Pats defense has magnificent 7 up front

The Patriots defensive front isn’t yet worthy of a ferocious nickname that strikes fear in the hearts of opponents and lingers for years in the mud-and-spittle romance of football lore.

It’s a softer kind of Steel Curtain, definitely not a Doomsday Defense, and a far cry from the Fearsome Foursome.

But the Cold, Hard Football Facts confirm what you’ve probably suspected with the good ol’ eye test: This year’s unit is the best defensive front seen around these parts in a decade. And that bodes well for the team’s Super Bowl chances.

The 2015 Patriots rank No. 5 on the Cold, Hard Football Facts Defensive Hog Index, our measure of all aspects of play on the defensive front. It’s the team’s…