The New England Patriots defense is off to a historic start

The Patriots are off to a 5-0 start to the season, and they have the defense to thank for that. But just how good is this New England defense?

The Patriots beat the Washington Redskins handedly on Sunday, winning by a score of 33-7. The defense once again made it impossible for their opponent to move the ball, taking the pressure off of Tom Brady and the Patriots offense.

This defensive unit for New England is playing so well that it’s already making its way into the record books. They are only allowing 6.8 points per game through Week 5. For context, the 2000 Baltimore Ravens defense allowed 10.3 points per game, and the 1985 Chicago Bears defense allowed 12.4.

The Patriots have also forced five fumbles and have tallied 11 interceptions through the first five weeks of the season, and are unanimously considered as the best defense in football.

It is fair to assume that they’ve benefited from a lackluster schedule to start the season, but nonetheless they have proved that they are for real. They currently rank first against the pass and fourth against the run, but have stayed among the top of both categories throughout the season.

After the game, Dont’a Hightower referred to the linebackers as “the boogeymen,” which seems fitting if you watched yesterday’s game. It will be tough for the defense to sustain this level of success, especially with some of the teams they still have to play. They still have the Chiefs, the Eagles, the Cowboys, the Browns, and the Texans on the schedule, who all have dangerous offenses.

This defense has been the driving force of the undefeated start for New England. While they continue to dominate, the offense is still trying to find their identity. They are still dealing with injuries, and the offensive line is not as good as we once thought.

Brady got hit a lot against Washington, and even though the team was able to win by such a large margin, the offense was not running particularly smooth. Linemen were getting beat in routine one-on-ones, and Brady was being thrown off his spot.

Thankfully, the offense has a few more weeks to figure things out offensively. The Patriots’ next two games are against the New York Giants and the New York Jets. The defense should be able to find success against both teams, and certainly has a chance to keep their turnover streak alive, as well.