FOXBORO, Mass. -- The popular criticism over the first half of the New England Patriots' 2019 season is they haven't played any good opponents.
While there is some truth to that -- the Patriots' first eight opponents have a combined .250 win percentage, which is the league's lowest -- the defending Super Bowl champs are not merely beating these teams, they are destroying them.
New England's average margin of victory is 23.6 points. They lead the NFL with 25 takeaways, including a league-high 19 interceptions (one more than their 2018 total). The Patriots defense, at least statistically, compares favorably against the 1985 Chicago Bears and 2000 Baltimore Ravens -- arguably the two best defenses in league history.
How does Patriots safety Devin McCourty feel about the criticism of the Patriots' easy schedule to this point?
"(Matthew Slater]) just said it. There’s opinions and there’s truth. And the truth is, however we play, the stats and all of that, that’s what it is,' McCourty said after his team's 27-13 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. "Opinion is we’re probably not as good as people think and all of that, but I think for us as a defense, that hasn’t changed. We’ve never been as good as people think. We’ll try to continue to win games, and people will continue to say we’re not as good, but at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is each time you step on the field is you can get a win.
"I think for us, that’s going to stay our focus. As a guy that’s been here for 10 years now and as a captain, that’s what I want to keep guys locked in on, not reading good news clippings or bad news clippings, but just staying focused on the truth of what we need to do each day to get better."
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There's do debating the Patriots' schedule is about to get much tougher, and it starts Sunday night with a road game against the AFC North-leading Ravens. Following the Ravens matchup, the Patriots play four more playoff-caliber teams in consecutive weeks: at the Philadelphia Eagles, home to the Dallas Cowboys, at the Houston Texans and home to the Kansas City Chiefs.
How good are the Patriots? We're about to find out during this five-game stretch. Not only will it show if the Patriots truly are the best team in the league, it also will have a huge impact on the AFC playoff race. The Patriots are the No. 1 seed entering Week 9, and this five-game run includes three opponents who could come to Gillette Stadium in January for a playoff game.
Click for an updated look at the AFC playoff picture after Week 8>>>
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