Pats’ secondary faces test

Associated Press

FOXBOROUGH, Mass.

Eli Manning could have a pretty clear view downfield against the hardly super secondary of the New England Patriots.

Get ready, Julian Edelman. Here comes Victor Cruz.

A young group including undrafted free agents, a Pro Bowl player in a sophomore slump and even a wide receiver was good enough to help beat Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens — barely — in the AFC championship game.

The New York Giants and Manning, with his big-game experience and receivers Cruz and Hakeem Nicks, pose a tougher challenge in the Super Bowl on Feb. 5.

“The Giants are playing like they’re the best team in the National Football League at this point,” former Patriots safety Rodney Harrison said Wednesday, “and Eli, he’s been fantastic and he will pick this secondary apart.”

James Ihedigbo isn’t listening to the doubters.

After three years as a special teams player for the New York Jets, he’s started the last 14 games at safety for the Patriots — with no interceptions all season. He is, Harrison said, a “serviceable” player but hard-working and team-oriented.

“We have a saying, ‘All we got is us,’ and that’s how we play,” Ihedigbo said. “We play for each other.”

Since the season began, 16 different defensive backs have played. The changes began in training camp when the Patriots released starting safeties Brandon Meriweather and James Sanders.

Cutting Sanders, a smart leader, was “a big mistake” by coach Bill Belichick, Harrison said.

The Patriots allowed 70 completions of 20 yards or more, nearly 41/2 a game.

The starters are Ihedigbo and cornerback Kyle Arrington, both undrafted, second-year cornerback Devin McCourty, and safety Patrick Chung, who missed seven games with a foot injury before returning for the next to last game of the regular season.

The backups are Edelman, Sterling Moore, Antwaun Molden (Warren Harding High), Nate Jones and Malcolm Williams. Edelman is the only one of those five who were with the Patriots last season, and that was as a wide receiver and punt returner.

The last time he played defensive back?

“I think 1998,” he said. “Pop Warner. I was 12.”