Tom Brady: 2019 Patriots defense ‘playing as well as any’ I’ve ever played with

Tom Brady, like New England Patriots fans everywhere, continues to be in awe of the way the team's defense is playing to begin the 2019 NFL season.

The Patriots defense held the Washington Redskins to just seven points and 224 yards of offense in Sunday's 33-7 Week 5 road win. New Englands' defense leads the league in points allowed per game, yards allowed per game, sacks, interceptions, takeaways and third-down conversions. Sunday's matchup was the third time in five games the Patriots defense has allowed fewer than 10 points.

“The way our defense is playing, as long as we don’t turn the ball over we know we have a great chance to win because they are playing as well as any defense I have ever played with," Brady said Monday on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show." "It is really spectacular to watch from the sideline.”

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The Patriots have benefited from some elite defenses during the team's two-decade run of excellence, and the 2003 and 2004 squads immediately come to mind when thinking of New England's most dominant defenses over that span. Could the 2019 unit be the best one Brady has played alongside?

“I mean, look at the stats through five weeks," Brady said on GHS. "They are very good in the secondary. They have really great players. They have a great rush. Linebackers are so versatile. They are so well-coached. It’s fun to watch. Only five games into the year, I am sure they think they have a lot to prove. It’s fun from the sideline. … They are doing an incredible job. Let’s keep it going."

The Patriots have won 18 consecutive games at Gillette Stadium, where they'll host the rival New York Giants on Thursday night. They've also won 18 consecutive games versus first- or second-year quarterbacks, and New England will face another one in Week 6 when rookie Daniel Jones leads the Giants into Foxboro.