New England’s much maligned defense finished 2011 ranked 15th in the NFL in points allowed, but had the team allowed just 14 fewer points over the course of the 16-game schedule the team would have ranked tied for No. 10 in the league. That means had the unit not fallen apart in the fourth quarter against Indy’s Pierre Garcon and Dan Orlovsky. That bad finish would have been the difference between a team that’s literally middle of the pack in defense and one that might be statistically better positioned to be considered a Super Bowl favorite.