Patriots Defense At ‘Each Other’s Throats’, Striving For Perfection Each Week

The Patriots defense held the Los Angeles Chargers to two field goals in New England’s fifth straight loss on Sunday.

“I’m proud of the guys in defense,” linebacker Jahlani Tavai said after the 6-0 shutout loss, per the team. “Is it good enough? I believe so. But it’s not our standard. … Come tomorrow, we’ll correct those mistakes that we had today and move on.”

Allowing just six points is something any defense can be proud of, especially since New England has held their opponents to 10 or fewer points in three straight games for the first time since the 1938 Chicago Cardinals. But according to Tavai, the Patriots are looking for perfection every time they take the field.

“Our standard on defense is high,” he said. “We strive for perfection. Every week, we’re at each other’s throats because we’re trying to make sure that we’re dialed in, focused and prepared to execute any type of play or any type of situation.”

Tavai added: “If we’re looking for perfection, we don’t want to see a score on the board. I know we held their offense to no touchdowns, but we don’t even want them to score field goals. That’s the mentality we have as a defense. We take it personally when they get past our 50 (yard line).”

The Patriots’ defense held the Chargers to 241 total yards in the loss, despite the soggy playing conditions.

“We’re ready and prepared for any kind of situation,” Tavai explained. “For God’s sake, we’re in Foxborough … we get all types of weather our here. It was a great opportunity for us on defense to find opportunities and find ways to make sure we got the ball back into the offense’s hands. I hope the boys know that we gave our all out (there) and I’m proud of each and every one of them.

“Those are the type of guys that I love playing with. I’m proud of each and every guy that got to run out on the field and do their job.”

The Patriots don’t have much time to regroup this week as they face the Steelers on Thursday night.

“It’s a short week, so we’ve got to prepare quick and get ready,” Tavai said. “We can’t really dwell on this game too long.”