By: Andrew Parker
All of the talk in the preseason, and even early on for the New England Patriots, has been all about the offense. The defensive side of the ball has flown under the radar, yet they have been the most impressive group in the league.
The Patriots defense has yet to give up a touchdown this season through three games.
I don’t care who you are playing, that stat is still impressive.
The fact that there is even a debate on if this defense is legit seems absurd, but the football world has its doubts due to the opponents the Patriots have faced.
New England has gone up against a very aged and over-the-hill Ben Roethlisberger, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Luke Falk. It’s not exactly a murders’ row by any means.
All three quarterbacks looked completely lost and the only score to be put up on the defensive unit was a field goal in Week 1 by Pittsburgh.
It’s hard to say whether the competition has been so poor, or if the defensive unit is flat out elite. It is also hard to ignore that the entire starting secondary squad is ranked inside the top ten in their respective positions.
That feat alone is ultimately the reason why this unit is special.
Linebacker Jamie Collins has also been one of the more impressive players in the league early on, as he is ranked number one among linebackers according to Pro Football Focus.
On top of Collins performing at a high level, Ja’Whaun Bentley and Dont’a Hightower are both having very solid seasons. Overall, the unit has been the best in the league and might be one of the best defenses in the Brady era.
We should know just how good this defense is after facing off against the undefeated Bills this week in their first real test of 2019.
Cover photo via: Matt Freed/Post-Gazette
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