PATRIOT64

The 3 main things I see that,if it should happen should propel us right into a Super Bowl Championship is...

1) LAURENCE MARONEY TO SHINE IN HIS 2ND SEASON- A healthy Maroney and productive running game - If the team can provide some quality yards on the ground to a tune of something like a season total of 2,000 yards or more this teams offense will be unstoppable and Brady will have plenty of time and opportunities to throw as defenses will have to respect the running game - Maroney is a critical piece of us getting to the SB,NOT the WR Corps which we all know is very deep barring injury and cannot be held for our main offensive output,I say if we can accomplish 55% pass and 45% run it will be working for us.

2) A SOLID SPECIAL TEAMS PERFORMANCE CONSISTENCY - I think a major factor in our chances lies with a group that can tackle well and get to the carrier sooner rather than later,Many times last year the ST had allowed the opposing teams time to set up a 'wall' and the blocks led to big gains and a couple of long runs,The ST has a great leader in Izzo and I expect even better this year.

Also Welker will be a factor on the other side of the ball,We need him to at least average 25-30 yard line on average and Brady and Co. can do the rest,Brady is not at his best when down deep in his own territory and he needs more room to use all of his weapons.

3) REVIVED LINEBACKER CORPS - This area stills concerns me,Adalius cannot do it by himself and even though Colvin has played well we are seriously going to need top play and one last big effort out of our starting LBs ,2 of whom have been here awhile in Bruschi and Vrabel who are starting to tail off as the sunset of their careers is on the horizon.

One more last gasp and big effort from these guys will make the whole defense be unbelievable and several shutouts/blowouts can happen since the front 3 are dominating as still expected to be so- I think the result of our defense will rely on the play of our older players and ALL must be playing well for us to get to where we want it to go,That means a top last effort from Vrabel,Bruschi,Seau and Harrison (Harrison not a LB but included him here anyway)

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The 3 main things I see to derail us from a championship are...

1) CANCER RUINING TEAM FIRST ATTITUDE/UNITY - Thats where Randy Moss comes into play,We all know he is a great player and has several years to go before he cannot do it anymore so all we need from him is a T-E-A-M attitude and total commitment and adjustment - I guess you can add in any other guys we added into the team this year but Moss's history make him standout as to watch his temperment and drive to succeed with his new team.

A team like this which is as talented on paper right now with a total team effort and attitude will make this a very dangerous and difficult team to beat from day one till the final day of the season - If Moss erupts into a jackass we cut him and still have talent at WR,but sometimes damage can ruin a team,even if the cancer has left,it can still spread thoughout if dealt the wrong way,no matter how much effort is into keeping a tight locker room.

2) INJURY BUG - We have been able to stay more than competitive through injuries nearly every year since BB got here,but there are some areas that simply cannot get injury prone or the team will be in trouble and areas I don't see as just putting any guy out there - Those positions are LB,CB (less so if Asante returns),K,RB and of course at QB - These all should be areas of concern if the injury bug hits-we are not deeply talented outside of the main starters in those respective areas,you simply cannot expect top performance from emergency players in a pinch like it was a few years ago,See the Colts AFCCG to find thats the case,If all our main guys were around all game like Seymour and Harrison especially in that all important 2nd half,we not only would have won that game,We would have blown the Colts out.

3) OFFENSIVE LINE PROTECTION BREAKDOWNS- Many times last year the OL broke down and nearly cost the team its star QB to injury,especially in the Jacksonville game and the away Miami and away Jets games which were not a good OL performance.
I still think this teams OL is one of the best in the NFL but I would like to see more consistency and that would usually be with the same guys lining up next to one another and not changes like we have had to do in the past due to inujury or unproductive performance ...Mankins,Koppen,Light and Co. need to keep the heat off Brady's back as you know he will only need a few precious seconds to find one of our 5 talented receivers open this year,Last year no one got open on a consistent basis and Brady had to wait in the pocket and nearly got killed,This year the OL just needs to give him a few precious seconds to kill opposing defenses,If they cannot hold the rush and Brady gets hit or there are no holes for Maroney to run then the team will have problems scoring,thus killing SB dreams.
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Thats my take on key negative/positive components to have to happen to either drive the Patriots to either a Super Bowl Title or a Dissapointing early playoff exit.

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DarrylS

IMO the Randy Moss thing is kinda overblown, quite clear that this team cannot and will not tolerate those who deviate from the norm all that much, he might have a few moments.. but do not see him being a major disruptive force. BB is a good communicator behind the scenes, and his role will be clear.. along with #12 being top dog, he will be pretty neutralized in this group and the team concept might be infectious and enjoyable for him. There is also every indication that this team polices itself internally, Rodney, Bruschi and a lot of the others speak their mind behind closed doors for the sake of the team.. he will not have his previous intimidation factor as he has in the past. If crap happens it will more likely be behind closed doors, he might look upset once and a while, but do not see any temper tantrums on the sidelines.

The injury bug thing, is what it is, sometimes there are good runs and sometimes bad.. we are due for a good one.

O line issues, this whole unit is back and deeper than before, the whole is equal to the sum of its parts.. some of its parts seem weak, but overall they are more than adequate and with the addition of a Kyle Brady they will be even better than before. One of the documented issues is the maturity of this group of players and they are a year older and are aware of the potential of this team.

The running game will be ok, as will the special teams.. the LB corps has been upgraded, and we still do not know all that much about Mays, Alexander and the rest of that crew.. there might be someone who emerges and can get some quality snaps in. This looks like #54's and Seau's last run, so they might be even more full tilt full time than previous. AD will be used differently than before, probably not have great box score numbers, but at the end of the year will be lauded by his peers in the trenches much like Seymour and described in the same terms as #93.

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"Being the best doesn't mean you always win. It just means you win more than anyone else".. tweet from Kurt Warner to Tom Brady.

mgteich

Health, health, health

health of Brady
health of Maroney
health of the corners

Mainefan

I strongly agree with GJAJ15--Moss will not be a problem, one way or another. If he's troublesome, 52 teammates will correct him. If that doesn't work, he'll be out and we'll survive quite nicely. But it seems to me that he's determined to do well here.

Grizzafted

Need to get a better push up the middle with our line for Maroney.

TruthSeeker

I think there is about zero chance of a "cancer ruining the team's unity". That is so unlikely that it would never even occur to me as a possible problem for BB and the Patriots.

That being said, injuries are again a major concern. Particularly if Maroney goes down, we still don't have a solid backup plan.

dhamz

Moss won't be an issue. He needs to have a big year on the field AND quiet year in the locker room for his own financial future. And if he did cause an issue the Pats will cut him.

There are 3 things most likely to derail the Pats SB chances?
San Diego
Indy
Denver

The 4 best teams on paper toady in football are in the AFC. Whoever is getting byes and playing at home in January will have a big advantage.

GoWhalers

I agree with this completely. The pass protection was fine -- every QB is going to take a big hit or two at some point during the season -- but the running game was really hurting in the playoffs.

Oswlek

Sorry to come across as overly ****y, but health is the only thing that will stop NE from winning the SB this year.

Moss' attitude is a non-issue. He will be gone if even 1/10 of what people fear happens.

Many of the OLs protection issues came from teams not fearing the passing game. I think they have something to prove to be as good as some here think, but they certainly aren't bad enough to drag the team down.

If NE stays healthy, they win thw whole thing.

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"They have one objective," said Washington cornerback Shawn Springs. "They whoop people's [backsides]. If you understand that, it answers all your questions. They might not lose [this year]."

Patriotic Fervor

Well, let's see....

San Diego has an all-new coaching staff. Not to impugn Big Norv's capabilities, we've all see first-hand how coaching changes at the top affect a team. It does affect their continuity, at the very least.

Still and all, any team that has LT....

Indy has lost a lot in the off season, and now that they've got the ring, they're going to find out how much tougher it is to do it the second time around. I've talked with a number of people who regard them as, at best, a one-and-out team this year. We'll see...

Denver once again has 16 defensive lineman under contract (well, 13 presently under contract, along with 3 draft picks) as it enters this season's training camp, and the ever-perennial question threatens to raise it's ugly head again; i.e., where's the Denver pass rush? Simply put, unless Bailey and Bly can amply demonstrate that they're regularly capable of walking on water, literally, the Broncos without an improved pass rush from seasons past look like a non-starter.

Oh, sure, their offensive linemen will chop block as well as they always have, producing yet another system 1500-yard runner, and the 2nd year QB will continue his learning process with the aid of the likes of newcomer Daniel Graham, so they should be able to score some points, but the defense will remain a question mark.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

As they like to say in ads for financial services, past performance is no guarantee of future success.

So it appears with these 3....

Still, that was a good, thoughtful post.

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....and that's the way I see it!