mayoclinic

Some things that the Pats have accomplished in the past 12 months:

1. Another Super Bowl appearance, albeit a heartbreaking loss
2. Finishing the 2012 season 12-4 with the #2 seed, poised for yet another Super Bowl run
3. One of the most prolific offensive performances in history, with 557 points scored, 7028 yards, and season records for 1st downs and plays
4. The development of perhaps the best young RBBC group in the league, at very low cost for the next 2 years.
5. Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez both locked up for the next 7 years.
6. The apparent advent of a long term foundation at defensive end in Chandler Jones, who showed signs of becoming a Pro Bowl talent down the road before getting injured.
7. The possibility of stability in the secondary with Aqib Talib and Alfonzo Dennard outside and Devin McCourty moving to FS, where he flourished. This will be dependent on whether the team can extend Talib.
8. Significantly upgraded the talent level on defense with the additions of Jones, Talib, Dennard and Dont'a Hightower.

Although the Pats were a SB team last year, this year's team seems much stronger and more balanced in terms of the running game and the talent on defense, and appears built for a nice run for the next several years if the team can maneuver the cap and re-sign its key players.

The 2013 team will have had the benefit of several things:

- The experience of a playoff run (and hopefully a Super Bowl) under their belts
- A season's experience learning to work together; both the offense and defense had a significant learning curve with new personnel in 2012, which will hopefully not be so much the case in 2013
- Hopefully much less significant personnel change than in 2012, assuming the Pats sign their key FAs
- A full offseason with the basic position groups set
- A second season for coordinators Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia

It all depends on how the FO is able to deal with the offseason and the cap situation, but they've been pretty good about managing to fill holes in the past.

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"OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid

"The key to any successful organization is to anticipate things, not react to them." - Michael Lombardi

kurtinelson

A very good year indeed.

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PatsWickedPissah

Savor 2012 folks and the coming year as well. The # of remaining Brady years is sadly dwindling. We're spoiled, taking for granite (sic) the constant post season as the Giants again hit the golf course and their fans have to follow surrogates if they want football.

I remember the all too rare excitement in past decades of the prospect of the Patriots having a post season game.

What's wonderful as the OP mentions is the strong rebuilt relatively young core of this team, making 2013 an anticipated treasure.

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The_Riddler

It is critical that we ink up Talib, he has been the missing piece. We can survive Chung moving on, but I would like BB to get a safety early in the draft or thru FA as Wilson to me appears to be more of a rotational guy.

Offensively as is usually the case, we need a true tall stud WR to play on the other side of Lloyd. A Dez Bryant type, a big, physical, playmaker that TB can depend on.

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Hey Rex have you met our new Tightends? Say Hi to Aaron and Gronk !

bostonia3333

I agree, savor every minute of this, because it can come crashing down when you least expect it. I don't know how long Brady can keep up this insanely amazing level of play. He's always gonna be the key regardless of who we sign in 2013

Brady's in the twilight of his prime and the real issue with this team going forward in 2013 is gearing the offense to where we aren't overutilizing Brady. He's the queen on the checkboard that we have simply left unprotected this year. I don't remember a year where he took this many hits. Plus look at how many times he's throwing the ball lately--If he has 40 attempts in a game, that's considered a rather low number. He threw the rock 59 times at Seattle and over 60 times against SF. Those are alarming numbers and it's quite concerning when you think about rotator cuff and related shoulder injuries.

I know it's been said a zillion times here, but I would love to see the running game become a more pivotal part of this offense kind of like Dallas in the 90s where Aikman would be used moderately. I know the run stats for the Pats this year are good, but it seems like the pass sets up the run rather than the other way around. Against bad teams like JAX, NYJ, BUF, we should be more efficient with the way we use Brady(20-25 attempts). We don't need to stat pad like we did in the past, we only need this guy for the playoffs.

PATRIOTSFANINPA

For those like me as a fan who endured years like 1990 and 1991 know there is always going to be up and down years for your favorite team....it may take over a decade,but you know double digit wins and constant division titles can't last forever so enjoy the playoffs win or lose,it ain't easy getting there.

I want the team to start focusing on whether Mallett has what it takes or to start finding the heir apparent to Brady in the draft......it has to start in 2013 because Brady is less than 4 years from hanging it up and we need someone at least half as talented as Tom to continue another winning decade like the last one.

Brady will NEVER be replaced by another QB like him,it's not possible,but we need a guy whose heart and desire is as big as Tom if the talent is on a lower level which guaranteed,will be.

Poker

Good post Mayo. Nice to keep perspective on the progress beyond day to day.

One other accomplishment in 2012 that you didn't highlight: The offensive line.

The OL was a source of major angst through the summer, and has been significantly rebuilt compared to last season. Vastly improved rushing attack now. And while there have been some breakdowns in pass protection, the Pats remain at the top end of the league there, mostly because of our short range air attack, and that Brady is the only QB in the league averaging under 2.5 seconds time to throw-- https://www.profootballfocus.com/blo...time-to-throw/

borg

The only negative for 2012 is that the Pats went 1-4 vs NFC teams...teams that had success collapsing the pocket and minimizing the Patriots running game....89 rushing yds/game vs the 2012 average of 136 ypg. This off season, the team might want to address this issue first and foremost. Adding a stud interior O lineman can only help

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mayoclinic

It will be interesting to see what the FO does over the next 4 months, through FA and the draft. Keep the nucleus of the team intact and add a few pieces. Round out the defense. Stability in the secondary, some youth at OL, and some long term security at WR would all be nice.

If the core of this team is relatively intact for 2013, with a year of experience , a playoff run, and a full off-season, plus some returning guys, things should look very good indeed.

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"OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid

"The key to any successful organization is to anticipate things, not react to them." - Michael Lombardi

MoLewisrocks

They have a pro bowl RG still under contract and unfortunately well rested... They came within a game of securing HFA throughout. It would be sad if it turns out that a combination of experimenting with their WR core (seemingly to force the assimilation of Lloyd and test the we can live without Welker because Edelman exists theory) and dicking with Waters over a contract restructure that would net them zero cap relief when in the end they admitted he was worth 4 times what they were scheduled to pay him, cost them that game or ultimately more. Hopefully it won't and they will be healthy and peak as they enter the post season.