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New England Patriots’ Defense Good Enough To Slow Down Green Bay Packers

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By @calling_allfans

New England Patriots

Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

The Green Bay Packers (8-3) hosting the New England Patriots on Sunday may easily be the best and most entertaining game of the Week 13 matchups. Much of the focus will be on Tom Brady and the offense, but what about the Patriots’ defense? Can they continue to play well and slow down QB Aaron Rodgers and company?

Green Bay is averaging 368.8 yards per game (ninth) and 32.2 points per game (second). Rodgers is putting together an MVP-caliber season, having thrown 30 TDs already with only three interceptions. Jordy Nelson (68 catches, 1,066 receiving yards and nine TDs) and Randall Cobb (58 receptions, 837 receiving yards and 10 TDs) have both been incredibly impressive this season.

Meanwhile, Eddie Lacy has also been productive this season, gaining 672 rushing yards on 154 attempts and 335 receiving yards on 29 receptions, finding the end zone a total of nine times. So, the Patriots’ defense will have its hands full on Sunday.

That said, the Patriots’ defense can rise to the challenge. The unit is allowing 20.6 points per game this season (12th), and during the team’s current seven-game win streak in which they have beaten four division leaders, opponents are averaging only 19.6 points per game.

The Patriots are not great against the pass (242.1 yards per game, 17th) or run (108.2 yards per game, 14th), but they are good enough at both and they make plays when needed, so it seems New England’s “bend but don’t break” policy is working. The defense has been playing well lately despite sustaining some injuries to key players, including LB Jerod Mayo and DE Chandler Jones.

New England’s secondary, behind offseason acquisitions Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, have really limited opposing QBs over the past several weeks, and even Patrick Chung and Devin McCourty have done their part. Granted, Rodgers will be one of the best, if not the best, QB the Patriots will have faced this season, so it will be a tough challenge for them, but they are more than capable of stepping up.

Fans will have to wait to see what Bill Belichick and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia have in store for the Packers, but it’s very possible that Cobb will be blanketed by Revis while Browner and McCourty will work together to limit Nelson.

The Patriots’ offense has received well-deserved praise during New England’s win streak, but the defense has really done its part too. If the defense continues to play like it has been and keeps Rodgers and the Packers’ offense from getting off to a fast start, the Patriots will be extremely tough to beat on Sunday.

Justin Patrick is a New England Patriots writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @calling_allfans, like him on Facebook and add him to your network on Google. You can also email him at [email protected]

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