Several things:
- Moose Johnston shows how brain dead the media is. He said repeatedly the Pats had the worst defense in football multiple times. Really? The Bucs gave up 9.5 more points per game than the Pats did. Yet, they have a better defense than the Pats? That is the stupidity of the media. They judge defenses on one stat.
- Santonio talks about how bad the Pats defense is, but in two games he had he had 10 catches for 153 yards and 1 TD. If the Pats' defense was that bad, shouldn't he have had those stats in one game, not two? Also, the Jets scored 21 points in the first game (and one TD was on a 20 yard TD drive) and 16 points. Rob Ninkovich has as many TD passes from Sanchez in those two games as Holmes did.
I look at Defesne a little more fundmentally then Moose and the gasbags.
a) How many turnovers did you accumaulate over two seasons?
b) How many sacks did you accumulate over two seasons?
c) How many points per game did you surrender over two seasons?
I always use two seasons because a single injury can create a gapping hole for one season, and distort the stats.
A) The Pats Defense was ST and 2rd in turnovers the past two seasons with 30 and 28, [indicates youth and team speed].
B) The Pats had 32 and 40 sacks the the past two seasons. [indicates more than competitive pass rush]
C) The Pats Defense averaged 19 and 20.4 ppg the past two seasons for 8th and 15th in Points Yielded.
There was more than an inordinate number of injuries to the secondary and the Safety position in particular. The Pats lost their first four Safeties last year, and two of their three best CBs. That has to affect the Defense, adversely.
Only Leigh Bodden suffered a career ending injury. Other injured secondary players are back, and two new rookies have been added.
This year's Defense will move way up in the standings.