Safety Chung on Patriots' secondary: 'We're a family'

BY NICK ST. DENIS

The Patriots' secondary has faced a lot of criticism all season long because of its high number of passing yards against.

The Patriots' secondary doesn't care.

"People talk, people say what they want to say, but hey, we're winning games, we're playing well and now we're in the big game," Patriots safety Patrick Chung (pictured) told the Super Bowl media Tuesday.

New England's quote-unquote "ineptitude" is the most over-exagerrated and worn talking points in AFC East chatter -- Mark Sanchez, aside.

The Patriots boast one of the most lethal offensive attacks in the game, so New England, in turn, gives up a lot of yards, because its goal is to protect the lead and the goal line, not the stat line.

New England's defense, in fact, was tied for the second-most interceptions (23) in all of the NFL in 2011, and its red zone defense held tough when it mattered most.

Quietly, the Patriots' secondary has done its job, whether or not the generalists will admit it. And New England has done it without a clear-cut leader.

"We're all one. We're all brothers in there, like a family. Honestly, like a family," Chung said. "We hang out together, we talk crap together, everything is together. We do everything together. That's why we're so close.

"We all feed off each other. It is a very young group. We feed off each other and we ask each other questions and go from there. There's a bunch of leaders back there, a bunch of guys that know how to lead and make plays."

The Patriots' defensive backfield has a chance to shut up the doubters against one of, if not the best, vertical passing attack in the league, led by Eli Manning.

"They don't have one guy that you need to make sure you stop," Patriots defensive back Devin McCourty  told the media Tuesday of the Giants. "They have three guys that are in any game, and I think they showed it in the playoffs; that no matter what, one of those guys has stepped up and had a big game.

"We just have to come (prepared) and all across the board be ready to go."

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