Cris Carter respects the “Boogeymen,” but he’s not getting carried away.
Through eight weeks, the New England Patriots defense has garnered praise as one of the greatest units in NFL history. Some, however, aren’t prepared to put the Patriots defense alongside the likes of the 1980s Chicago Bears and early 2000s Baltimore Ravens.
Carter is among those who refuses to get hyperbolic about Bill Belichick’s “Boogeymen.”
“I’ve played against some of the greatest defenses that we’ve ever seen. I don’t think this is one,” Carter said during Tuesday’s “First Things First” episode. “And the reason why is they don’t have one guy within their front-seven that would draw a double-team or bring fear.
“Now, when you put the scheme, combination of coverages, the way they come at you with a variety of blitzes … this could be a special defense. But I think we’re going to see over the course of this schedule — no, this is not a legendary defense. And, you can run on this defense.”
"I've played against some of the greatest defenses that we've ever seen. I don't think this Patriots defense is one of them. … This is not a legendary defense." — @criscarter80 pic.twitter.com/JrAaAePsVl
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) October 29, 2019
So, where does co-host Nick Wright stand on the issue?
Take a look:
"Personnel-wise, the Patriots absolutely don't match up with the '00 Ravens, '02 Bucs, Giants with LT, or the '85 Bears. Production-wise, through 8 games, they are the most effective defense since the merger. The defense is allowing less than 7 points per game." — @getnickwright pic.twitter.com/5t3EbRY5In
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) October 29, 2019
Ultimately, it’s foolish to make these kind of judgments until after the season is over.
Plus, you could (kind of) make the case that the Patriots aren’t even the best defense in the NFL right now.
