What happened to the defense? Was this defense ever that good this year?

[lancerman]

2019 was a legit good defense. The only truly bad games they had were the Ravens game where Lamar was playing out of his mind that season and they just outspeeded us and were in fact the fastest offense in the league, the Texans who were good that year and Watson had a strong season (another running QB which has been an issue for us) and the Dolphins who always throw us for a loop once a year. We dominated most everyone else and we lost one other game to the Chiefs who in a SB year for them the defense held them to a respectable 23 points.

Our offense was just hot garbage that year in a really bad way. It was a situation where we pretty much had to wait until the 4th quarter to see if we would win the game because our offense barely did anything despite good defensive performances. It was like the Broncos after 2015. The defense was still amazing, but the offense would just demoralize them with constant 3 and outs or one crucial mistake.

This year is different. We have really good talent in places, but are rather young and aren't stacked everywhere. Losing Gilmore meant we had very little depth in the secondary. Also when you look at our games, the Saints dropped 25 on us, the Texans who are a really bad team put up 22, Dallas put up 35, LAC put up 24, Indy put up 27 and the Bills 33. We were never really this unbelievable defense.

We had a solid run against Carlolina who sucks, Cleveland right around the time they fell apart, Atlanta who sucks, the Titans not long after they just lost Henry, and then the Bills game where lets be real, the whether was a factor and we played a passing team who couldn't pass and they showed us today what they could do when they weren't impeded by the elements. That stretch is really what kinda got under this teams sails and more of it was circumstance than we'd like to admit.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

They looked good against average to bad qbs and teams that were injury depleted. Take Tennessee for example, no Henry and missing their top two wrs. Played Cleveland without Chubb and their top backup, they’ve got lucky in that regard all year.

And today, Buffalo playing without 3 of their starting offensive lineman and their second best WR.

Yea all season long haven't beaten any good teams, except for the bills once by 4 points and with a great Bryant tip to save that game.

 

[aluminum seats]

I think Barmore is quality talent. Dugger too.

Agreed. Team game, you’re not gonna have a pro bowler at every spot. Having said that, it’s important to have leaders and Hightower and McCourty are just about done, so will need other guys to step up

 

[State]

When Matt Judon wasn’t being held by the Bills LT, he was standing there after two steps.

Our Pro Bowl CB dropped a gimmie INT.
McCourty and Hightower suddenly look old.

Collins runs hot and cold. It’s obvious Bentley is too slow to be an NFL starter. And he no longer packs a whallop defending the running game.

Guy is steady but getting long in the tooth. And Godchaux is borderline dreadful.

Where was Uche or Wino on third down plays?

Bright spots are Van Noy, Dugger, and Barmore.

 

[Schmo]

Going into the season, we thought we'd have Gilmore and JJones at cb with jc. Being able to play shutdown man coverage against a team like the bills would obviously be a difference maker. I'm surprised the D has had the success it's had so far this year.

I try to be an optimist, so I'm holding out hope that this team can execute the gameplans needed to win the upcoming games.

 

[Betterthanmost]

Nothing happened to this defense, just got lucky bounces, same defense I saw versus Dallas, Houston. Consistently asked on here during our run of 6 games how we could explain those games and here we are. Next year we will be better. Need another solid draft, get rid of mouth breathers /oxygen wasters on the team.

 

[Fubby]

Nothing, they picked on a CB/WR matchup that favored them and had to make like 5 4th downs. Also defense was once again put in bad field position most of the game. I guess Detreich Wise was missed. He was kind of a force in that game up in buffalo.

They were also unlucky on some things. The 2 dropped picks by Jackson that would have taken 14 points off the board for them. Collins getting taking out of the tackle that would have stopped Allen on 4th that would have taken another 7 off. Barmore getting drawn offside on 4th & 7 that was 100% a false start (Center clearly moved his head and didn't snap because he had to wait for a WR to go in motion) and would have made it 4th & 12 and they probably kick a FG

There was also the whole ref thing where apparently Pats guys shaking their head in the direction of a bildos player was taunting, yet the bildos constantly flexing, jawing back at Pats players and fans was 100% fine.

Late season byes are terrible you are rolling and then you take a week off and then come back out of sync and it snowballs. bye before thanksgiving after halloween are the most optimal IMO.

That’s a lot of ‘ifs’ and chalking up to bad luck. Bills had a couple key drops that would have made the score worse than it was.

The defense was not good at all. Couldn’t get off the field, couldn’t pressure the QB, and had no answers for a backup slot WR

 

[Betterthanmost]

That’s a lot of ‘ifs’ and chalking up to bad luck. Bills had a couple key drops that would have made the score worse than it was.

The defense was not good at all. Couldn’t get off the field, couldn’t pressure the QB, and had no answers for a backup slot WR

I wonder if they have anybody who can practice against them in the slot? We don't have anybody. The defense was not ready. Got burn over and over.

 

[JMC00]

couldn’t pressure the QB

This is just not true, did the people who are saying this not watch at all or just have no clue how to watch?

Bills had a couple key drops that would have made the score worse

They only had one drop that kept points off the board for them and it was the Sanders one and that was forced by the defense because they pressured Allen. to me the defense gets credit because they forced a bad throw.

and if we are gonna play that game then how about that Harry drop that would have put them mid-field and they would have probably ran Harris who was eating them up when he got the chance, next play after that drop was the INT that took a weird lucky bounce for the bills. Which FYI the bills drive after the INT was the one that Sanders couldn't catch it and they turned over on downs. So nah i'm gonna give the defense credit for that one, they got put in bad field position and came away without giving up points

The whole sequence was pretty much the game, Pats might have went on to score if Harry catches it and then it's 14-10 Pats game. Instead ball took a lucky bounce to the bills and they got an INT, defense held but then the offense had to start at the 1and they ended up punting and defense got boned again because bills started on the Pats side for the 2nd straight time and neither time was it the defense's fault why the bills got on their side of the field.

So again for the 2nd straight game offense and ST kinda shot the defense in the foot.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Of course they are good. They are the biggest reason we holding a playoff spot

 

[TheRainMaker]

There’s a search party out for Josh Uche. There’s a hotline if anyone has tips on where he could be.

 

[captain stone]

Lowtower & JaWrong played like dead hippopotamus ass today. The only ****ing way either of these two ****ing dinosaurs should be in the ****ing building next season are as one-year, vet minimum, non-guaranteed backup candidates… Just awful.

LOL at the deluded, koolaid-guzzling lemmings who thought that our pass defense would just keep plugging along without 2/3 of its starting CBs… Myles Bryant has been Exposed and Jalen Mills is a ****ing overpaid, ****ing gutless, ****ing soulless ****ing thief.

They are who we (should’ve) thought they were.

 

[Ring 6]

Jesus are we doing this again?
The patriots are the #1 defense in the nfl in points allowed which is, other than takeaways, where they are 3, all that matters.
If the Patriots defense isn’t then there are few, or no, good defenses.
No defense shuts down every opponent in every game, and all defenses are better against bad offenses than good ones.

 

[thecore762]

Hightower has been pedestrian. He is not worth the money we are paying him to be average. He use to be solid but these days he is just another body…

 

[thecore762]

Todays loss was not on the defense. The offense just didn’t do enough. Key drops and turnovers is what hurt us.

 

[Pats2000]

Jesus are we doing this again?
The patriots are the #1 defense in the nfl in points allowed which is, other than takeaways, where they are 3, all that matters.
If the Patriots defense isn’t then there are few, or no, good defenses.
No defense shuts down every opponent in every game, and all defenses are better against bad offenses than good ones.

Especially with the rules favoring the offense like they do. When other teams are allowed to hit your QB out of bounds, hold, take head shots at your QB and receivers (Colts) and flag you for taunting instead, is hard to win games with a rookie.

 

[‘Mondre]

Lbs other than van noy looked slow, no pressure and when there is some, Allen slips out. Kinda ridiculous they were missing so many oline starters and he still cut us up like that.

I think the coaching by bb masks a lot of the lack of talent were seeing here.

that one play where 15 on the bills drops the wide open td what was that goodness.

dugger can play tho. What I saw from Phillips if like him to stay. Mills is average at best. Bentleys a good piece but should never be the guy. HT looks slow and has some weak tackles. Wonder how long dmac is here.

it’s not ALL bad, but still disappointing….

 

[Vindicate]

I will say, the defense is good, just not good enough for this offense.

 

[Ring 6]

I will say, the defense is good, just not good enough for this offense.

We are in contention. Anything can happen.

 

[Hammer of Thor]

Todays loss was not on the defense. The offense just didn’t do enough. Key drops and turnovers is what hurt us.

No punts, no turnovers, and 1 fourth down stop? The offense didn’t play great, but the defense was terrible today. Doesn’t mean they’re a bad defense, it means they stunk today. They need to identify the errors and correct them quickly because they’re running out of time.