The New England Patriots' defense has looked incredible through two games (fourth in total yards allowed, fewest points allowed, and they scored a defensive touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2 -- even if they were up against Drew Lock and the 2026 version of Aaron Rodgers, they have already proven they are one of the top defensive teams in the league).
It's early, but given the Patriots' offensive struggles (namely Drake Maye's slump and A.J. Brown's absence), their defense may need to carry them to victories. They've done it already, but they're going to face a huge test in the coming weeks that will truly establish just how good they really are.
The Patriots' defense has some big challenges ahead of them
No disrespect to the Seattle Seahawks or Steelers, but neither of them is looked at as a legitimate offensive force. They are juggernauts on defense, and it's not all that surprising that New England mostly held up on that side of the ball (they still allowed just 13 points against Seattle in the season opener, even if they lost).
This week, however, the Patriots will go on the road to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars (last season, they ranked 12th in passing yards per game, and sixth in points per game), and next week they will travel to take on the Buffalo Bills (Josh Allen looks like the easy MVP favorite so far... and it's really not close, even if it has only been two weeks -- they also rank first in points per game, fourth in passing yards per game, and sixth in rushing yards per game).
If New England's defense can at least hold up, then that will almost be a victory on its own (though a actual victory would be nice, too), but if it can prove that it really is one of the top units in the game, then fans should be excited about the team's outlook the rest of the way.
The Patriots' defense can't win a Super Bowl on its own
As great as the Patriots' defense looks right now, it's crucial that Maye and the offense finds its groove sooner rather than later. It's going to be tough for that to fully happen until Brown makes his return, but they still need to show signs of improvement.
They did that in Week 2 during their 20-3 win against the Steelers, but they need to build on this momentum. Their offense and Maye's MVP-caliber season played a huge role in their Super Bowl appearance.
The season is still young, and New England should be able to turn things around offensively. There were so many moving pieces this offseason (acquiring Brown and Romeo Doubs; moving on from Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, and even Austin Hooper; moving Jared Wilson back to center) that it's naturally going to take time for everything to find its place.
For now, though, the Patriots' defense needs to keep playing at this high level. And they have a great opportunity to send a big message to the rest of the NFL while doing it.
Add us as a preferred source on Google