Patriots’ defense delights

Football players get more attention if they play offense. New England Patriots stars Tom Brady and Randy Moss appear in headlines frequently, thanks to the prominent roles they play on offense as quarterback and wide receiver, respectively. So it’s great to see unheralded members of the Patriots’ defense getting credit as well during the team’s run at history.

Three defensive plays helped the Patriots overcome an impressive effort by the Baltimore Ravens to win 27-24 on Monday night and stay undefeated (12-0). Two of those plays came from team members who are paid to play defense: James Sanders’ interception of Ravens quarterback Kyle Boller, which set up a Stephen Gostkowski field goal, and a team tackle on Ravens receiver Mark Clayton on the Patriots’ 3-yard line to stop him from scoring the game-winning touchdown as time expired.

The third key defensive play came from Kevin Faulk, normally a running back. However, after Brady threw an interception to Baltimore’s Ed Reed, Faulk got the ball back when he tackled Reed, forcing him to fumble. The Ravens complained about the refereeing after the game, but they might have had the victory if they’d held on to the ball.