Making the Grade: How did the defense fare?

Has the man in the hoodie lost his mojo? The “Defensive Genius” has done little to earn that title the past few years, but 2011 may have been the worst yet. It’s hard to believe that a decade ago the Patriots defense was ripe with talent. Guys like Ty Law, Richard Seymour, Willie McGinest and Tedy Bruschi led some ferociously tough and productive units to three Super Bowl titles. Today, Sterling Moore, Mark Anderson and Dane Fletcher brought the Patriots to the top seed despite surrendering the second most yards per game. While New England fielded a horrid pass defense, it managed to finish 15th in points allowed (21.4). Considering the injuries and overall lack of talent, the defense tends to take too much flak but certainly doesn’t inspire confidence when it comes to a Super Bowl run. Let’s take a look at the positional grades for this season. Defensive tackles: B Despite the switch to a 4-3 defense, Vince Wilfork maintained his excellent level of play, earning his third ...