Forget all the yards given up, because the defense gets it done when and where it counts. New England has recorded a ridiculous plus-24 tally in turnover differential, thanks to the defense's 32 takeaways and the offense's ability to protect the football. (photo: Stephen Luke, Flickr)
"Anytime offensively that we can get an extra possession that way or a possession that starts in positive territory where we don’t have to move the ball 70 or 80 yards to score, I think it’s a great advantage for any team," Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said Friday, via Patriots.com.
But it's not just the short fields that give the offense a boost. McDaniels added that "there's a little extra incentive" for the offense to finish on the defense or special teams' lay-up.
"Your sideline gets a lot of life thrown into it and then other times they create the turnover, whether it be an interception or a big hit and a fumble and without question, that puts a spark into not only the offense, but the entire team," McDaniels said.
"We always take the field with the mindset that we want to score touchdowns and maybe there’s a little extra incentive to follow through on a great defensive series that resulted in a turnover with six points."
The Patriots scored four touchdowns off of turnovers -- two fumble returns and two offensive scores -- in the second quarter alone of the Patriots' 59-19 rout of the New York Jets Thursday.
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