Why are people still trashing the defense?

[Rob0729]

Listening to the radio and reading Tweets, it seems like people are still all over this defense and treating it like it is the defense of previous years just because the Pats have only faced bad QBs. But as Chris Price points out on his Twitter, the Pats had far worse results against Jake Locker, Kevin Kolb, and Joe Flacco in the first three games last year (not exactly a murder's row of QBs).

The Pats defense has given up a total of 23 points in three games (30 points if you count the fumble returned for a TD by Ridley). That is the second best in the NFL behind Seattle. Each week, they are giving up less points than the week before (14 points and 7 on offense in week one, 10 points in week two, and 3 points in week three). The Pats are not the only team that have faced bad QBs in their first three weeks.

Everyone points to the small handful of plays where Patriots DBs were beat, but the receiver doesn't catch the ball. But every team has that. How many receptions would the Jets defense (which is considered to be a better defense by many people on this board) if the Pats' receiver held onto balls in week 2? Manuel over and under threw a lot of wide open receivers yesterday against that same Jets' defense. It happens to even the best teams. I am sure the Seahawks had a lot of those plays.

 

[IcyPatriot]

 

[JMC00]

Apparently they are going to have to keep Atlanta, Cincinnati and New Orleans under 20 points for people to take notice.

Because if any of them puts up more than 20 points people will still say the defense sucks.

 

[Ozymandias]

And if you praise the defense for smothering two rookie QBs and Josh Freeman, you're immediately labelled as a homer. Winning in the NFL is incredibly hard, and yet complaints about style points are made for no apparent reasoning.

People just need to find better things to do with their time. The Patriots defense is playing lights out so far, and that's all I care about.

Ignore the noise.

 

[PatsSox363804]

Apparently they are going to have to keep Atlanta, Cincinnati and New Orleans under 20 points for people to take notice.

Because if any of them puts up more than 20 points people will still say the defense sucks.

Yup because we all know the 2003 and 2004 defenses never gave up more than 20.

I mean except these:

New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills - September 7th, 2003 - Pro-Football-Reference.com
New England Patriots at Washington Redskins - September 28th, 2003 - Pro-Football-Reference.com
Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots - October 5th, 2003 - Pro-Football-Reference.com
New England Patriots at Denver Broncos - November 3rd, 2003 - Pro-Football-Reference.com
New England Patriots at Houston Texans - November 23rd, 2003 - Pro-Football-Reference.com
New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts - November 30th, 2003 - Pro-Football-Reference.com
New England Patriots vs. Carolina Panthers - February 1st, 2004 - Pro-Football-Reference.com

Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots - September 9th, 2004 - Pro-Football-Reference.com
Seattle Seahawks at New England Patriots - October 17th, 2004 - Pro-Football-Reference.com
New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers - October 31st, 2004 - Pro-Football-Reference.com
New England Patriots at St. Louis Rams - November 7th, 2004 - Pro-Football-Reference.com
Cincinnati Bengals at New England Patriots - December 12th, 2004 - Pro-Football-Reference.com
New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins - December 20th, 2004 - Pro-Football-Reference.com
New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers - January 23rd, 2005 - Pro-Football-Reference.com
Philadelphia Eagles vs. New England Patriots - February 6th, 2005 - Pro-Football-Reference.com

 

[mgteich]

The pass defense is untested. It really is as simple as that. We should celebrate the performance of our defense. Of course, much of this celebration is because the defense is doing better than we expected.

There is nothing wrong with being untested. The tests will come. And there is nothing wrong, IMHO, with media believing that the pass defense is untested.

When was the last time a defense got to start out against two rookie quarterbacks?

This past week, the media discussions all week were about a Tampa Bay team in disarray, and a quarterback in trouble. Tampa Bay played without its two starting TE's. They were left with two receivers. Talib did fine against their #1. At first, Arrington and Dennard didn't do so well. Both receivers were injured during the game.

 

[MrNathanDrake]

i didn't know anyone was bashing our D

 

[PatsSox363804]

The pass defense is untested. It really is as simple as that. We should celebrate the performance of our defense. Of course, much of this celebration is because the defense is doing better than we expected.

There is nothing wrong with being untested. The tests will come. And there is nothing wrong, IMHO, with media believing that the pass defense is untested.

When was the last time a defense got to start out against two rookie quarterbacks?

This past week, the media discussions all week were about a Tampa Bay team in disarray, and a quarterback in trouble. Tampa Bay played without its two starting TE's. They were left with two receivers. Talib did fine against their #1. At first, Arrington and Dennard didn't do so well. Both receivers were injured during the game.

This is the problem, great QBs is this league sometimes light up good defenses. Hell mediocre ones do sometimes as well. The 03 team gave up 29 to friggin Jake Delhomme in the Superbowl yet they are largely considered our best defense of this run. Have they been proven vs an "elite" QB, hell no. Have they shown significant improvement over recent years? Hell yes. This defense has made some of the worst QBs in the league look like Joe Montana the past few years so you'll have to excuse me for being excited that they put up these 3 games. If Ryan has a good game this week and/or Brees lights them up a few games from now, so be it, it's still encouraging.
That's not going to be the feeling though if they do get lit up for a game. There are some people in this media market and fan base that are just waiting for that bad game to ***** about how terrible the team is, life of a Boston sports fan I guess.

 

[Rob0729]

They are actually defending it, but all the talk show hosts on both networks are defending the defense by a bunch of callers and texters claiming the Pats have faced no one.

 

[Deus Irae]

They are actually defending it, but all the talk show hosts on both networks are defending the defense by a bunch of callers and texters claiming the Pats have faced no one.

The Patriots have faced the Bills, Bucs and Jets.

Which of those teams has an offense right now?

 

[Kontradiction]

The defense did what it was supposed to do and played very solid against weaker offensive competition. Now they have to take the next step and slow down the high powered offenses they face. Atlanta is the first test, Cincy should provide a good one, and New Orleans will be a very good test. We'll know in three weeks where this defense truly stands.

 

[Rob0729]

The pass defense is untested. It really is as simple as that. We should celebrate the performance of our defense. Of course, much of this celebration is because the defense is doing better than we expected.

There is nothing wrong with being untested. The tests will come. And there is nothing wrong, IMHO, with media believing that the pass defense is untested.

When was the last time a defense got to start out against two rookie quarterbacks?

This past week, the media discussions all week were about a Tampa Bay team in disarray, and a quarterback in trouble. Tampa Bay played without its two starting TE's. They were left with two receivers. Talib did fine against their #1. At first, Arrington and Dennard didn't do so well. Both receivers were injured during the game.

I don't know about that. Geno Smith is Jeckyl and Hyde, but at times he is a very good QB.

But then again, Jake Locker, Kevin Kolb, and Joe Flacco aren't a murder's row of QBs (as I already said) and the Pats weren't able to shut them down.

 

[Deus Irae]

The defense did what it was supposed to do and played very solid against weaker offensive competition. Now they have to take the next step and slow down the high powered offenses they face. Atlanta is the first test, Cincy should provide a good one, and New Orleans will be a very good test. We'll know in three weeks where this defense truly stands.

Indeed. I don't see how a "wait and see" approach is bashing, under the circumstances.

 

[Dutchmaster617]

Listening to the radio and reading Tweets, it seems like people are still all over this defense and treating it like it is the defense of previous years just because the Pats have only faced bad QBs.

You could have ended it there, what you want to happen isn't reality, so the rant here is just hope at this point. They look great on defense BTW.

 

[Ring 6]

The pass defense is untested. It really is as simple as that. We should celebrate the performance of our defense. Of course, much of this celebration is because the defense is doing better than we expected.

There is nothing wrong with being untested. The tests will come. And there is nothing wrong, IMHO, with media believing that the pass defense is untested.

When was the last time a defense got to start out against two rookie quarterbacks?

This past week, the media discussions all week were about a Tampa Bay team in disarray, and a quarterback in trouble. Tampa Bay played without its two starting TE's. They were left with two receivers. Talib did fine against their #1. At first, Arrington and Dennard didn't do so well. Both receivers were injured during the game.

The pass defense has faced 103 passes from NFL QBs, and done exceptionally well. That is tested.
What they will do in their next 13 to 16 opportunities against other NFL QBs is still to be determined but to act like playing against an NFL team doesn't count because you want to diminish the result is ridiculous.
I'm pretty sure the Jets, Bills, and Bucs will average more than 9 points a game on offense against the other teams they face.

 

[Rob0729]

The Patriots have faced the Bills, Bucs and Jets.

Which of those teams has an offense right now?

Geno Smith passed for over 300 yards yesterday and the Jets' offense scored 27 points. EJ Manuel passed for 296 yards and the Bills' offense scored 24 points in week 2 against a team that shut out the Giants yesterday.

It's not like the offenses the Pats have faced have done as bad as they did vs. the Pats in their other two games. In fact, each team the Pats have faced this year have had their worst offensive performance so far this year against the Patriots. All three offenses scored their fewest points in a game vs. the Pats.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

To put things in perspective, the Pats D is holding their opponents to an average somewhere between that of the 2012 Chiefs and the 2013 Jaguars.

 

[Rob0729]

You could have ended it there, what you want to happen isn't reality, so the rant here is just hope at this point. They look great on defense BTW.

Huh?!? Look at Twitter and other boards and even some on this board, there is a very real and decent size segment of the Patriots population down on this defense because they are beating no one.

We don't know how this offense will perform against an elite offense, but the offense has been great thus far. I guarantee you if the Pats defense does well vs. Atlanta it will be that White and Jones are both hurt and Stephen Jackson is out. And then if they do against the Bengals, it will be Dalton sucks.

 

[Kontradiction]

Indeed. I don't see how a "wait and see" approach is bashing, under the circumstances.

It's not. I'm cautiously optimistic right now, but I recognize that Matt Ryan and Drew Brees are a step up from Geno Smith and E.J. Manuel. The defense doesn't have to "shut down" it's next three opponents. I would be ecastic if they did, but they don't HAVE to do that. All they have to do is slow those opponents down better than the past defenses were able to do against upper echelon quarterbacks.

 

[Rob0729]

Indeed. I don't see how a "wait and see" approach is bashing, under the circumstances.

There is nothing wrong with a wait and see approach, but people take it too far in the fan base because there is one or two plays where the defense gets beat and then it turns into "If this was a good offense, they would put 45 points on this secondary". And there are a lot of that going on.