Patriots' D hears, but ignores critics prior to Super Bowl
FOXBOROUGH, MASS. There’s a mantra that players quickly come to learn when they play for Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.
It’s placed in different spots in the locker room, it’s on the walls around the team facility, and the coach himself repeats it often: “Do your job.”
Perhaps no other unit for the Patriots has embodied Belichick’s go-to phrase more than his defense this season.
And if New England hopes to capture its fifth Super Bowl, no other group will be relied on more as the Patriots face an Atlanta Falcons offense that has scored a combined 80 points through two playoff games.
Defensive back Duron Harmon, who had a huge touchdown-saving tackle in the second quarter of the Patriots’ 36-17 AFC championship game win over Pittsburgh on Sunday, said that even in their tightknit world they couldn’t help but notice the criticism that surrounded the defense earlier this season.