New England Patriots: Ranking the top 5 defenses of the 21st century

The New England Patriots have reeled off a quick four game win streak that has completely changed the direction of their season. Initially they looked like an afterthought, crawling out to a 2-4 start and throwing away a handful of winnable games. Now at 6-4, they are firmly entrenched in the Wild Card race, and look like they could actually be a serious playoff contender this season.

One of the biggest reasons for that quick turnaround has been the play of the Patriots defense. They have struggled at times this season, but recently they have looked like one of the top units in the NFL. It’s no surprise that their best stretch of play has coincided with New England’s recent win streak.

The Patriots grade out as one of the best defenses in the league too. They rank fifth in the league in DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average), which is a statistic that measures a team’s efficiency by comparing the success of every play run during a game to a league average that is based on the situation and the opponent. So based on the situations and opponents New England has faced, their defense has performed as the fifth best unit so far this season.

The more basic numbers all paint a similar picture. New England is second in the league in points allowed, despite still not having had a bye week yet. Opponents are only getting 5.2 yards per play, as they have generally shut down their opponent regardless of the circumstance. So that begs the question; how good is this defense compared to some of the Patriots’ recent defenses?

Of course, we won’t know the answer until the season is over, but after another defensive clinic, this time over the Cleveland Browns, it seemed like a good time to reminisce about some of the dominant defenses New England has fielded recently. While we won’t include the 2021 Patriots on this list just yet, I will revisit this ranking once the season concludes and see where they stand then. But for now, let’s take a look at the New England Patriots top 5 defenses of the 21st century.

New England Patriots top defense No. 5: 2016

The 2016 season will largely be remembered for the Patriots pulling off a 25 point comeback to win Super Bowl LI, and for good reason. But what often gets forgotten is that this team had one of the best defenses during the Tom Brady era, and for as good as he was in the Super Bowl, this defense was just as important in the second half of that game.

Truth be told, the advanced metrics aren’t necessarily big fans of this unit. They finished the season ranked 16th in DVOA, and weren’t necessarily a defense that opposing teams were worried about. But this defense came to personify the “bend but don’t break” mentality that catapulted the Patriots to the second act of their dynasty.

The Patriots 2016 defense finished the season with the fewest points allowed on the season, with just 250 over 16 games (good for a shiny 15.6 per game). They weren’t going to completely shut you down, but they also weren’t going to let you get in the end zone very much.

On paper, this probably isn’t one of the prettiest defenses the Pats worked with, but they came together to become a very formidable unit that rarely gave up points. Dont’a Hightower and Devin McCourty both earned Pro Bowl honors as a result of their performances this season, and they were generally considered the leaders of their respective position groupings.

McCourty helped turn a seemingly undermanned secondary into one of the best in the league. With him and Patrick Chung the starting safeties, teams rarely were able to get much going deep down the field. That security helped the young cornerback duo of Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan blossom into a solid pairing for the Pats. Butler ended having the best season of his career, picking off four passes and defending 17 others.

Hightower put together one of his best seasons despite some turnover at linebacker alongside him. Jamie Collins was traded away after seven games, and Kyle Van Noy was picked up right around the same time. Even despite missing three games, Hightower had one of the best seasons of his career in 2016, and he made one of the plays of the season with his strip sack of Matt Ryan in the Super Bowl.

Elsewhere on defense, the Patriots got a breakout season from Trey Flowers, who led the team with seven sacks. Alan Branch and Malcolm Brown anchored a run defense that only allowed 88.6 yards per game, which was the third lowest total in the season. Chris Long and Jabaal Sheard combined for nine sacks in their lone seasons in New England as well.

While it wasn’t the flashiest unit, the Patriots wouldn’t have won their fifth Super Bowl without the contributions they received on defense, earning them a spot on this list.

New England Patriots top defense No. 4: 2006

The fact that the 2006 New England Patriots even made it to the AFC Championship game was impressive, and could they have held onto a 21-6 halftime lead over the Indianapolis Colts, they probably would have had another Super Bowl to add to their collection. While the Pats defense was a big reason for their untimely downfall this season, that also ignores the fact that this team would certainly not have made it as far as they did without their contributions.

The 2006 defense finished seventh in DVOA and second in overall scoring (they allowed just 14.8 points per game), making them one of the best squads in the league. The Pats offense didn’t have the firepower they would have just one season later (Reche Caldwell was their leading receiver with 760 yards), which made it absolutely vital that the defense stepped up and delivered. And boy did they ever.

The Patriots defense wasn’t as dominant as they had been in seasons past, but they had a truly solid cast of characters leading the way. Richard Seymour was the only player to earn Pro Bowl honors, and as we will see in a minute, there was absolutely no way that should have been the case. Seymour finished the season with just four sacks, but he was pretty much constantly in the opposing teams backfield, picking up 12 QB hits and eight tackles for a loss.

The attention Seymour drew helped open things up for the rest of the front seven, and they delivered. Rosevelt Colvin led the team with 8.5 sacks, with Ty Warren and Jarvis Green both right behind him with 7.5. It was a very balanced pass rush that always seemed to deliver when called upon.

Colvin teamed up with Mike Vrabel and Tedy Bruschi to form one of the better linebacker corps this team had ever seen. Bruschi logged his fifth and final 100+ tackle season, leading the team with 112, while Vrabel picked up 89 tackles and 4.5 sacks, establishing himself as one of the most versatile linebackers in the game.

The secondary was led by cornerback Asante Samuel who had a breakout season that should have ended with Pro Bowl honors. Samuel was targeted all season long, but he turned that into a league leading 10 interceptions and 24 deflected passes. While the rest of the secondary wasn’t as solid, Samuel’s presence helped limit what opposing offenses could do in the air.

The 2006 Patriots will be remembered for throwing away a great shot to add to their Super Bowl tally, which results in the defense not really getting the credit they deserve. With the focus shifting towards the offense afterwards, this was really the last great defensive squad New England had for awhile. If it weren’t for their collapse against the Colts, they probably would be remembered as such.

New England Patriots top defense No. 3: 2004

By 2004, the Patriots had established themselves as one of the best defensive teams in the league. After all, they relied quite heavily on their defense to help them win their previous two Super Bowl trophies, and that was expected to be the case again in 2004. And while it definitely was, 2004 will probably be remembered more for it being the season where Tom Brady really began to take his game to the next level (but that’s a discussion for another time.)

The 2004 defense finished 7th in DVOA and tied for second in overall scoring (ironically, they tied with the team they would eventually beat in the Super Bowl, the Philadelphia Eagles). Richard Seymour and Tedy Bruschi were the team’s two Pro Bowl representatives, with Seymour also earning All Pro honors for the second straight season.

Bruschi was an animal in 2004, and put together arguably his best season as a pro, racking up 124 tackles, 3.5 sacks, three interceptions, and two forced fumbles. Seymour was his usual dominant self, picking up five sacks and five tackles for a loss, while also producing one of the plays of the season with a 68 yard touchdown against the Buffalo Bills.

Even after Bruschi and Seymour, the front seven had tons of depth, and they pummeled their opposition all season long. Willie McGinest led the team with 9.5 sacks, Mike Vrabel led the way with 10 tackles for a loss, and Vince Wilfork helped anchor the run defense in his rookie season. The common theme early in the Patriots dynasty involved getting the most out of every player, and that certainly was the case in 2004.

The secondary was given a huge lift by Rodney Harrison, who finished the season with an absurd 141 tackles. Starting cornerback Ty Law was limited to just seven games, forcing the team to adapt. Asante Samuel stepped up to fill Law’s void (he led the team with 12 passes deflected), and Randall Gay and Eugene Wilson stepped up to round out the secondary.

While the pass defense did lag behind a bit due to their personnel changes, it didn’t hamper the defense for the most part. Plus, the team’s front seven was so solid that it rarely ever mattered. While the 2004 defense was very good and played a huge hand in the team’s third Super Bowl in four seasons, they were just a step behind where the team found themselves the season before.

New England Patriots top defense No. 2: 2003

The Patriots 2003 defense was considered the best defensive unit in team history for quite some time, and rightfully so. Tom Brady still was finding his way, especially after a rocky 2002 season, but he probably could have been as ineffective as he was that season in 2003 because of how good this defense was. Every player seemed to put up either the best seasons of their career, or one of the best, and it resulted in their second Super Bowl in three years.

The accolades on defense were plentiful. Richard Seymour, Willie McGinest, and Ty Law all made the Pro Bowl. Oddly enough, Rodney Harrison earned All Pro honors, but wasn’t selected to the Pro Bowl. He was joined on the All Pro team by Seymour and Law.

The front seven was again led by Seymour, who probably had the best season of his career in 2003. He racked up a career high eight sacks, and somehow picked up 10 pass deflections despite playing on the line. McGinest has 5.5 sacks, 10 tackles for a loss, and scored a touchdown along the way. But it was Mike Vrabel who led the team in sacks with 9.5.

The secondary was led by Law and Harrison, with both also putting together seasons that could be considered the best of their respective careers. Law had 74 tackles, six interceptions, a league leading 23 pass deflections, and scored a touchdown along the way too. Harrison picked up 125 tackles, three sacks, three interceptions, and 11 pass deflections, making him one of the most versatile safeties in the game.

It was tough to find a weakness throughout this defense. Fringe players like Tyrone Poole (six interceptions), Roman Phifer (101 tackles), and Bobby Hamilton (46 tackles as one of the team’s top run defenders) all stepped up to play key roles in the success of the defense. The stars shined bright in 2003, but without these guys, the Super Bowl victory isn’t attainable.

The defense did admittedly fall apart a bit in the Super Bowl against the Carolina Panthers, but they held the Colts and Tennessee Titans to a combined 28 points in the AFC Divisional and Championship games. While the offense bailed them out this time around, that wouldn’t be the case for the team that ends up in the number 1 spot.

New England Patriots top defense No. 1: 2019

It’s a shame the Patriots didn’t have the offense to compliment what was easily the best defensive unit in not just this century, but the history of the franchise. It’s a shame that this season will be remembered as the end of the Tom Brady era in New England rather than an ode to just how good this defense was, but that’s just how the cookie crumbles sometimes.

The Patriots finished 1st in DVOA and overall defense in 2019, which shows you right off the bat how dominant this squad was. Just Dont’a Hightower and Stephon Gilmore earned Pro Bowl nods (Gilmore also made the All Pro team too), but there certainly should have been more. This also can be seen as a testament to just how deep this defense was.

Let’s start with Gilmore, who put together one of the greatest single season performances by a cornerback in NFL history. Gilmore picked off six passes, returned two of them for touchdowns, and defended 20 more passes that came his way, which led the league. Why opposing teams were targeting Gilmore so much remains to be understood.

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A deeper look at the numbers show just how good Gilmore was in 2019. For starters, opponents completed just 50.5 percent of their passes when Gilmore was in coverage. Even when they connected, it was rarely for much, as Gilmore didn’t allow a single touchdown all season long. Opposing quarterbacks had a passer rating of 44.1, which is pretty much unheard of.

Gilmore led one of the deepest secondaries that Foxboro has ever seen. Devin McCourty and J.C. Jackson both intercepted five passes on the season to go along with Gilmore’s six. Jason McCourty typically locked things down on the opposite side of Gilmore, and Jonathan Jones manned the slot. Patrick Chung and Duron Harmon rounded of the safety depth chart, and it’s easy to see how this secondary was nearly impenetrable.

Moving to the linebackers, we find ourselves “The Boogeymen”, also known as Hightower, Kyle Van Noy, and Jamie Collins. All three had the best seasons of their career, and it’s not a stretch to say each of them were deserving of making the Pro Bowl this season.

Hightower picked up 71 tackles, 5.5 sacks, eight tackles for a loss, 13 QB hits, and a touchdown along the way. Van Noy had 56 tackles, six sacks, 10 tackles for a loss, 10 QB hits, three forced fumbles, and a touchdown. Collins had 81 tackles, seven sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 10 QB hits, three interceptions, three forced fumbles, and like his fellow linebackers, one touchdown. These guys were simply dominant.

The defensive line didn’t really have anyone that stood out, but it really didn’t matter because of how impactful the rest of the team was. Lawrence Guy was easily the lines best run defender, and John Simon chipped in four sacks off the edge.

There was just no weakness on this defense. They ranked in the top ten in yards allowed per game in both passing and rushing on the season, and you just couldn’t find a way to move the ball on them consistently.

As mentioned before though, this team is basically ignored by Patriots fans because of what happened in the aftermath. It’s a shame, because this team should go down as one of the best defenses in league history. Instead, they will most likely become a relic of time, and subject to a number of what-ifs or what-could-have-beens.

Who knows though; maybe the 2021 team can right the wrongs of the 2019 squad, and we will be updating this list in a couple months with a new entrant.