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Last Year
The 2004 New England Patriots paid their dues, time after time. They had their share of sand kicked in their face, but they've come through. Now they are the champions, my friend. They kept on fighting, 'till the end. They had no time for losers because they are the champions of the NFL world, but what are their prospects of a three-peat?
What We Learned From Last Year
I see a little silhouette of a man, scar-a-mouche scar-a-mouche, but he doesn't do the fandango. All he does is win.
Any way the wind blows, it doesn't really matter for Bill Belichick, he stays focused.
The Patriots have only lost four times in the last two seasons. In the modern parity-filled NFL, you might ask yourself if that's the real life, or if it's just fantasy?
Last year, for the cheap price of a second-round pick, Belichick added running back Corey Dillon to his offensive arsenal.
Pundits waved yellow caution flags, suggesting that Dillon will be a chemistry problem. All he did was rush for 1,635 yards with 12 touchdowns.
He filled a huge void for the offense as Antowain Smith was never this effective. With Dillon on board, not only could the Patriots spread teams out with their multiple wide receiver sets, they could also bludgeon opponents and wear the clock down in the fourth quarter.
No wonder the Patriots' offense climbed 10 rankings in 2004.
Quarterback Tom Brady posted nearly the exact same numbers as his previous season even though his top target, Troy Brown, was flipped to a cornerback role.
Deion Branch, David Givens, and David Patten picked up the slack, combining for over 2,000 yards receiving. The Patriots still spread the passes around, but with a potent running game, they weren't pressured to throw so much.
Brown moved to cornerback, primarily because depth was thinned after starting cornerbacks Ty Law and Tyrone Poole were lost early on in the season.
Brown only played a nickel role, but was noticeably effective.
That just seems to be part of the Patriots' encompassing aura.
They have that Atlanta Braves/San Antonio Spurs effect on players. They know how to put any player in a position to succeed. Anyone who joins the Braves, Spurs, or Patriots seems to get much better and almost overachieve.
That is what the Pats have done time after time. Plugging in rookies, waiver-wire drifters, or other team's castoffs and extracting solid contributions. Something tells me Randall Gay would not be kept on most rosters.
Along with Gay, last year's emerging talent included rookie defensive tackle Vince Wilfork and ends Ty Warren and Jarvis Green.
There are no real qualms to be had at safety. Rodney Harrison was an MVP-caliber player again — he was a San Diego Charger castoff a few seasons ago. Meanwhile, Eugene Wilson was a portrait of stability.
There aren't too many issues to nitpick about since this is clearly the best team in the NFL. They only lost two games: one in which they where they didn't match the intensity and the other in which they lost focus.
It happens.
Going forward, the Patriots have far more pressing concerns heading into this season than they had last year.
This Year
The main concern for the 2005 New England Patriots is not the loss of any individual player, it is the loss of the coordinators that will be the biggest hurdle to overcome.
Losing Tedy Bruschi for the season is not something the Patriots envisioned or requested, but this team has overcome the losses of Pro Bowlers Lawyer Milloy and Ty Law in the past two seasons, so don't be too concerned about the absence of Bruschi.
The key will be persevering through the losses of offensive coordinator Charlie Weis and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, two of the brightest minds in football.
Eric Mangini, the team's secondary coach, steps in as the full-time defensive coordinator and Belichick himself will call plays for the offense until one of his young disciples is ready to step in.
Don't expect a vast change in the defensive philosophy, as Mangini will mirror the same style Crennel produced.
The defensive line and the secondary stand to be improved over last season and the linebackers are the only area to question.
Randall Gay and Asante Samuel return with an extra year of experience under their belts while Duane Starks and Chad Scott are new cast members. Starks is the typical Patriots-type player who underachieves in one city, then comes over to New England and thrives. Scott is a decent third cornerback and Tyrone Poole is still around for depth.
On the line, Wilfork, Seymour, and Warren are excellent. No team running a 3-4 has a better set of starting linemen. The team also loves backup end Marquise Hill and Green. Both will be the backups, but Green could easily start for most teams.
The linebackers lost Bruschi and Ted Johnson in the offseason, but added Chad Brown and Monty Beisel. Also, Roosevelt Colvin will be more of a factor as a hip injury limited him significantly last year. Brown is a three-time Pro Bowler and undoubtedly has the skills to match what Bruschi brought to the defense. He can sack the QB, he is a quality pass defender, and he is tough against the run. Willie McGinest and Mike Vrabel are still key constituents, which means that the Pats only need to replace Johnson. Johnson was stout against the run and although the Pats will try to fill his vacancy with either Beisel or Tully Banta-Cain, both are better pass-rushers from the outside than run-stuffers.
Still, Belichick has been able to teach an old dog new tricks before, so don't be surprised if he finds a cog for this hole.
Givens, Brown, and Branch return to the receiving squad, but the Patriots also add a couple new targets for Brady. The Chicago Bears grew tired of former first-rounder David Terrell, but he will add a tall receiver to the mix of short, speedy hands. It's just one more weapon that Belichick will know how to include. The Pats also added Tim Dwight, who can make a pretty dangerous option as the fourth or fifth receiver.
At tight end, the Patriots have a wealth of talent including two former first-round picks, Daniel Graham and Ben Watson, and 11-year veteran Christian Fauria. Graham is an excellent possession tight end, particularly in traffic, while Watson is an explosive tight end, is a threat down the field and is a difficult cover for any linebacker.
The passing game has virtually every necessary option available to them: two tight-end sets, five receiver sets, two running back sets, mixed formations, tall receivers, fast receivers, reliable tight-ends, fast tight-ends, workhorse running backs, and pass-catching running backs.
This is truly a nightmare for most defenses, especially with a genius mind scheming these plays.
There is no uncertainty surrounding Brady or Dillon, but the men in front do raise an eyebrow.
The Pats lost tackle Adrian Klemm and guard Joe Andruzzi to free agency and although their replacements are far from household names, they are good enough to suffice.
Matt Light is steady at left tackle, but Brandon Gorin or Tom Ashworth have much to prove at right tackle.
Center Dan Koppen and guard Stephen Neal are up and comers and the team is hoping that first-round pick Logan Mankins will beat out Ross Hochstein for the other guard position. If not, Hochstein is a seasoned veteran who can start until Mankins is ready.
Tom Brady has a great feel for pressure and won't burden his front five by holding on to the ball too long.
The Pats still game plan better than any other team in the NFL and know how to exploit every team's weakness. The road to the Super Bowl still travels through New England until proven otherwise.
Over/Under: 10.5
The Patriots have won three Super Bowls in the last three seasons, yet somehow this team always comes off as an underdog. They are still the class of their division by a long shot even though the division has improved, don't be surprised if J.P. Losman and A.J. Feeley really struggle against the Pats this season. Outside of the AFC East, they play: OAK, @CAR, @PIT, SD, @ATL, @DEN, IND, NO, @KC, and TB. If you haven't done it by now, go circle November 7th on your calendar as New England hosts the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football.
Fantasy Sleeper
Tight end Ben Watson can handle any linebacker or safety on his own. Not only is he big enough and strong enough (6-3, 253 lb.) to win any battle for the ball, he also has exceptional speed to be a true threat down the field. The Patriots are salivating at the thought of having Watson and Graham on the field on the same time and with a solid running game to keep defenses honest, Watson should make a few long-distance connections with Tom Brady.
Stay tuned as Dave Golokhov brings you previews for all 32 NFL teams! Sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com, a great casino for horse racing and sportsbook action.
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