With 2:03 left in regulation of the 2018 AFC Championship game, Chiefs running back Damien Williams crashed in for a two-yard touchdown run. The play put the Chiefs ahead, 28-24, in a game they would eventually lose in overtime to the eventual Super Bowl champion Patriots.
Why is this play notable? Because it’s the last time the Patriots allowed an offensive touchdown. They shut down the Rams, 13-3 in Super Bowl LIII, they limited the Steelers to a single field goal in a 33-3 win to open the 2019 season, and on Sunday, they shut out the hapless Dolphins, 43.0. The Dolphins, who may wind up as one of the worst single-season teams in NFL history, allowed two defensive touchdowns to New England on two Ryan FItzpatrick pick-sixes. Which means that, since last season’s Super Bowl, the Patriots’ defense has outscored its opponents, 14-6, and the Patriots overall have outscored their opponents 89-6 in that time period.
And as a Twitter buddy pointed out, that makes 237 DAYS since New England allowed anybody to traipse into the end zone.
Can this continue? It certainly can. The Patriots face the Sam Darnold-less Jets in Week 3. They then face the Bills, Giants, Redskins, and the Jets again, and they don’t have to deal with a seriously consistent offense until they take on the Browns on October 27.
The record for consecutive games without an opponent touchdown in the modern era has been set twice by the Pittsburgh Steelers–once from Weeks six through 10 in the 1976 season, and again from weeks six through 10 in the 2000 season. The 1976 Steelers won all five of those games; the 2000 Steelers lost the last of their five such games when Al Del Greco of the Titans kicked three field goals and Pittsburgh could score only one touchdown against Tennessee’s stout defense.
With Tom Brady, Josh Gordon, Julian Edelman, Sony Michel, and Antonio Brown (at least for the time being), we’re guessing that the 2019 Patriots won’t be losing too many 9-7 “shootouts.” In any case, holding teams without a touchdown over three straight games, including two of the league’s better offense in the Steelers and Rams, has to stand as one of the most remarkable achievements in Bill Belichick’s already incredible career.
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