“Everyone is real easy to jump on the Patriots’ defense and say they’re so terrible and they can’t win a Super Bowl being this bad. But I don’t agree with that,” said Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. “I don’t think it’s great. It’s clearly the worst defense still in the playoffs. They allow all these passing yards, but they don’t allow that many points, and that’s more important.”

“Big defenses will stand up in playoff situations. So it’s still relevant,” NFL analyst Steve Young explained in a conference call this week. “It’s just not quite as relevant as the old days in my mind. It’s a big deal, and I think the Giants and 49ers playing each other is interesting, because [they have] two really great defenses. The Patriots will have to be proven wrong, that they can’t go the distance in this pass-happy era. … I think the question is going to be answered on the field. Phenomenal offense against a great defense and we’ll see in this era who can pull off championship football.”