What NFL pundits and writers are saying about the Patriots’ struggling defense
Some of the takes are predictably scathing.
The Patriots are no strangers to being written off by experts across the national media. Whether it was Tom Jackson in 2003 proclaiming that the Patriots “hate their coach,” or Trent Dilfer’s 2014 assertion that “they’re not good anymore,” Bill Belichick’s team has experienced this sentiment before. And in each of those examples, the Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl that season.
In 2017, a 2-2 start in which the defense has played below its potential has once again created a climate of doubt. A number of writers and pundits weighed in on the team’s problems on defense.
Here are a few of the takes:
- Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller thinks the Patriots “will be lucky to get out of the first round” of the playoffs.
- Jason La Confora of CBS Sports believes that trading Jimmy Garoppolo is what’s needed to shore up the defense.
- Stephen A. Smith said on ESPN’s First Take that “there is no reason to panic.” Max Kellerman disagreed:
There’s no need to panic regarding the @Patriots. https://t.co/2Evv1NVFKp
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) October 2, 2017
- Peter King of Sports Illustrated flat out said that Bill Belichick has “the worst D in football.”
- Nancy Armour of USA Today asked if the Patriots were “ever that good in the first place?“
- Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post wondered if the Patriots’ defense “can they make it through another week without embarrassing themselves?”
- Teddy Cutler of Newsweek speculated that the Jets could finish in front of the Patriots this season “if weird NFL season continues.”
- Danny Heifetz of The Ringer explained that the defensive struggles are “worthy of a quarter-season panic.”
