FOXBORO — The Legion of Boom laid it.

The No Fly Zone grounded it.

So what about the Patriots defensive backfield? Why have the members of the secondary been such an afterthought?

They’re silent killers. They’ve been quietly rolling for two months, and they might not get the credit they deserve unless they stifle expected MVP Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons’ bevy of talented wide receivers in Super Bowl LI.

“I don’t think we care,” Devin McCourty said about the lack of recognition. “You said we’re playing well. Usually people said we’re not playing well. We don’t really care. We go out there, and the way we look at it, we must be doing OK. We won some games. We’re playing in the Super Bowl. Now we’re here at the end of the road, and we’re just focused on trying to go out there and play well one last time this year.”

The back end has been led by cornerbacks Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan, who are both playing the best football of their careers, and safeties McCourty and Patrick Chung. McCourty, one of the highest-paid safeties in the league and a three-time Pro Bowler, is probably peaking in his own right. And Chung has stealthily been a tight end mark for two years. With cornerback Eric Rowe and safety Duron Harmon rotating in sub packages, the Pats are as deep as any group in the league.

“We’re one of the last two teams playing, so that says a lot,” Butler said. “As long as we believe in each other, that’s all that matters. We’re aware that we’re a good secondary. It’s all about what we think. No one else.”

Butler has been a shutdown machine for the majority of the season, allowing two or fewer receptions 11 times in 18 games, including six in a row. He also rebounded admirably from a down performance against the New York Jets in Week 12 for an incredible seven-game surge, allowing 12 catches on 25 targets (48 completion percentage) for 179 yards (25.6 per game), no touchdowns, three interceptions, four pass breakups and a 32.3 passer rating.

Over that stretch, Butler wiped out Denver Broncos star Emmanuel Sanders and pitched a shutout with two interceptions in a redemption game against the Jets on Christmas Eve. Pittsburgh Steelers star Antonio Brown only beat him twice for 24 yards in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game, and Butler added a third-down pass breakup in their matchup.

Ryan, who has been susceptible to more criticism than any Patriot in recent memory, has been on fire since regaining his starting role nine games ago. Whether in the slot or marking Houston Texans wideout DeAndre Hopkins in the divisional round of the playoffs, Ryan has corralled a wide range of responsibilities. And over that nine-game stretch, he has surrendered 22 catches on 49 targets (44.9 completion percentage) for 191 yards (21.2 per game), no touchdowns, three interceptions, nine pass breakups and a 30.2 passer rating.

“As a group, we’re growing each and every week through the adversity, through the ups and downs of the season,” Ryan said. “I feel like we’re playing to our potential.”

The good vibes have even extended to Rowe, a Week 1 trade acquisition whose role has been a roller-coaster ride this season. And of course, he benefited from some drops last week against the Steelers, but Rowe’s last eight games have been solid considering his responsibilities as the third corner. He has allowed 17 receptions on 41 targets (41.5 completion percentage) for 236 yards (29.5 per game), one touchdown, two interceptions, three pass breakups and a 48.4 passer rating.

However those three are deployed against Falcons receivers Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu and Taylor Gabriel, their two-month run of success should yield confidence in a vital test and quest for football immortality.

“I think when you have a bunch of guys who are unselfish and willing to do what it takes for the team and willing to be happy when (everyone makes plays),” Ryan said. “That makes me want to play better, and it makes me excited just to be on the field with those guys.”

McCourty glues it together, as he is asked to do more than maybe anyone on defense. The six-time captain makes the pre-snap calls, including a creative read to change a coverage that led to Ryan’s interception against the Texans, and he covers receivers and tight ends alike.

McCourty might not be in the Earl Thomas stratosphere, but there’s no doubt that he is on the rise. He baited the Baltimore Ravens’ Joe Flacco into an interception in Week 14, delivered a back-rattling hit on Broncos wideout Demaryius Thomas to break up a fourth-down pass in Week 15 and should have sparked a criminal investigation for stealing a pass from Brock Osweiler for a pick against Hopkins in the playoff opener.

Chung has been primarily responsible for tight ends all season, and he has only surrendered 15 catches on 30 targets for 175 yards and a touchdown against that position through 18 games. He also made a touchdown-saving tackle that yielded a momentum-swinging goal-line stand in the AFC title tilt.

So the Patriots’ key pieces in the defensive backfield are rolling. Their opponents have noticed, and that’s why they’re still playing while more prominent secondary pieces are in the Pro Bowl.

The Pats have worked to reach this performance level, and it’s a major reason why they’ve got one game to go.

“We all hang out. We’re all brothers,” Chung said. “We depend on each other. We love each other. You know you’re playing for somebody who cares about you. It’s easy to play for someone you know cares about you. When you’ve got a good tight-knit group, shoot, I’m going out to play ball for my brothers.”