Patriots&#39; defense leaves Ravens all wet
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Jarvis Green capped the Patriots&#39; domination when he recov ered the slip pery ball in the end zone against a team known for its own defensive touchdowns.
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A tidal wave hit the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. The team's record-setting offense faced a variety of challenges through its first 18 games, but had not seen something as ferocious as what the Giants delivered last night at University of Phoenix Stadium. There is pressure. And then there is pressure.
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FOXBORO, Mass. -- The Patriots knew a day like this would come. The passing game would be taken away, almost totally, and they&#39;d need a workhorse back to win the game for them.
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FOXBOROUGH -- There was no back-breaking interception, no ill-advised read, no Champ Bailey interception this time for Tom Brady. His demise was more subtle last night. Just another frustrating Sunday under center at the controls of the Patriots' not-ready-for-prime-time passing game.
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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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CINCINNATI -- When the outside world looked at yesterday's matchup at Paul Brown Stadium, it saw a battered defense that was missing half its secondary facing an elite quarterback and the fourth-highest-scoring offense in pro football. The world looked at this and saw a disaster about to happen. The Patriots looked at it and saw opportunity.
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The rushing numbers generated by the Jaguars last Saturday - 80 yards total, 47 for Fred Taylor , 19 for Maurice Jones-Drew - suggest the Patriots' defense had an impressive performance. But there was a troubling aspect: long drives. Jacksonville had marches of 13 and 11 plays, and three of nine plays.
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The weather was lousy and the Miami Dolphins' offense worse, while the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense was terrific. Unfazed by torrential rain in the first half from the remnants of Hurricane Jeanne, Pittsburgh forced four turnovers, made a key fourth-down stop and beat the hapless Dolphins 13-3 Sunday night.
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The Baltimore Ravens' offense doesn't exactly strike fear in the hearts of opposing defenses under the best of circumstances.
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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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With Ty Law joining fellow starting cornerback Tyrone Poole on injured reserve, the Patriots are left with eight defensive backs (plus practice squader Omare Lowe), including two playing out of position. Here's a look at each player's role at the start of the season and now.
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FOXBOROUGH -- Defense seemed to be the weekly question mark concerning the Indianapolis Colts as the AFC South champions worked their way through the regular season and wild-card weekend, pitting them against the Patriots in the playoffs. Again.
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FOXBOROUGH - The forecast for today's game between the Patriots and Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium calls for rain, which could mean the Patriots call for a heavy dose of running back Laurence Maroney .
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The New England Patriots' bruising  defense has put the Super Bowl champions in position to become  one of the NFL's greatest teams.
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FOXBOROUGH -- The offenses of the Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals performed to a standstill, each scoring four touchdowns, at Gillette Stadium yesterday. But the Patriots' defense made the difference, Asante Samuel's 34-yard interception return helping to provide the impetus for a 35-28 victory.
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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. New England just keeps winning.
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BALTIMORE -- Ed Reed&#39;s NFL-record 106-yard interception return saved the day for the Ravens. Jamal Lewis and special teams helped, too.