USA Today: Learning curve is X-factor for Patriots defense

Good stuff here from USA Today on the progress of the defense.

“The biggest thing about defense is communication, and every man being on the same page,” said linebacker Rob Ninkovich. “If the linebackers are in a coverage that the secondary isn’t in, that’s a problem.”

Ninkovich figures this unit has to evolve to the point where each player automatically knows how the defense will adjust, based on motion and other pre-snap keys.

Right now, it’s not so automatic.

“That’s what we’re working on every week,” he said.