{"id":707012,"date":"2026-01-26T19:03:14","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T19:03:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/707012\/"},"modified":"2026-01-26T19:03:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T19:03:14","slug":"nfl-insider-explains-why-patriots-defense-could-be-a-mirage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/707012\/","title":{"rendered":"NFL Insider Explains Why Patriots Defense Could Be A ‘Mirage’"},"content":{"rendered":"

The New England Patriots\u2019 defense authored their third straight dominant performance<\/a> of the playoffs on Sunday, leading the team to a 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game.<\/p>\n

The Patriots have allowed just 26 points this postseason and ESPN.com senior NFL writer Bill Barnwell<\/a> discussed on Monday morning how New England\u2019s defense has been the \u201cstory of the playoffs\u201d for the team.<\/p>\n

\u201cNew England\u2019s defense finished the season 23rd in DVOA and 18th in ESPN\u2019s Football Player Index. The Pats lost star defensive tackle Milton Williams to a midseason ankle injury before (he) returned in Week 18, but they weren\u2019t rated as a top-10 unit even before he went down. Since the start of the postseason, though, the Pats have suffocated opposing offenses,\u201d Barnwell wrote. \u201cWith the offense struggling, Zak Kuhr\u2019s defense has also faced a ton of possessions, making that an even more impressive figure. The Pats are allowing just 0.72 points per drive in the playoffs. Since 2000, the only team to play three postseason games on their side of the bracket and allow fewer points per drive is the 2000 Ravens, who were one of the most dominant defenses in NFL history.\u201d<\/p>\n

The insider did explain though how their postseason opponents\u2019 injuries could mean that the Patriots defense could actually be a \u201cmirage.\u201d<\/p>\n

From the Los Angeles Chargers\u2019 battered offensive line to the Houston Texans being without star wideout Nico Collins and the Broncos seeing starting quarterback Bo Nix go down and Jarrett Stidham take his place<\/a>, New England has caught some breaks.<\/p>\n

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\u201cOf course, as always with the 2025 Patriots, there are reasons to be skeptical. Every team the Pats have faced was compromised by injuries,\u201d Barnwell said. \u201cThrow in some messy weather to help out the defense, and we can talk ourselves into the Pats\u2019 defense being a mirage.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

For a myriad of reasons, including defensive tackle Milton Williams\u2019 regular season injury absence, Barnwell argued that the \u201ctruth is somewhere in between\u201d when it comes to the Patriots defense.<\/p>\n

Their final test comes in Super LX against the Seattle Seahawks when they\u2019ll be tasked with slowing down Pro Bowl quarterback Sam Darnold and All-Pro wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.<\/p>\n

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