EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. \u2013 Through seven games of this 2019 NFL season, the Patriots are statistically the best defense in the Super Bowl era.<\/p>\n
And it\u2019s not close.<\/p>\n
With its defense on the field, the Patriots have allowed just 27 points this season. Go back to Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta and they\u2019ve allowed just 30 points through eight games. They recorded their second shutout of the season Monday night, 33-0,<\/a> over the overmatched Sam Darnold and the Jets. They are a field goal allowed on Opening Night from a third.<\/p>\n For some perspective, the 2000 Baltimore Ravens allowed 141 points through 16 regular season games. The Patriots are on pace for just over 60. Devin McCourty had one of four interceptions Monday night and has five for the season, on a team that leads the NFL with 18. These are historic numbers. McCourty was asked if the stats ever cross his mind.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I think we\u2019re getting a blueprint of what it takes each week to come out and play well,\u201d Devin McCourty said. \u201cI\u2019ve been part of teams where we play well and then we haven\u2019t played well. That\u2019s because we haven\u2019t followed that blueprint. We will get over this one fast because we have a Cleveland team that is coming off a bye week that is going to try and come into Foxboro and get a big win on the road.\u201d<\/p>\n This is what makes this Patriots team so amazingly consistent. They have a laser focus that is unmatched in the modern era of the NFL. It\u2019s unmatched for his level of consistency no matter the opposition. This Patriots defense never plays down to its competition. They destroy it.<\/p>\n We\u2019re only through seven regular season games but these Patriots are starting to earn a place in the conversation with the 75-76 Steelers, the \u201984 Niners, the \u201985 Bears, the \u201986 Giants, the 2000 Ravens and the \u201902 Buccaneers.<\/p>\n Certainly, the horrid level of quarterback play and offenses they\u2019ve played has something to do with it. But the Patriots most definitely have something to do with that. Whether it\u2019s Luke Falk, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ben Roethlisberger, Daniel Jones or Sam Darnold, the Patriots are just toying with opposing signal callers.<\/p>\n On Monday night, Darnold was chewed up and spit out like never before in his brief career. It was so bad that ESPN microphones caught him saying \u201cThey\u2019re making me see ghosts.\u201d<\/p>\n How appropriate. The defense led by the Boogeymen making the opposing quarterback see things that weren\u2019t there.<\/p>\n It was Darnold who earlier in the week suggested that there were opportunities to be had against the Patriots defense and their secondary. He and the Jets just had to find them. Well, Monday night, they failed in a most abysmal fashion.<\/p>\n Darnold completed just 11 of 32 passes for 86 yards, four interceptions and a horrific 3.6 passer rating. It was the lowest of his two-year career, spanning 16 starts.<\/p>\n The Patriots did two things they have been doing extraordinarily well all season on defense: Getting off the field on third down and turning opponents over, especially in the red zone. Monday night, Duron Harmon and J.C. Jackson picked off passes in the end zone, keeping the shutout intact. The Jets were 0-for-5 in the red zone against the Patriots Monday night.<\/p>\n No fly zone. @_Showtime29<\/a> | #GoPats<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/l8vTyu44S9<\/a><\/p>\n\n