit right now. Also it is worth noting though the Pats don't have a top QB the rest of the year they might now face one in the playoffs.

Also the Pats could make it the rest of the year (including super bowl) without playing a true elite QB which would be weird.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Time to take this Patriots defense seriously after passing big test vs. Ravens

Before playing Seattle, over the first nine games of the year the Patriots were allowing 18.1 points per game, 361.4 total yards, 101 rushing yards, 260.4 passing yards and forced a total of nine turnovers. In the four games since, the Patriots have allowed 16.75 points per game, 285.5 total yards, 66 rushing yards, 219.5 passing yards and forced five turnovers.

It is important to note the last four games have been against the 49ers, Jets, Rams and Ravens, but the Patriots have improved dramatically in every major category, including allowing an average of two points fewer per game and almost 50 yards fewer on the ground. Also, over the last three games the Patriots have allowed 47.3 yards rushing per game, which is by far the fewest in the NFL, as the Titans are next closest at 63 yards per game.

These improvements have also caused the unit to rise up the charts as it relates to the rest of the league. After Week 10, the Patriots were sixth in the NFL in points allowed per game and now have climbed to second, allowing 17.7. The biggest jump has come in the run defense, as following the loss to the Seahawks the Patriots were 14th in the league and now they are sixth

Meanwhile, the Browns are allowing 2 points and 65 yards less a game since they acquired Jamie Collins.

 

[TennisBallHead]

Once they flushed that turd Collins down the toilet, everyone is buying in.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Once they flushed that turd Collins down the toilet, everyone is buying in.

Its reasonable to speculate how much of a negative impact Collins' play had on this defense's performance.

I know I don't have the answer.

 

[oldrover]

https://imgflip.com/memegenerator

 

[mgteich]

Can we finally accept that Long, Sheard, Van Noys and McClellan were good acquisitions? With Brown and Flowers as improving youngsters, this has been truly impressive. As Belichick has told us, the team improves as the season progresses.