Defense had a hold on the situation
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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- They walked onto the field a ragged band that included a safety playing cornerback, a linebacker playing safety, and a wide receiver (the man who had been targeted by Miami the week before) in the slot, covering the New York Jets' third wideout.
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It never seemed as if either team was in control of this one, did it? Was it the Monday Night Football atmosphere at Arrowhead? Maybe the injuries in the defensive secondary have finally caught up with the Patriots?
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Michigan's defense has knack for getting the ball back.
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In a showdown of two of the state's premier rushers, the defenders dictated the pace of the game.
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&quot;It looked like (Makonnen) was held or bumped or something,&quot; Rodgers said. &quot;I&#39;m pretty frustrated. We dominated the game.
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The offense had been thinking too much, reacting to every defensive nuance, turning football into chess. Too much brain. Not enough brawn.
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COLUMBUS, Ohio _ If there was a possession that typified No. 3 Ohio State's 76-63 victory over Michigan on Tuesday night, it came with about six minutes remaining.  And surprisingly, it happened on defense.
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Games like these are why coaches don&#39;t carry firearms. You play good defense, hold an offensive, blistering team under 80 points.
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Against the fastest defense it has faced this season, Virginia&#39;s rushing attack wasn&#39;t nearly as dominant as it had been while averaging 284 yards in the first four games.
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Virginia coach Pete Gillen knew he wouldn&#39;t be able to dictate the pace of Wednesday night&#39;s game against Northwestern. So he focused on defense instead.
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The matchup of leading N.F.C. contenders turned into a showcase not for offensive fireworks but for a blistering Eagles defense.
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FOXBORO -- The circumstances were much different, but the result was the same -- another win for the New England Patriots. Six days after getting torched by Kansas Cityâs powerful offense, the Patriotsâ defense
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The Kansas City Chiefs have proved once more that no matter how high any offense might soar, all is lost when the defense can't stop anything.
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Notre Dame certainly had its problems Saturday night against Michigan State at Spartan Stadium. The Spartans, facing an opportunistic Notre Dame defense, had more
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Itâs on days like this when you need your defense the most. With their offense struggling and getting victimized by costly penalties, the New England Patriots reached down
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It's become habit with this Patriots defense. One defender goes down, one reserve jumps into his slot. It's happened throughout the secondary and on the defensive line. But over the past two seasons, it has never happened at nose tackle, never happened to Vince Wilfork. And that has been fortunate for the Patriots.
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The New England Patriots needed a big play Sunday to keep their record winning streak alive. They got it from a familiar place: the defense.