The New England Patriots have one of the top defenses in the NFL thanks to quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick making sure he has the right weapons around the future Hall of Fame quarterback.
Thanks to their offense, the Patriots' betting odds for the season has them as the favorites to win the Super Bowl for the second consecutive season.
Despite the injuries the Patriots suffered in the preseason and on Sunday when Rob Gronkowski went down with a groin injury, they have still been one of the best offensive teams in the NFL this year.
The Pats are currently first in total yards and fourth in YPP. So far, they have the most first downs per game and have scored the fifth most points this season.
Even though they still have some work to do to improve their red zone numbers, there is no question the Patriots have a top 5 offense. What makes them scarier is the fact that they are doing it without their best receiver.
While their offense has been playing like a well-oiled machine, their defense has been anything but good. The Patriots are currently the second-to-last team in the league when it comes to defensive YPG and YAPG.
The rushing defense, which was a liability last season, continues to be one this year as the Patriots are dead last in rushing defense. Their pass defense hasn’t been much better and is one of the worst in the league in passing yards allowed.
Even though the defensive numbers don’t look great, there is no reason for the Patriots and their fans to panic. We are just two games in, so there is plenty of time for improvement.
The numbers are also a little skewed because 42 of the 62 points they have allowed came in their season-opening loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Injuries to players like Donta Hightower is also another reason the Patriots defense has struggled this season. By the time he returns to the lineup, the defense will get even better.
Another reason not to panic is the fact that Bill Belichick is their head coach. Before Brady came along, Belichick was one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL, and won two Super Bowls as a member of the Bill Parcells-led New York Giants in the late 1980s.
Since he became the head coach of the Patriots, Belichick has always had a good defensive unit, so the issues they are having right now will eventually get cleaned up.
If their defensive play hasn’t picked up by the time the second half of the season comes around, the team likely won’t repeat as Super Bowl champions.
After giving up 20 points to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, the Patriots became the 22nd team in league history to allow opponents to drop 60 points in the first two games of the year. The Oakland Raiders did the same thing last year and almost won the AFC West.
Of the 22 teams that allowed 60 or more points in their first two games, nine of them made the playoffs, and one even made it to the Super Bowl, so Patriots fans can sleep easy knowing their beloved Pats will be okay.
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