2010 RECORD: 14-2-0
(1st in AFC East)
HEAD COACH: Bill Belichick
Offense: Quarterback Tom Brady put up ridiculous numbers last year, passing for 3,900 yards and 36 touchdowns to lead the league. Brady threw only four interceptions in 492 pass attempts.
Wow!
Barring injury, rookie Ryan Mallett (Arkansas) and Brian Hoyer will hold the clip board in 2011.
The Patriots brought in Chad Ochocinco from Cincinnati (a la Randy Moss in '07) to give Brady another target with Pro-Bowl credentials.
Ochocinco made 67 catches for 831 yards and four touchdowns in what was otherwise a disastrous season for the Bengals.
Wes Welker (86 receptions for 848 yards and seven TD), Deion Branch (48, 706, five TD), Brandon Tate (24, 432, three TD) and the two-headed monster tight end of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez give Brady plenty of weapons in the pass offense to choose from.
Gronkowski had 42 receptions for 546 yards and ten touchdowns while Hernandez made 45 catches for 563 yards and six touchdowns.
The running game is solid as well after averaging 123 yards per game in 2010.
BenJarvus Green-Ellis (1,008 yards, 4.4 ypc average and 13 TD) leads the way with a perfect complement in Danny Woodhead, who was picked up off the scrap heap after the New York Jets released him. All Woodhead did was average 5.6 yards per carry while gaining 547 yards and scored five rushing touchdowns. In addition, he also made 34 catches for 379 yards and a touchdown.
Veterans Sammy Morris and Kevin Faulk are also in the fold and so is rookie Shane Vereen (California) to spell Green-Ellis and Woodhead. Faulk was limited last year because of injuries, but has been a valuable asset in the New England backfield for the last decade.
The offensive line is one of the best in the NFL, opening holes for the backs and protecting Brady, evidenced by limiting the opposition to 25 sacks a year ago.
Dan Koppen is the center and Logan Mankins and Dan Connolly are the guards. The tackles are Sebastian Vollmer and Matt Light.
Defense: With Vince Wilfork anchoring the defensive line at nose tackle, the rest of the pieces should fall into place as the season rolls along.
The Patriots have Albert Haynesworth and Mike Wright, who led the team with 5.5 quarterback sacks last season, at the ends.
Providing depth up front is Shaun Ellis, Brandon Deaderick, Eric Moore, Ron Brace and Kyle Love.
The linebackers include starters Jerod Mayo and Brandon Spikes inside and Rob Ninkovich and Jermaine Cunningham on the outside. Dane Fletcher, Gary Guyton and Marcus Murrell will be ready to play when needed.
The secondary helped to lead the league with 25 interceptions, including seven by cornerback Devin McCourty, who will team with Leigh Bodden at the other corner spot. The safeties are Patrick Chung (three picks) and Brandon Meriweather, who snared three interceptions.
Others contributing are James Sanders (three INT), Jarrad Page, Darius Butler and Ras-I Dowling, a rookie out of Virginia.
New England did intercept the 25 passes, but they also were lit up to the tune of 259 yards passing per game by the opposition, which was 30th in the league. Overall, the Pats finished 25th defensively, giving up 367 yards per game and allowed 313 points, which ranked eighth.
OUTLOOK: With Head Coach Bill Belichick and Brady running the show, the Patriots should continue to post solid offensive numbers, including scoring points as they led the NFL with 518 points last season.
Whether they can catch lightning in a bottle once again by signing Ochocinco and Haynesworth (who was a complete bust with the Washington Redskins) will play out, but Belichick and company know how to get the most out of the talent on the roster.
The defense needs to get better against the pass, because it's highly unlikely the Patriots can duplicate the plus 28 turnover differential of a year ago.
They are definitely an opportunistic team, but that didn't translate into the post-season, as for the second year in a row, the Patriots were one-and-done in the playoffs.
With all the weapons on offense and a change over in defensive personnel up front, look for New England to improve the pass rush (36 sacks ranked 14th in 2010) and ease some of the pressure on the secondary, which could make a difference come playoff time.
A 12-4 finish should be enough to win the AFC East once again, then it's time for the Patriots to prove they can get it done in the post-season, where they have lost three straight dating back to the Super Bowl 42 loss against the New York Giants.
With Pittsburgh, the Jets and possibly Indianapolis or San Diego looming in the playoffs, it won't be easy, but don't be surprised to see the Patriots return to the big game and possibly hoist the Lombardi Trophy once more.
TEAM SCHEDULE:
Week 1- at Miami
Week 2- vs. San Diego
Week 3- at Buffalo
Week 4- at Oakland
Week 5- vs. NY Jets
Week 6- vs. Dallas
Week 7- BYE WEEK
Week 8- at Pittsburgh
Week 9- vs. NY Giants
Week 10- at NY Jets
Week 11- vs. Kansas City
Week 12- at Philadelphia
Week 13- vs. Indianapolis
Week 14- at Washington
Week 15- at Denver
Week 16- vs. Miami
Week 17- vs. Buffalo
No comments:
Post a Comment