A looming tilt with the Baltimore Ravens is the perfect opportunity to put the New England Patriots’ defense into perspective.
Statistics the NFL shared Tuesday show the 2019 Patriots defense through eight games has outperformed their counterparts from the 2000 Ravens team. The Patriots defense has allowed fewer points and yards per game than those legendary Ravens, and New England’s opponents are converting third downs into first downs at a lower clip than Baltimore’s.
“The 2019 @Patriots have allowed 7.6 points per game, the fewest by any team in the last 40 seasons,” the NFL wrote.
“The team that ranks 2nd in that span is @CoachBillick’s 2000 @Ravens — who went on to win Super Bowl XXXV after allowing 10.3 PPG that season #NEvsBAL.”
The 2019 @Patriots have allowed 7.6 points per game, the fewest by any team in the last 40 seasons
The team that ranks 2nd in that span is @CoachBillick's 2000 @Ravens — who went on to win Super Bowl XXXV after allowing 10.3 PPG that season#NEvsBAL pic.twitter.com/HyN8AqlKAT
— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) October 29, 2019
The Patriots and Ravens will face off Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium in a Week 9 game between the AFC East and AFC North leaders.
Led by quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Ravens offense is expected to challenge the vaunted Patriots defense like never before. However, Jackson and Co. must be feeling the same way about New England’s defense, especially if they’re familiar with how it has performed relative to the top units in modern NFL history.
