The New England Patriots have put up historic numbers through nine games this season and they’ve drew comparisons to many former teams.
One of the most talented and dominant defenses that they’ve been compared with is the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. This team included Ray Lewis, Rod Woodson, Sam Adams and many other elite defenders. They went on to win the Super Bowl and they opposing teams only averaged 10.3 points per game in the regular season.
Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson played against them as the Cleveland Brown’s quarterback, so he has a vivid memory of the unit. Fast-forward to 2019 and he’ll face a similar defense with New England, one that has opposing teams averaging a league-low 10.9 points per game.
Pederson talked to reporters about the similarities while on a press conference on Wednesday.
“It is an interesting conversation, and you can obviously draw some parallels with those two defenses,” Pederson said, transcribed by NESN. “I think the biggest thing that jumps out to you right now, the glaring thing, is the turnover ratio. I mean, the fact that they’ve got six defensive scores this season, the interceptions, the fumbles they’re causing — it’s a brand of defense where they just smother you. They just corral you. They’re OK with giving you 2, 3, 4 yards, but they’re right on top of you. Their secondary is that way aggressively, and their front seven are that way.
“That’s something I think when you look back, if I remember correctly with that Baltimore team, the same structure, the same style of defense. It was a smothering style of defense, and they played fast and they played aggressively. They may not do a whole lot schematically, and I think that’s a positive because it does allow your guys to play free, and to play fast and to play smart. I think that’s a similarity that I see with this Patriots defense today.”
The Patriots struggled against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens coincidentally before the bye week, but Bill Belichick has always had trouble with running quarterbacks. New England had an extra week to gameplan for Philadelphia and to get the players rested up.
New England still leads the league in defensive yards allowed per game (249.3) and they’re second in passing yards allowed per game (150.2). Aside from the hiccup in Week 9, the Patriots should be right back to elite form against the Eagles.
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