FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Forget about Tom Brady, said Miami Dolphins Coach Tony Sparano after his team got whacked by the New England Patriots 38-7 Sunday afternoon.
If you really want to know why the Patriots finished 14-2 with the best record in the NFL this season, take a look at the other side of the ball.
Additional Photos
“They’re a good football team, a really good football team, well-coached and as long as (Brady) is behind center, they’re a darn good football team,” said Sparano. “(But) the thing I have been most impressed with when watching their tape has been their corners. … I think that’s where they have made great improvement. I think that’s where those two guys go out there and compete at a pretty high level. And I’ve seen great growth out of them since the last time we played.”
Sparano was speaking about cornerbacks Devin McCourty, the rookie from Rutgers who was selected to play in the Pro Bowl, and Kyle Arrington, the second-year corner from Hofstra who was waived by Tampa and Philadelphia before the Patriots signed him in 2009.
Their development over the season – McCourty was a starter from Day One, Arrington took over for a struggling Darius Butler in the third game of the season – has been a key in the maturation of the entire defense. McCourty is the closest thing to a shutdown corner the Patriots have, his seven interceptions second among rookies in Patriots history. Arrington is a physical corner, and, according to Coach Bill Belichick, pound-for-pound one of the strongest players on the team.
Their ability to close out an opponent’s top receiver has allowed the Patriots to become more aggressive.
While the Patriots were still ranked near the bottom of the league statistically – 30th of 32 teams – they made great strides in the final eight games, all victories. They played their best in the second half of the season, giving up an average of just 15.6 points per game.
The change, said Pro Bowl defensive lineman Vince Wilfork, came after the embarrassing 34-14 loss in Cleveland on Nov. 7. The Pat haven’t lost since.
“Reality set in,” said Wilfork. “We went into that game and Cleveland had just beaten the Saints and they were coming off the bye facing us and they beat us down pretty bad – physically, mentally, you name it. They did whatever they wanted to.
“I think from that point on guys really buckled down. I think from that point on, guys just really hated the taste of losing.”
So they did what they always do. The Patriots went back to work. Maybe they were a little more focused, especially on the nuances that often determine the success or failure of a play.
“I don’t care who we played, every week we started day by day, coming in, putting stuff in, going outside in the walk-through (practice) and making corrections, go practice it, come on in and watch film, correct it the next day,” said Wilfork. “I think we just did a really good job of taking it one day at a time and I think it helped us in the long run.”
Wilfork, in his seventh season, is the unquestioned leader of the defense. Linebacker Jerod Mayo isn’t far behind. Those two are easily the most respected players on the defense.
And, like Wilfork, Mayo was proud of the way the defense came together.
“I think we’ve come pretty far since training camp till now,” he said. “We’ve had a couple of hiccups along the way but the maturation of the young guys, really stepping up and making plays for us, has been great.”
Mayo mentioned Eric Moore, a 29-year-old defensive lineman who was playing in the UFL this year until the Patriots signed him as a free agent on Dec. 3. A former draft pick of the New York Giants (2005, sixth round), he’s been a valuable asset since joining the team. Mayo also mentioned rookie free agent linebacker Dane Fletcher, fifth-year linebacker Rob Ninkovich, rookie linebacker Jermaine Cunningham and rookie free agent defensive lineman Kyle Love. All have contributed.
“Eric Moore, he’s not a young guy but he’s new to this defense and he’s really stepped up and made a lot of plays,” said Mayo. “All those guys have done a great job stepping up and learning the game and studying the game and getting better every week.”
Of course, that’s what the big guy expects.
Belichick, who became the first coach in NFL history on Sunday to win at least 14 regular-season games four times, wants players who work hard and prepare well. This year’s team fit that bill perfectly.
“One thing I’ll say about this team is they’ve been pretty consistent,” he said in a conference call on Monday, the closest thing to a compliment he’ll give. “They come to work every day, want to improve, want to get better. I think that’s a great attitude and a great approach to have.
“I think, really, all of us should be that way. We all come in and there’re certainly things we can all do better.”
For the Patriots, the work never stops. Especially now.
“Any little slippage and your season will be done,” said Wilfork. “We worked hard for a bye, so we deserve it. But at the same time, we’re going to make sure we’re taking care of what we need to take care of, and that’s the things that we make mistakes on and trying to correct them.”
Staff Writer Mike Lowe can be contacted at 791-6422 or at: mlowe@pressherald.com
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.