Patriots&#39; defense presents special case
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KIRKLAND, Wash. -- If the NFL-record 19-game winning streak of the New England Patriots weren&#39;t enough of a challenge for the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, they also have to deal with the now-rare 3-4 defense.
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Thanks to New England&#39;s defense and to some costly turnovers by Indianapolis, the Patriots beat the Colts 27-24 in their NFL season opener.
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If the Patriots cap off the perfect season with a Super Bowl victory, they  will have made a convincing case that they are the best team ever seen on a football field.
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The legacy of the Patriots â of the players, that is â is secure. But there is a legitimate debate about the regular-season legacy of their coach, Bill Belichick.
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A couple of years ago, there would have been a celebration in the New England Patriots&#39; locker room. Certainly some hugs and shouts.
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It doesn&#39;t take a football genius to know that the New England Patriots are an amazing team. The organization&#39;s ability to plug in players and keep winning over the last three years is a model
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Patriots fans have come to expect the unexpected with the team's offensive attack. Some weeks it is a receiver-laden spread formation with a focus on passing. Other weeks it is multiple tight ends and a power running approach. Sometimes the change is on a play-to-play basis.
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As both the weeks and the wins pile up for the Patriots, the more preposterous it becomes. Already it&#39;s as farfetched and fanciful as anything that has happened in the NFL this season, Ben Roethlisberger&#39;s magic carpet ride included.
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The Patriots can be healthy or hurting. The field can be drenched or dry. The opponent might have a stingy defense or a high-scoring offense.
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It was not like the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots needed any extra motivation for their upcoming AFC Divisional playoff tilt against Peyton Manning and the high-powered Indianapolis Colts.
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Sheldon Brown and the Eagles hoped a blitz would rattle Tom Brady. One problem: Every time the Eagles rushed Brady in the Super Bowl, the Patriots nullified the defensive attack with screen passes. Lots of them. On almost every play defensive coordinator Jim Johnson called for a blitz, the Patriots used the short pass to confuse the Eagles.
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When Patriots players return to Gillette Stadium today after having two days off, they will likely begin addressing two areas that could use improvement from Sunday's win over the Dolphins: pass protection and run defense.
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It's all about the game this week. As the Patriots prepare for Saturday night's playoff test against the visiting Jaguars, it would be difficult to find anyone within the franchise who hasn't adopted that singular focus.
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To most NFL observers, one of the more surprising stories of the regular season was the Patriots' ability to win 14 games without their usual starting cornerbacks. With Ty Law placed on injured reserve yesterday, the Patriots could surprise the NFL world again if their makeshift secondary can beat the likes of Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger on their way ...
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As is his custom, Patriots coach Bill Belichick would shed no light on the injuries that ravaged his team before and during yesterday&#39;s 34-20 drubbing at the hands of the Steelers.
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FOXBOROUGH -- Sometimes, Ray Lewis is not as tough as he says or thinks he is. On Sunday, every member of the Patriot defense could talk tough like Lewis is given to, and this time they would be dead on.
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Cracking down on holding by defensive backs has been one of the central storylines this season, and it had its roots in the Patriots' AFC title game win over the Colts last year.