The Patriots defense this year just might be good enough to help its legendary offense win back-to-back Super Bowls.
It’s great news for Patriots fans. After all, it’s not often New England’s voracious victory machine can boast a legit Super Bowl-caliber defense.
This story begins with the not-to-be-trusted nature of reputations in the NFL, which often conflict with statistical reality.
Consider the case of the NFL’s last two great dynasties: the San Francisco 49ers of the 1980s and ’90s, and the New England Patriots of the 21st century.
Bill Walsh, the architect of the 49ers dynasty, is widely regarded as a genius for masterminding the West Coast offense that re-invented the NFL passing game.