...they hit Marshall Faulk when he had the ball, and when he didn't. Issac Bruce, Ricky Prohel and Torey Holt, too. The Rams managed 427 yards of total offense in the game, but the lasting impression was the amount of punishment dished out by the violent Patriots' defense.
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| Wilfork is the sole remaining defender from the Title years |
So frustrated and bitter was Faulk after the beating that he and the Rams took in that loss that he still talks about how the Patriots must have been cheating in some manner because Faulk insists that the Rams installed new plays against New England and that the Patriots had them sniffed out - when actually it was the brutality and severity of the beating that reduced the Rams' to protecting themselves instead of concentrating on execution...
...which should be the exact definition of maintaining a violent defense.
Bill Belichick's game plan worked to perfection, and the Rams looked more and more gun shy as the game wore on - battering the Rams without prejudice to the point that the defense scored a touchdown themselves on a Ty Law pick-six, Law intercepting a floater from Warner, who had taken such an early beating that he flinched in the face of blitzing linebacker Mike Vrabel and badly overthrew his receiver.
The Patriots hit anything that moved on the Rams side of the ball on every play, relentlessly pursuing them, tracking them down and punishing them - but it still took the most clutch performance in the history of the big game from a very young Tom Brady for New England to pull the game out as time expired.
The turn of the century "Greatest Show on Turf" Rams' teams were the most prolific scoring machines that the league had ever witnessed, and Kurt Warner perhaps the greatest deep ball pocket passer in history and Marshall Faulk the preeminent all purpose running back - but the Patriots beat them down.
That New England defense was tough, but their style was considered bend but don't break - though they finished the season sixth overall in scoring defense, they were an anxiety producing 26th in the NFL in yardage surrendered per game - indicating that they relied heavily upon their ability to clamp down in the red zone and to cause turnovers...
...a trend that continued through a miserable and injury marred 2002 season before Belichick and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel turned things around as the Patriots enjoyed dominant defenses - just like their Super Bowl 36 defensive effort - in their back to back championship seasons of 2003 and 2004.
But when Crennel left after the team logged their third Super Bowl victory in four years, the position of defensive coordinator becoming a virtual revolving door, and while the team named a few coordinators between then and now including current title holder Matt Patricia, most people understand that all of them were little more than a mouthpiece for Belichick...
...whose signature has always been defense, but he strayed from the chosen path for a few years after Crennel left and allowed the unit to evaporate into ruin - concentrating instead on building a juggernaut offense around his brash young quarterback, something that is maintained to this day.
Yet, being a defensive mastermind, Belichick still managed to manufacture game plans to keep his defense viable - but each and every week spending more time masking his deficiencies on defense rather than being able to build an attacking plan - riding Brady's arm and the prowess of the passing game to seven AFC East Titles, three AFC Championship Game appearances and two Super Bowls...
...their lack of quality starters and, even worse, lack of adequate depth helping to prevent the Patriots from bringing home any more Lombardi trophies. But three consecutive years of deft drafting and focused free agent acquisitions this offseason has given the Patriots a championship quality defense once again.
And this defense could be the best of them all.
Gone is the evil and wrong "Bend but don't break" mindset, and in it's place is the ability to attack and to dictate the action, much the same that his elite offense is able to do - not just with solid starters, but also with quality and versatile depth which he can bring in waves - something that Belichick was able to focus on this offseason, building upon recent drafts and completing his sinister plan by being patient and letting the players that he needed fall into his lap.
As free agency approached, Patriots' fans kept an eye on their clocks, armed with the knowledge that the team needed receivers on offense and an intimidating force in the secondary, a cover Linebacker and an interior penetrating pass rusher on defense...
...but many became frustrated as all of the big money free agents quickly came off the market, teams like the Dolphins indiscriminately throwing money into winning now, while Belichick lurked in the shadows, waiting for the proper time to pounce - which turned into nothing more than setting the market price for slot receivers and cornerbacks then waiting for the flurry of activity to die down a couple of days into the NFL's annual flea market and picking through what was left.
Because he had already made the biggest splash of his offseason by enticing Canadian Football League All Star rookie defensive tackle Armond Armstead to sign with the Patriots just days after the disappointment of the AFC Title game, then went after tenured veterans to fill the need for intimidating presence in the middle of the field and another penetrating interior puss rusher.
Fiscally, Belichick was prudent, trying to get the most bang for his buck. Brady restructured his contract via a creative extension, freeing up many dollars which most people thought would be used to give Wes Welker his asking price to keep the best slot receiver in the game on the other end of Brady's passes, but Belichick was in no mood to deal with Welker's selfish games and took the money that Welker wanted and added many moving parts...
...but a look at the offense and their questions will have to wait.
What the Patriots' coach was able to do to stabilize his defense through a few affordable free agency moves, then use the draft to peg quality depth was nothing short of genius, but also nothing more than having a plan and sticking to it - and suddenly, the Patriots look intimidating on defense.
How intimidating? As intimidating as they ever have.
Let's take a look...
Next: Part 2 - Defensive Line
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