patsox23

This is, of course, just a guess, and a guess from someone who does not downplay the huge loss that IS Asante Samuel. But the combination of several factors, listed below, leads me to believe that the defense will be markedly better this season. Not the kind of historic jump we saw the offense take in 2007, but a jump just the same.

1) Dom Capers
2) influx of veteran talent (mostly this is just Fernando Bryant and Victor Hobson (I guess), guys like Webster are junk)
3) The improved health of Richard Seymour
4) The "Bill Belichick being pi$$ed-off" factor
5) young, athletic playmakers - Mayo, Crable, Wheatley
6) progression of Adalius Thomas

That is all.

NJPatsfan26

WOOOOOOO

Good one!!

Metaphors

7) Facing Croyle, Pennington, Beck, Alex Smith, Edwards (x2), Clemens, Henne, Russell and Leinart

MrBigglesWorth

I thought BB was mad last year?

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"There are two categories of superbowl participants that nobody remembers:

The team that lost the game and the team that only won one." Dwight White- Steelers

Disco Volante

Don't forget 3 of our closest games last year were against...

Eli Manning (League INT leader)
Kyle Boller
AJ Feely

The BB pissed off at defense factor should have reached it's height after giving up a 21-3 lead in the '06 AFC Championship game. Team still didn't learn it's lesson.

The thought of an improved defense is an amazing thought, but we'll see. Our defense had the benefit of playing in a lot of games with huge leads last year.

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FilPats

This year, BB's raging mad. Go Pats

juny

I think they will be a faster D from last year with the guys they drafted this year. I'm really hoping Adalius Thomas game steps up after a year learning the system.

BradyManny

I do think Asante's loss is way overblown. Allegedly the metrics for this past season for Hobbs and Asante are quite similar - I've heard it said a few times, and am waiting for football outsiders to post DB metrics for the past season to confirm. But I'd buy it. So basically, you're seeing that a hobbled Hobbs (no pun intended) was as effective - outside of causing interceptions - as Asante.

As for all the other things noted - I do believe this defense will be vastly improved. Seriously, I think we're going to see a much faster & intimidating defense. Hobson at SILB and Mayo at WILB - whether they start or are part of a rotation - is an upgrade, Seymour should be back to his normal self, Meriweather should contribute more, AD should be a beast at OLB and still has the versatility to be effective at ILB as well. All signs point to a better D.

N.Eman

i hope your right. This D will be something to look close at. Obviously they'll have many new things up their sleeves. I get so psyched and wish kickoff week was here!

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PATRIOTS MAGNETIC

spacecrime

Yeah, that was the peak. A few months later, after the video-taping incident, he was happy as a lark