Why the Patriots' Defense Will Prevent Them from Making a Super Bowl Run

The New England Patriots are currently 10-3 and sitting atop the AFC conference. 

They will have a chance to clinch a playoff berth with a victory against Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos this Sunday. They have one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game and one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. Due to a weak schedule they could easily lock up the No. 1 overall seed and have home field advantage throughout the playoffs. 

Sounds pretty good when you say it like that, doesn't it?

Unfortunately for Patriots' fans, the sad truth is this team is not built for the playoffs. 

Postseason football generally comes down to a few key plays in a game. Every team that is left come January should be considered elite. There are no easy games in the NFL playoffs. 

This is why defense wins championships. You can't go into the playoffs expecting to put up 30 or more points on everyone you face. There will come times when your defense will need to force that big stop or create that big turnover to win you a football game.

I don't believe that this Patriots defense has that in them.

Their pass defense is currently ranked dead last. There is no denying that they have been flat out awful. 

Dan Orlovsky, who has never won a professional football game in his entire career, went 30-for-37 for 353 yards and two touchdowns against the Patriots. He helped put up 21 unanswered points and almost made a miracle comeback to get the Colts their first win of the season. 

Rex Grossman put up 252 yards and two touchdowns of his own against New England this past weekend. Former Patriot receivers Jabar Gaffney and Donte Stallworth combined for 10 receptions for 188 yards and a touchdown. A quarterback I would rank in the bottom five of the NFL and two journeymen wide receivers torched the Patriots defense.

What happens when they get matched up against Ben Roethlisberger again? How will they cover AJ Green or Andre Johnson? Do they have anyone that can contain Torrey Smith or Ray Rice?

Sure, the AFC field is weak. The Patriots have been fortunate to stay healthy while almost every other playoff team in the AFC is facing serious injury issues. The Baltimore Ravens are one of the healthiest squads, but they have shown some concerning inconsistency this year. 

With Ben Roethlisberger banged up, many are turning to the Patriots as the favorite to be the AFC representative in this year's Super Bowl. 

Still, the Steelers and Ravens defenses are physical and talented. They know the formula to slow the Patriots' offense. New England is not built to play low scoring, physical games. 

Their defense has to employ the "bend, but don't break" method of defense. They essentially play a soft zone that allows underneath passes, but stops most big plays. 

Remember the key word is "most". We've still seen the Patriots' cornerbacks burned time and time again this season. 

This strategy hopes for one of two outcomes. One, the offense makes a mistake and turns the ball over or stops itself. Two, the opposing offense drives into the red zone and the Patriots defense takes advantage of the short field to hold them to a field goal. 

The probability that the Patriots can implement this strategy well enough to make their way to the Super Bowl is slim to none. Even against a weak field, they are going to run into defenses that will challenge their offense and won't have the benefit of playing against the dregs of the NFL every week.

By some chance if New England does manage to come out on top in the AFC and make the Super Bowl, I don't believe they match up well with many of the NFC's top dogs. 

Can you imagine what Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees would do to this defense?

I would rather not. 

The New England Patriots are a good team. That offense is spectacular. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are still one of the best, if not the best, quarterback and head coach duos in the league. 

However, that defense is simply not built to win a Super Bowl. In fact, it will be what costs them their season.