NFL Insider Explains Why Patriots Defense Could Be A ‘Mirage’

The New England Patriots’ defense authored their third straight dominant performance of the playoffs on Sunday, leading the team to a 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game.

The Patriots have allowed just 26 points this postseason and ESPN.com senior NFL writer Bill Barnwell discussed on Monday morning how New England’s defense has been the “story of the playoffs” for the team.

“New England’s defense finished the season 23rd in DVOA and 18th in ESPN’s Football Player Index. The Pats lost star defensive tackle Milton Williams to a midseason ankle injury before (he) returned in Week 18, but they weren’t rated as a top-10 unit even before he went down. Since the start of the postseason, though, the Pats have suffocated opposing offenses,” Barnwell wrote. “With the offense struggling, Zak Kuhr’s defense has also faced a ton of possessions, making that an even more impressive figure. The Pats are allowing just 0.72 points per drive in the playoffs. Since 2000, the only team to play three postseason games on their side of the bracket and allow fewer points per drive is the 2000 Ravens, who were one of the most dominant defenses in NFL history.”

The insider did explain though how their postseason opponents’ injuries could mean that the Patriots defense could actually be a “mirage.”

From the Los Angeles Chargers’ battered offensive line to the Houston Texans being without star wideout Nico Collins and the Broncos seeing starting quarterback Bo Nix go down and Jarrett Stidham take his place, New England has caught some breaks.

“Of course, as always with the 2025 Patriots, there are reasons to be skeptical. Every team the Pats have faced was compromised by injuries,” Barnwell said. “Throw in some messy weather to help out the defense, and we can talk ourselves into the Pats’ defense being a mirage.”

For a myriad of reasons, including defensive tackle Milton Williams’ regular season injury absence, Barnwell argued that the “truth is somewhere in between” when it comes to the Patriots defense.

Their final test comes in Super LX against the Seattle Seahawks when they’ll be tasked with slowing down Pro Bowl quarterback Sam Darnold and All-Pro wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.