MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The New England Patriots’ defense clearly took offense when many fans and pundits declared it didn’t pass the eye test early in the season when it didn’t allow points but did yield big chunks of yards.
But the Patriots’ defense had another strong effort Sunday as the team beat the Miami Dolphins 35-14 on the road.
The Patriots’ defense had its worst game of the season in a Week 10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, when it let up 31 points, but it has allowed just 12.4 points per game since Week 11. The Patriots lead the NFL in fewest points allowed on the season at 15.6, with the lowest mark since the Seattle Seahawks let up 14.4 in 2013.
“It’s something we were mindful of, for sure,” safety Logan Ryan said about leading the NFL in fewest points allowed. “I’m not going to lie to you. We wanted that. We felt like we were constantly slept on all year. Doubted all year. So for a group that ‘didn’t have a lot of great players and gave up too many passing yards and didn’t really create enough turnovers,’ to be the best scoring defense in the last (three)Â years, I think, speaks for itself.”
Ryan contributed Sunday with an interception, his second in three games.
“It feels good, man. I needed those,” Ryan said. “I’m happy I got one, and I’m ready to get some more in the playoffs — 2017.”
The Patriots clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs after finishing with a 14-2 record and beating the Dolphins in Week 17. New England didn’t clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs last season in large part between it couldn’t beat the Broncos in Denver, and it couldn’t beat the Dolphins in Miami. The Patriots ultimately lost to the Broncos in the AFC Championship Game.
Not only did the Patriots win in Miami this season, they also won in Denver last month.
“It feels good,” Ryan said. “The good thing about this schedule is we got to right a lot of our wrongs that we messed up on last year.
“I think the difference with this team is when they were driving and they had momentum, we were able to get those turnovers. Devin (McCourty’s) play pretty much sealed the game. Last year, we weren’t able to get that, and we kind of let this game slip away, which may have cost us in the end. I think this year we finished a little better, which was our motto. We stepped up and made those plays. Big players made those plays — to help us seal this game.”
Thumbnail photo via Reinhold Matay/USA TODAY Sports Images
