It’s been about 15 years since the New England Patriots were truly known more for their defensive prowess than their offensive fireworks.
Back in the early 2000s, quarterback Tom Brady was still young and relatively unproven. Sure, he quickly proved his mettle by captaining the team to three Super Bowl championships in four years… but the identity of those New England squads was still largely predicated on defense rather than offense.
Rodney Harrison, Tedy Bruschi, Ty Law, Lawyer Milloy, Richard Seymour, Mike Vrabel, Ty Warren, Willie McGinest… it was a who’s who back then along the defensive line, in the linebacking corps, and back in the secondary.