Stat check

Stat check on the Patriots, looking at some numbers that catch the eye:

* 30th –- takeaways. The Patriots have 3, with only Houston (1) and Washington (2) with less.

* 3rd –- passing offense. The Patriots are ringing up 295.5 passing yards per game.

* 25th –- rushing defense. The Patriots are allowing 125 yards per game. In 2003, the team allowed 89.6 yards rushing per game, and last season it was 98.3.

* 8th -– first downs. With 120 first downs, the Patriots have shown the ability to move the chains.

* 32nd –- red zone defense. The Patriots have allowed 15 touchdowns in 19 trips, a TD percentage of 78.9. The team has also surrendered four field goals in the red zone.

* 2nd –- sacks allowed per pass play. Patriots quarterbacks have been dropped only 7 times in 232 attempts, but that doesn’t include hurries and knock-downs.

* 31st –- first-down defense. The Patriots are allowing an average of 6.4 yards on first down, with only St. Louis (6.8) allowing more.

Looking ahead, we’ll have our next update after Bill Belichick’s press conference on Wednesday (10:45 a.m. EDT).

–Mike