Agreed with your overall point, but this was actually a piss-poor defensive performance given the Giants only had 9 drives (and one was a kneeldown at the end of the first half). Every other drive, Giants ran at least 7 plays, putting the Pats O in awful field position all game (best starting field position was the 29, and they started drives inside the 10 on 3/9 drives).
Yeah fair enough. That wasn't the worst performance, but it wasn't a good one. Still, the Pats that year averaged 32 points a game that year. They should have scored more than 21 on 9 possessions. The Giants' D that year was bad - #25 in points allowed, #27 in yards allowed. The Pats' offense should have done more with what they had.
I mean, they did rip off 17 straight points during that game and looked like they were handily in control. Then the offense simply vanished. They had 17 points with 11:25 left in the third quarter.
They had three more real drives left in that game (not counting their last minute desperation possession).
3 plays, -2 yards, punt
5 plays, 23 yards, interception
11 plays, 48 yards, punt
19 plays, 69 yards (3.6 yds per play), 2 punts, 1 interception
I mean, they had several chances to put this game away and the offense crapped the bed.
The point being that both units share blame, as is almost always the case. But yes, you're right - the defense wasn't good that day.