Does Patriots Defense Deserve More Credit For Limiting Quality Offenses?

The New England Patriots have done nearly nothing right in the midst of a five-game losing streak. Well, almost nothing.

Over the last three games, the Patriots are the only team to lose three games when allowing 10 points or less since the 1938 Chicago Cardinals did so in four straight games. New England has allowed just 46 points over the last four games, good for 11.5 points per game.

The defense is more than doing its job, and the teams that the Patriots have kept off balance may just be better than you think.

No, no one is throwing a parade for the Patriots holding the New York Giants to 10 points, given the team ranks last in football in yards per game and second-to-last in points per game.

In the other four games, however, the Patriots have faced some solid offenses in the Washington Commanders, the Indianapolis Colts and the Los Angeles Chargers.

Here’s how those teams stack up around the NFL in offensive production:

Points per game:
— Commanders: 20.1 (21st in NFL)
— Colts: 25.0 (8th in NFL)
— Chargers: 22.9 (12th in NFL)

Yards per game:
— Commanders: 336.2 (16th in NFL)
— Colts: 342.5 (13th in NFL)
— Chargers: 338.6 (15th in NFL)

The defense has more than stepped up in an otherwise brutal stretch for the Patriots. The New England unit ranks eighth in yards per game allowed (310.2) and 15th in points per game allowed (21.2). Through their play, the group may be doing this on an underrated level.

Last season, the New England defense got more attention given that the team ranked fifth in the NFL in turnover differential. In 2023, the Patriots rank second-to-last in football with a -9 turnover differential, largely in part due to the massive struggles of the offense.

While the record may push the defense under the radar, the Patriots have played well as a group, especially without arguably their top two players Matthew Judon and Christian Gonzalez, both of whom have not played since Week 4.

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The Patriots hope their defense can be rewarded with a win on a short week against the Pittsburgh Steelers.