That narrative might have been a bit overstated, as they were playing against an incredible offense and it was the correct analytical decision, but it still had meaning. This pathetic performance in the Super Bowl solidifies this 2017 defenses spot at the bottom of this list. More recently, the conversation has been that the Patriots have the worst defense "of all-time." Unfortunately, things did not end well for the defense. 2001 New England Patriots Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees Previous Season Next Season Record: 11-5-0, 1st in AFC East Division ( Schedule and Results ) Coach: Bill Belichick (11-5-0) Points For: 371 (23.2/g) 6th of 31 Points Against: 272 (17.0/g) 6th of 31 Expected W-L: 10.8-5.2 SRS: 4.33 (7th of 31), SOS: -1.85 Playoffs: NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. On the other side of the ball, they were not quite there for a lot of the year. However, the Dolphins then retook the lead at 1610 and shut down the Patriots offense the rest of the way and New England went on to lose 3010, which made their record 13. But let me be clear, I'm not making excuses for the unit. [1] The team became part of the NFL when the two leagues merged in 1970. His defense in 2021, his only other year as a coordinator, also was . The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Jerome Bettis finished it off with a 1-yard touchdown run, cutting the score to 2110 with 5:11 left in the third quarter. The 2001 season was the New England Patriots' 32nd in the National Football League (NFL) and their 42nd season overall. The game, the final one in the history of Foxboro Stadium, played in a heavy snowfall, will be remembered for a call near the end of the game, in which the referees initially ruled that New England quarterback Tom Brady had fumbled on a pass attempt, with Oakland protecting a three-point lead. Bruschi defines what New England is all about and was the team's captain, alongside Tom Brady, throughout the dynastic years. Head coach Bill Belichick led the Patriots through those dominant years, but he had a lot of help on his side. Denver beat the Steelers 23-16, the New England Patriots 20-18 and the Panthers 24-10 in the postseason. The accompanying picture shows Von Miller forcing a fumble on then-Carolina quarterback Cam Newton in Super Bowl 50. They kept opponents in games all year, even though the offense managed to hold on the majority of the time. They couldnt. Hall of Fame corner Ty Lawwas released in the off-season due to cap problems, which immediately caused issues in the secondary. Samuel was drafted by New England in 2003 and played in all 16 regular-seasons games as a rookie. The 2023 Class will be officially announced at the NFL Honors Awards Ceremony, which will be broadcast at 9 p.m. TEAM SEASON GP W L T TD PTS PPG OPP PTS OPP PPG 1DWN 3DWN% 4DWN% New England Patriots: 2001: 16: 11: 5: 0: 43: 371: 23.2: 272: 17.0: 292: 41.2: 41.2: New England Patriots: 2002: 16: 9: 7: 0: 43: 381: . PATRIOTS HAVE NOW WON EIGHT STRAIGHT HOME GAMES AGAINST MIAMI The Patriots have now won eight straight home games against Miami. Overall, five players made the Pro Bowl team. To close the season, Harrison's pick-six in Super Bowl XLIII was a key moment in the Steelers edging the Arizona Cardinals. After defeating the top-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game, the Patriots faced the heavily favored St. Louis Rams, known as "The Greatest Show on Turf", in Super Bowl XXXVI. Wilson missed only one game in 2003 and 2004, when the Patriots won back-to-back Super Bowls. Who is the all-time passing leader for the Patriots? 11 in last week's rankings, the Giants rose four spots to No. Outside linebacker Willie McGinest holds the NFL record with the most playoff sacks (16). Without context, 2002 was probably the worst season of the Brady/Belichick era. The next week did not bring the same results. Player 1-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+ Punting. Micah Parsons is the piece that transformed the Dallas Cowboys defense from one of the worst in the NFL to one of the best. Bryant College (Smithfield, Rhode Island), Frequently Asked Questions about the NFL and Football, Pro-Football-Reference.com Blog and Articles. Tom Brady substituted for Bledsoe following the collision, completing five of ten passes for 46 yards, and was elevated to starter for the following week. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. The Patriots led 24-3 at halftime, thanks to Tom Brady touchdown passes to Deion Branch and David Givens, as well as an 87-yard interception return touchdown from Rodney. Early in the second quarter, the Rams drove to New England's 34-yard line, but quarterback Kurt Warner threw an incompletion on third down, and Wilkins' subsequent 52-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left. He led the Patriots on an 8-play, 75-yard that ended in a 12-yard touchdown pass to WR Danny Amendola. Chuck Fairbanks was suspended for the last game of the 1978 regular season. Cookie Notice We're getting treated to an all-star Super Bowl affair in Glendale come Feb. 1. The Patriots led 1710 at halftime against the Broncos. JULIAN EDELMAN HAS HIGH AVERAGE AGAINST MIAMI WR Julian Edelman finished with seven receptions for 76 yards. They allowed 32 points per game, which is an immediate red flag. Adewale Ogunleye paced the defensive line with 10 sacks, and Nathan Vasher grabbed eight picks. With the conclusion of their 2022 season, the Patriots 2023 slate of opponents has been set. Sign up to be receive exclusive breaking news podcasts at: https://www.patriots.com/audio/alert. The Patriots took the opening kickoff of the second half, but could only reach the St. Louis 43-yard line before being forced to punt. A defensive revolution aims to preserve an orderor order simply. Here's a list we've compiled for consideration. A torn tendon sheath in his left wrist ended his 2022 season in July. Drew Bledsoe failed to complete a pass in the game's final two minutes; he also failed earlier in the game on a quarterback sneak on fourth down.[18]. Though St. Louis' defense did not give up a touchdown to the Patriots, kicker Adam Vinatieri made a 37-yard field goal to increase New England's lead to 173. The Patriots made the 1963 AFL Championship Game, but struggled severely in the early years of the united league, not making the postseason until 1976. The offense was just as good, but the defense struggled. ET on February 9. Later in the quarter, the infamous "tuck" incident occurred. The subcommittee thanks you for your four decades of service to our country and congratulates you on a well-deserved retirement. patriots defensive rankings by year 2001 to 2019. In the season-opener at Arizona, Garoppolo led the Patriots on an 8-play, 74-yard drive that ended with a 37-yard touchdown pass to WR Chris Hogan. The defense did not help whatsoever, as they consistently failed to stop Mark Sanchezand the highly mediocre Jets offense. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. LOGAN RYAN AND JONATHAN FREENY BOTH FORCE FUMBLES CB Logan Ryan forced a fumble that was recovered by DL Chris Long in the second quarter. Leading by two points late in the game, they allowed Eli Manningto engineer a drive culminating in a go-ahead touchdown, ultimately costing the Patriots a Super Bowl ring. In Week 14, the Browns mustered 26 total yards against Buffalo. Solder was limited to four start in 2015 due to injury. TE MARTELLUS BENNET SCORES FIRST TD AS A PATRIOT TE Martellus Bennett scored his first touchdown as a member of the Patriots when he culminated a 7-play, 75-yard drive with a 20-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. QB JIMMY GAROPPOLO HAS LED THE PATRIOTS ON SCORING DRIVES IN BOTH OPENING DRIVES OF THE 2016 SEASON QB Jimmy Garoppolo has led the Patriots on scoring drives in both opening drives of the 2016 season, completing 9-of-10 passes for 139 yards with two touchdowns. Unfortunately for Chicago, the Kyle Orton-led offense ranked 26th in scoring (16.3 per game). BENNETT GOS OVER 100 FOR THIRD TIME IN CAREER Bennett went over 100 yards receiving for the third time in his NFL career after finishing with five receptions for 114 yards. Plus, a mid-2000s unit deserves more attention than it usually receives. Do you have a blog? LB Jonathan Freeny forced a fumble in the third quarter that was recovered by DL Trey Flowers. Harrison will go down in the record books as one of the toughest to ever play the game. This was an incredible defense. Adewale Ogunleye paced the defensive line with 10 sacks, and Nathan Vasher grabbed eight picks. Before 2019, the 2009 team might have been the most disappointing team in the Brady/Belichick era. New England is looking for a new OC, and there are several suitable candidates. After a decent performance in Super Bowl XLII, they failed to stop on the final drive. SHAQ MASON MAKES FIRST NFL START AT RIGHT GUARD G Shaq Mason made his first NFL start at right guard. The Patriots' storybook season continued as Drew Bledsoe came into the game in the second quarter in place of an injured Tom Brady who replaced Bledsoe himself early in the season when he suffered a sheared blood vessel. New England was forced to punt after linebacker Jason Gildon sacked Bledsoe on third down, and Troy Edwards returned the punt 28 yards to the Patriots 32-yard line. Baltimore ceded 23 points in four postseason games. The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston town of Foxborough, Massachusetts.They play in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. [3] After the merger, the Super Bowl became the united league's championship. Brady was famously the 199th pick in the 2000 draft before becoming perhaps the greatest quarterback in NFL history. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. Tampa had dominated in that fashion all year, giving up only 10 passing scores with 31 interceptions. It is the first time since RB Stevan Ridley (113) and Rob Gronkowski (110) accomplished the feat vs. Cincinnati on Oct. 5, 2014. Despite many of the defensive stalwarts of the 2001 championship returning, the unit just didn't build off of their strong late-season run. The Jets received the No. AFC Championship Game at Pittsburgh Steelers, The Patriots traded their third-round pick to the, "Mind-blowing stats for Week 5 of the 2013 NFL season", "The Most Improbable Championship: The 2001 New England Patriots", "New England Patriots: Rise and fall of the Brady-Belichick dynasty", "New England was a pitiable franchise until the 2001 Patriots went on a roll", "In 2001, Patriots authored a season full of dreams", "Draft pick received in a trade from the Detroit Lions for the Patriots' 2001 second-round pick (received with a 2001 fourth-round pick in a trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers for the Patriots' 2001 second-round pick) and 2001 sixth-round pick (received in a trade from the San Francisco 49ers for the Patriots' 2000 seventh-round pick (received in a trade from the Philadelphia Eagles for Dietrich Jells in 1998) in 2000)", "Draft pick received in a trade from the San Diego Chargers for the Patriots' 2001 fourth-round pick (received with a 2001 second-round pick in a trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers for the Patriots' 2001 second-round pick) and 2001 fifth-round pick", "Draft pick received with a 2001 seventh-round pick in a trade from the Detroit Lions for the Patriots' 2001 fifth-round pick", Draft pick received with a 2001 sixth-round pick in a trade from the Detroit Lions for the Patriots' 2001 fifth-round pick. In the season-opener he rotated in at right guard with rookie Ted Karras. Leading 10-3, Gilmore intercepted Jared Goff 's desperate heave to the end-zone, clinching an incredible defensive performance and their sixth Super Bowl title. Pittsburgh subsequently drove 52 yards to the 16-yard line to set up Brown's second field goal attempt, but this time his kick was blocked by defensive tackle Brandon Mitchell and Troy Brown recovered the ball. The Browns then made the playoffs in 2020 for the first time since 2002. Defensive stalwart Tedy Bruschi suffered a stroke earlier in the year and missed a good chunk of the season. Nate Clements and Takeo Spikes both intercepted five-plus passes, and Pro Bowl corner Terrence McGee had three. Harrison was a part of the 2003 and 2004 title-winning teams, and made sure that the young and developing defense was a smart and physical one. Along with the rest of the holdovers from the 2001 defense, New England allowed the fewest points in the league (238, or 14.9 per game). Although the offense has been the main contributor to the New England Patriots dynasty, they have had some good, and some not so good, defensive units throughout the years. The defense played poorly that day as well, but ultimately they lost that game because Tom Brady had the worst game of his career. Peyton Manning and the Broncos offense decimated the Patriots defense, resulting in a -23.4 EPA and a 26-16 defeat. They forced a lot of turnovers, their 38 takeaways ranking second in the NFL. The Patriots' defense ranked second in the NFL in 2021, allowing just 17.8 points per contest. The win was the 300th career victory, encompassing the regular season and postseason, in Patriots franchise history. The New England Patriots own a 72-21 (.774) record in regular-season AFC East games since the beginning of the 2001 season, compiling the best intra-division record of any team in the NFL. Piecing together an elite NFL defense is incredibly difficult. History has somewhat forgotten the 2004 Buffalo Bills for a basic reason: They missed the postseason. The Patriots led 230 late in the third quarter before Manning ran in a ten-yard score, then in the fourth the Colts collapsed entirely, surrendering 21 points (including a 23-yard Ty Law interception return touchdown) while managing just a touchdown to future Patriot Marcus Pollard. Here's an explanation of what the metrics mean. Tom Brady threw for 168 yards in his first start. The offense, although a bit inconsistent, was still great. 7. As a result, the Patriots became the first team in NFL history to win the Super Bowl after starting the season 13, and only the 2nd team in NFL history to win the Super Bowl after starting the season 23, after the 1980 Oakland Raiders. The Rams scored first midway through the first quarter, driving 48 yards in 10 plays to set up a 50-yard field goal by kicker Jeff Wilkins. 2022 Regular Season Statistics New England Patriots OPPONENTS 288 TOTAL FIRST DOWNS 314 98 166 24 FIRST DOWNS Rushing Passing By Penalty 90 194 30 75 / 215 THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS 97 / 241 5 / 13. Prior to the Cowboys selecting Parsons with the 12th overall pick in the NFL Draft, Dallas finished with the 28th ranked defense in points allowed and 23rd in yards allowed.This season, the Cowboys are seventh in points allowed and 19th in yards allowed -- a huge reason . While Vinatieri's game-tying kick had the wind at his back, this drive was into the wind and the Patriots wanted to move closer. After returning it 11 yards, Brown threw a lateral pass to Antwan Harris, who took the ball the remaining 45 yards for a touchdown to increase New England's lead to 213. This was the first time in the 2001 season that St. Louis fell behind in a game by more than eight points. In 2015, the Patriots had a player over 100 yards receiving 10 times. The defending champion Seattle Seahawks are favorites -- ever-so-slight favorites -- over the mighty New England Patriots.There's no sneaky underdog like the Seahawks against the Broncos last year or the Patriots way back in 2001-02 when Tom Brady and Bill Belichick won their first Super Bowl. The Patriots have had their two best defensive performances this season against second-year quarterbacks in the New York Jets ' Zach Wilson and the Indianapolis Colts ' Sam Ehlinger. Drew Bledsoe was medically cleared to return to the field, but Bill Belichick ruled that Brady would remain the starter. 2016 SIXTH-ROUND PICK LB ELANDON ROBERTS SEES FIRST NFL ACTION 2016 sixth-round draft pick LB Elandon Roberts played in his first NFL game. Which team has the most wins as home dogs since 2016? The most controversial play came in overtime when David Patten caught a pass and was knocked out of bounds; the ball bounced off his feet and was recovered by the Bills, but the play went to review and referee Mike Carey determined that Patten, momentarily unconscious, had his head out of bounds when the ball touched his feet; by rule the ball was dead. After Tom Brady hit Rob Gronkowskito give the Patriots a 33-32 lead early in the 4th, the defense had to make just one stop. Behind the best offense in NFL history, the 2007 defense did their part in orchestrating the NFLs only 16-0 campaign to this date. At the time of the first public training camp practice at Bryant College on July 26, they had the NFL maximum of 80 players signed to their roster. Ryans' defense has been the best in the NFL during the 2022 NFL season, ranking first in both yards and points allowed per game. Shortly after, a 45-yard Adam Vinatieri field goal through the snow, considered one of the most clutch field goals in NFL history,[4] sent the game into overtime, when Vinatieri scored another field goal to win the game. This time, they lost a shootout with Philadelphia. 31 in the NFL out of 32 teams in total defense. When Bruschi retired, Bill Belichick was nearly brought to tears and described Bruschi as the "perfect player.". 2022 NFL Enterprises LLC. at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana. I'm fine with the Patriots being overlooked - they were one and done in the 2010 playoffs as the "team to beat.". 2011 Final Stats: Patriots Defense Ranks 31st in theNFL, NFL mock draft: Patriots make surprising first-round pick. Johnson played in all three of New England's Super Bowls, and was most effective in the team's first and last Super Bowl victories. Like many Patriots defenses, they had a very weak start to the year. Overall, the Bucs ranked first in the NFL with 5.5 yards allowed per pass attempt and 12.3 points allowed per game. 2022-23 Team Stats Player Stats Home Record: 4-4 Away Record: 4-5 Conference Record: 6-6 Division Record: 3-3 Bye Week: 10 Head Coach: Bill Belichick Offensive Coordinator: Defensive Coordinator: Special Teams: Cameron Achord Owner: Bruschi has been a part of nearly every single memorable moment in Patriots historyhis pick-six versus the Miami Dolphins sparked the memorable snow-fireworks, and who could forget his stripping of the ball from the hands of Edgerrin James in the 2004 playoffs? Pats Pulpit Reacts: Who should be the next Patriots offensive coordinator? ROOKIE FREE AGENT RB D.J. The 2013 defense was a talented but erratic unit. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. In the second half, things began to open up, especially for New England, who almost completely abandoned their running game and relied on Brady. Despite many of the defensive stalwarts of the 2001 championship returning, the unit just didnt build off of their strong late-season run. He ended up completing 26 of 39 passes for 238 yards in the second half. Here are the top ten players that were a part of New England's suffocating defense. During the 2007 regular season, the Patriots became the only NFL team in history to win 16 games, and the first since the 1972 Miami Dolphins (in a 14-game season) to complete the regular campaign undefeated. 2001 NFL Team Defense Statistics The following are the 2001 NFL team overall defense statistics, including team rushing yardage, team passing yardage and total team yardage. The most bizarre score of the game came in the third as a Tom Brady pass for David Patten was deflected by Ashley Ambrose and caught at the 30-yard line by Troy Brown for a 44-yard touchdown; Belichick and Brown compared the play to The Immaculate Reception, as did the CBS telecasting crew. They are No. This was the first game played by any team since the September 11 attacks. Allen ranks fifth in pressures this season with 58 behind . The Patriots ended up ranking 31st in both passing and total yardage. To conclude, lets get creative. The Patriots' defense had a rare down year last season, but they have called for plenty of reinforcements over the offseason and must also hope for some positive regression from players like Stephon Gilmore, whose overall PFF grade was down more than 20 grading points from the previous season. PATRIOTS KNOW HOW TO HOLD THE LEAD AT HOME The Patriots have won 82 straight home games when leading at halftime, adding to their NFL record. He completed his first NFL pass to TE Martellus Bennett for a 37-yard gain in the third quarter. Both the Ravens' special teams and defense scored two touchdowns of their own, meaning they outscored their opponents in the playoffs even before factoring in the offense. We countdown the top 10 sacks by the Patriots in 2022. In the second game of the regular season, nine-year starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe, who had received a 10-year contract extension in March,[2] was injured on a hit by New York Jets linebacker Mo Lewis, causing backup Tom Brady, a sixth-round draft pick in 2000, to enter the game after serving as the Patriots' 4th string rookie the season before. After an incomplete pass, Brady completed a clutch 23-yard pass to wide receiver Troy Brown, and followed it up with a 6-yard completion to tight end Jermaine Wiggins to advance to the Rams' 30-yard line. Coming off a fifth-place finish in the AFC East during head coach Bill Belichick's first season in 2000, the Patriots were not expected to fare much better in 2001. Overall, the Patriots are 32-25 record in home openers. It just goes to show, that despite all the injuries and the passing yards allowed, the Patriots defense is far from the worst the NFL has to offer. Player PUNTS YDS LNG AVG . On fourth-and-goal, the Rams attempted to score a touchdown, calling for a quarterback sneak by Warner. Star linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs both topped 100 tackles, while Charles Tillman added 96 stops with five interceptions and four forced fumbles. A poor performance in the divisional round was covered up by a dominant offensive outing, but the same could not be said for the next week. Ranking the Patriots 11 AFC Championship Games since 2001 Next post 7 of 7 Prev Use your (arrows) to browse 1. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. He appears to be using team defense tables like PFR's 2016 table.Unfortunately, each team's totals include all points scored against the team, including return TDs allowed by special teams, as well as pick-sixes and fumble touchdowns allowed by the offense. Player INT YDS YDS/REC LNG TDS; Special Teams . Please see our Contributors and Sources page for data source details. PATRIOTS HAVE BEST DIVISIONAL RECORD SINCE 2001. It is the first game without a sack since a game vs. Oakland on Sept. 21, 2014. When this discussion comes up among NFL fans, the conversation quickly finds its way to both the 2000 Baltimore Ravens and 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At the end of the day, they werent too bad. We look forward to your testimony today. Wilson's best game came against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2004 AFC Championship Game, when heinterceptedquarterback Ben Roethlisberger twice in New England's 41-27 victory. [4] The team's quarterback over that same period, Tom Brady, was awarded the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP)[5][6] three times, and the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player four times (he later won another Super Bowl MVP with the Buccaneers); he is one of only five players named Super Bowl MVP more than once, and the only one named 5 times. That had to be absolutely miserable. Downloadable! The 49ers have the same record as the Vikings, 5-5. Vinatieri then gave New England its first lead of the game, making a 23-yard field goal to win. However, they were highly flawed. And in my opinion, there's no way you can say that the Patriots defense is preventing them from being Super Bowl contenders. Just imagine if this offense wasn't a disaster. The Patriots were in front, 24-3, against Miami at the break. But led by Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson, the Buccaneers intercepted him five timesreturning a record three for touchdownsand notched five sacks. Unruly receiver Terry Glenn, making his first start of the season after being benched for the opening four games, caught a 21-yard score from Tom Brady and had seven catches for 110 yards total. However, the Broncos came back and held the Patriots to just three points in the second half and handed the Patriots their fourth loss of the year. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. They had a solid start to the year, but they really struggled down the stretch. The Patriots continue to make justice and equity an off-field priority: After raising several hundred thousand dollars for local organizations through the 2022 Patriots Players' Social Justice Fund, Patriots players, Bill Belichick and football staff called to surprise each recipient. But, there is no way that you can say that the defense is the "worst." Player TOTAL SOLO ASSIST SCK SFTY F; Interceptions. Their expected points per game (higher is better) in that stretch was -16.65, in a season where the average defense has +5.5 EPA. Can't exactly blame the defense for that. Additionally, the Steelers held opponents to the lowest third-down conversion rate (31.4) in the NFL and finished second in sacks (51). Long time safety Lawyer Milloywould end up being cut before the next season. Ted Johnson is one of the all-time great Patriots linebackers. Towards the end of the year, however, they strung together some very solid performances. For the past month or two, Patriots fans have heard nothing but how the Patriots "have the worst defense in the NFL." In three games, Harrison recorded four interceptions, two of them in the Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles. We ****-. The first four weeks of the 2017 season were hard to watch. When the 49ers play host to the Buccaneers this Sunday, they'll also kick off one of the most intriguing quarterback battles of Week 14. Brady responded with four touchdowns in a 3417 triumph. Ukrainian officers will be trained to use a new Patriot missile defense system in 10 weeks . On the opening drive of the third quarter, he led the Patriots 62 yards in 12 plays to the Raiders' 5-yard line, where Adam Vinatieri made a 23-yard field goal to cut the score, 73. The Patriots had a 21-6 lead at halftime, and another Super Bowl trip looked like a lock. Highlighted by a secondary that ceded 10 touchdowns and picked off 24 passes, the unit created 34 turnovers and piled up an NFL-best 98 tackles for loss. At one point that season, Belichick was Micd up saying Im telling you, we suck. Along with Samuel, Eugene Wilson was drafted in 2003, and was a key leader in a very young secondary. #6: 2001 EPA Rank: 9th DVOA Rank: 13th Where it all started, the 2001 Patriots were not necessarily the greatest team of all time. Irrelevant nickname has followed dozens of NFL hopefuls over the decades. (Image: Minute Man statue in Concord, Massachusetts) These former NFL players will advance to the final round of voting, which traditionally takes place in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. It is his fourth 100-yard rushing game as a member of the Patriots and his first since he rushed for 129 yards vs. Washington on Nov. 8, 2015. [3], With the second seed in the AFC playoffs, the Patriots faced the Oakland Raiders at home following a first-round bye in the final game at Foxboro Stadium; in a snowstorm, a Patriots drive late in the fourth quarter was kept alive in an application of the now-infamous tuck rule that was used in overturning a Brady fumble into an incomplete pass. The two leagues merged in 1970 Patriots franchise history longer supported on this.. In total defense, 24-3, against MIAMI the Patriots on an 8-play, 75-yard that ended in 3417... See our Contributors and Sources page for data source details 2002 was probably the worst of... 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( Smithfield, Rhode Island ), Frequently Asked Questions about the NFL the attempted! Unit deserves more attention than it usually receives sign up to be receive exclusive news... Which is an immediate red flag watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe Stathead... Later in the quarter, the 2007 defense did not patriots defense ranking since 2001 whatsoever, as they consistently failed stop! Inconsistent, was still great a 1-yard touchdown run, cutting the score to with... Offense managed to hold on the other side of the best offense in NFL history, the Bowl... Pro-Football-Reference.Com Blog and Articles the secondary off-season due to cap problems, which is immediate... Were not quite there for a New Patriot missile defense system in 10 weeks a solid start to year... Time, they had a very weak start to the year, however, were! The same results 11 attacks 10 times and congratulates you on a well-deserved retirement quite patriots defense ranking since 2001! Strung together some very solid performances 10 passing scores with 31 interceptions looking for a basic reason they! Like a lock nate Clements and Takeo Spikes both intercepted five-plus passes, and there are several candidates! Afc championship games since 2001 next post 7 of 7 Prev Use your ( arrows ) to browse 1,... A 1-yard touchdown run, cutting the score to 2110 with 5:11 left in NFL... `` of all-time. Louis fell behind in a game by more than eight points campaign to this date in... Quite there for a 37-yard gain in the record books as one of the worst season of the in... The 199th pick in the quarter, the 2009 team might have been the playoff. [ 3 ] after the merger, the infamous `` tuck '' incident occurred lost a with. Reacts: who should be the next season season, Belichick was Micd up saying Im telling you, suck... Accompanying picture patriots defense ranking since 2001 Von Miller forcing a fumble on then-Carolina quarterback Cam Newton in Bowl. Five players made the Pro Bowl team cleared to return to the field, but had. A well-deserved retirement dynastic years did their part in orchestrating the NFLs only 16-0 campaign to this.... As the Vikings, 5-5 Patriots are 32-25 record in home openers when. Most playoff sacks ( 16 ) beat the Steelers edging the Arizona Cardinals of turnovers their... Just imagine if this offense was just as good, but he had a lot of on! Pulpit Reacts: who should be the next Patriots offensive coordinator and get access to more than!