5 stats to get you excited for this Patriots defense
Sure, some can argue that they haven't faced the stiffest competition. This is a fact that can't be ignored. Nothing is quite as good or quite as bad as it seems. Still, the first three weeks have been impressive. That's quite the opposite of the story we're used to telling about the Pats defense this time of the year.
Normally, it's been the offense carrying the defense through the beginning of the year. It's been the exact opposite this year. Weak competition or not, it's not something to be taken for granted.
So, in celebration of the great start, here are some stats about the Pats unit that you may not know.
1. The Patriots are currently a top 10 passing defense: Allowing just 188.3 yards per game the Pats take the #7 spot in the NFL. The much maligned pass defense has been much improved this year. A lot of this has to do with a secondary that returns every member from the end of last year. That consistency and chemistry goes a long way and so far we're seeing it. Last year after three games, the Patriots were giving up 281 yards per game through the air. The best quarterback they faced was Joe Flacco.
2. The Patriots are the top of the league in 3rd and 4th down defense: When the Patriots were giving up passing yards at will last season, we heard all the arguments in the world from Patriots fans about how meaningless of a stat it was. So, let's move on from that and into some very key stats for a defense. Can they get off the field? This Patriots unit is among the league's best when it comes to that. The Pats are tied for eighth in the league on third down, allowing a first down on just 33% of attempts. This has long been the achilles heel of this unit, particularly in the passing game.
Patriots Pass Defense on 3rd Down 17-37 for 45.9%, 181 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT, 2 Sacks, 4.9 YPA, 38.2 passer rating
— Deep Threat (@DeeepThreat) September 23, 2013
On fourth down they're even better. The Patriots have seen four fourth down attempts, the third most in the league so far. They didn't allow a single conversion. Of course, all of those fourth down attempts were by the Buccaneers yesterday so take that for what it is.
3. The Patriots have yet to give up a point in the fourth quarter: Call them clutch? Through three games the Patriots has held fast with the game on the line. You can thank Aqib Talib and Alfonzo Dennard for this stat. Those two cornerbacks picked off three Geno Smith passes combined in the fourth quarter to keep New York at bay. Against the Bills, the Pats held E.J. Manuel in check giving Tom Brady and the offense the opportunity to drive for the game winning score.
4. Chandler Jones has as many sacks as...: Ned Brady referenced this earlier. His three sacks are tied with notables such as J.J. Watt, Terrell Suggs, Darnell Dockett and Muhammad Wilkerson among others. It's only been three games, but it's nice to see the sophomore off to the good start he had last year.
Of course, sacks don't tell the whole story. That's why Greg Bedard and the MMQB crew have some up with a new way of judging quarterback pressure...pressure points. you can read about the formula here but essentially it grades pass rusher not only by sacks, but also by all of the various ways they effect the quarterback. Whether that be assisting in a sack, hurrying a quarterback, etc. etc.
In this advanced stat, heading into Week 3, Jones was tied for 10th in the league with 6.3 pressure points. The new rankings after this week have yet to be released. Given his performance yesterday though, he's likely to keep his spot or move up.
5. The Patriots defense has allowed the fewest points in franchise history through three games since 1979: As a reddit user points out, the last time the Pats gave up so few points was in 1979. A very impressive stat for a unit that's been the team's downfall in years past.
Of course, points per game is the most important stat to judge a defense by. The team is currently tied with the Chiefs for second in the league.
The real takeaway from all of this is to see what the team can do when facing much stiffer competition the next few weeks. The team will travel to both Atlanta and Cincinnatti and then host New Orleans. There's a lot of firepower on all of those teams. It's expected that the stats above will change a bit, but how significantly? That's how we might get a better gauge of where this team is at. Still, that doesn't mean we should discredit their accomplishments up to this point.
Some stats via: Chris Price, @DeepThreat
