Defense is struggling, big time

FOXBOROUGH -- Just as he's quick to get to the quarterback, outside linebacker Mike Vrabel quickly can make a point.

Standing before a large group of reporters at his locker last week, Vrabel wasted little time pinpointing what he believes ails the Patriots' defense.

''Certainly, the problem is big plays," he said.

Big plays like a 72-yard pass to Rod Smith. Or the 55-yard completion to Ashley Lelie. Or the 68-yard run by Tatum Bell.

''You can't give up almost the same yardage [195] in three plays as you do in 55 plays [245]," he said, referring to what happened in the team's most recent game, a loss in Denver. ''That's tough to handle, tough to overcome.

''You see us play really, really well, and then come out and give up some cheap yardage that isn't necessary. We know it's there, but we're going to try to make the corrections with the big plays. That's everybody. We know we have the talent in the locker room to get it corrected."

The Patriots' coaching staff defines a big play as anything 20 yards or longer, according to linebacker/safety Don Davis, and the defense has surrendered 20 pass plays in this category.

Of those 20 plays, 14 have either led to, or scored, a touchdown.

Randy Moss scored on a 73-yard reception in the opener. Hines Ward had an 85-yard score in Week 3. Then there was Ricky Proehl's 41-yard grab in Week 2 that prompted Patriots coach Bill Belichick to say: ''We don't have any defenses where guys run down the field and nobody covers them."

Vrabel is right when he said the team is giving up too many big plays.

There is another suprising statistic about big plays and the Patriots. Through the same amount of games last season, the Patriots had given up 17 pass plays of 20 yards or more. Sure, there weren't as many backbreaking plays like Moss's 73-yarder, Ward's 85-yarder, and Smith's 72-yarder. But it's not as if opponents weren't hitting big plays against New England in 2004.

The difference, it appears, is what has happened after those big plays.

In 2004, the Patriots found a way to erase the sting of the big play. Of the first 20 pass plays that went for 20 yards or more against them in 2004, only seven led to, or scored, a touchdown. There were eight times when the Patriots held the opponent scoreless after a big play.

Compare that to this year: Only three have times have the Patriots held their opponent scoreless after being victimized by a big play.

Translation: A lack of creating turnovers [three] and poor execution in critical situations [i.e. 32d in red zone defense] has shed a different light on the team surrendering big plays.

Take the 2004 opener as an example. It's the Colts' first drive of the game and Peyton Manning connects with Reggie Wayne for 42 yards to the Patriots' 16-yard line. Three plays later, Manning drops back to pass, throws to the end zone, and is intercepted by Tedy Bruschi.

Same game. Fourth quarter. The Patriots lead, 27-24, and Manning finds Brandon Stokley for 45 yards to the Patriots' 19. Three plays later, Willie McGinest bursts off the edge and sacks Manning, setting up a longer field goal [48 yards instead of 36], which Mike Vanderjagt misses.

Whereas the Patriots received those clutch plays in 2004 -- and won games as a result -- they're not getting them through six games this season.

That's why it's not just big plays that are ailing the team. It's also how the defense has responded after giving them up.