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Why Patriots defensive players nicknamed themselves ‘The Boogeymen’

According to Scottish folklore, the boogeyman lurks underneath the beds of children, terrorizing them into behaving, and haunting their dreams.

If Salem has tales of witches and Boston is said to have the spirits of Samuel Adams and Paul Revere lingering in Granary Park, then Foxborough has its own scary sight that wreaks havoc on opponents, haunting young quarterbacks into “seeing ghosts.”

“We’re the boogeymen” Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower declared after New England’s 33-7 win over the Washington Redskins on Oct. 6. “We’re the boogeymen.”

The nickname has been fitting. New England is currently leading the NFL in almost every defensive category, including interceptions (18), opponent scoring drives allowed (5), offensive points allowed (27), takeaways (22) and opponent yards per play (4.