The debate is over. Patriots have a championship defense
Apparently, giving the Patriots defense credit where credit is due is about as difficult as scoring against them.
It feels like hardly anyone noticed that one of the most pertinent questions of the season — whether the Patriots defense could duplicate its success when confronted by a potent offense replete with a franchise quarterback? — was answered emphatically on Sunday. The Patriots punched their ticket to Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons and delivered a death blow to the proclamations that they’re overrated.
Virtually the entire season there has been a debate about whether the Patriots were actually as good as their defensive points per game ranking or merely the beneficiaries of a favorable schedule with mostly forgettable quarterbacks. By holding Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers to 17 points in the AFC Championship game, the defense proved its parsimony translates to a top 10 offense and a decorated passer. But their revelatory statement got relegated to the background by the bright lights of another brilliant Tom Brady postseason performance.
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