2015 Patriots.

I know it's still early on but...

I don't think our offense will have any problem. Blount will continue to rumble through defenders... it's not a great running game, but it's more than serviceable. With Edelman, Gronk, Chandler, and LaFell, we have a passing attack as potent as the 2010 days. That should be enough to get us through Brady's suspension no worse than 1-3 or 2-2, even with Jimmy G. at the helm. Considering we started 2-2 last year, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Now, the concern starts with the defense.
We have a decent front seven but there is still no pass rush. Chandler Jones is who he is and we can expect 10 sacks out of him. Ninko is about the same. Sheard is somewhat of an unknown on our defense. Hightower might step up and continue to improve at rushing the passer, but that is anything but a sure thing.
Our front seven is great, we have some playmakers... but as far as the pass rush alone is concerned, it's defintely not going to be one of the best in the league. Our interior DL has potential but they are just rookies (counting Easley as a rookie), and you can never be sure with rookies.

Our cornerbacks are barely better than they were in 2011. Past McCourty, we have no sure starters. Butler could step up and continue to improve. Logan Ryan could be serviceable as well. Neither one of those are safe bets.

There are a lot of "ifs" on this defense. What if the pass rush doesn't improve and remains about the same as it has? Our secondary will get shredded as it did in 2011. Sure, we made the superbowl in 2011 but I think we were lucky to have even made it that far. It was the result of playing in a weak conference.

So what do you think? How confident are you about a repeat performance?

No one other than BlueThunder wants to talk about real football. I guess whining about the NFL and making uninformed opinions about Kraft's decisions is just more appealing.

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I'm very concerned about the D. I think the front 7 can be great if the LB injuries heal. But the backfield is suspect. Revis is a huge loss. And I fear it might hurt us big.

I want to talk real football! I think I'm more confident (or at least more hopeful) in the pass rush this year than you are. Based on the signing of Sheard and the draftees, it seems as though this will be a focus of the defense this season.

I think the plan is to get ahead of other teams with power running and high percentage passes to tight ends, and be up a fair amount in both score and time of possession 2/3 of the way into the game, forcing the opponent to go pass-heavy, which allows the D to hammer with the pass rush and put more DBs on the field to mitigate any deficiencies there. Of course, if that doesn't work and the Pats get behind, it'll be harder, but Brady can still pull it off. It seems like this is a team better suited to play with a lead.

They haven't made a lot of waves this year. Looking at what we lost it's hard to say this team got better.

Ultimately I think it all comes down to the CB situation. Other than that the team looks good.

Front seven looks deep in my opinion. There's talent, youth, and depth. We have TWO first round picks in the past two years that should be able to produce on some level, and Siliga, Branch, and Chris Jones are all serviceable in their various roles. The rookies are a big unknown, but should add depth, youth, speed, and competition to the mix.

Sheard has shown experience in different roles, but is better suited as a 4-3 DE in our system. I have optimism that he can spell Ninkovich and Chandler Jones, depending where Belichick sees him lining up--possibly in both L and R spots on the outside end position.

The LB corps seems to be stout, even with the current injury to Hightower and Mayo (I think that Mayo will be in line to start the season, but my concern is with Hightower). It's good to have Spikes back in the mix.

So in one paragraph the front seven is "decent" and in the next it's "great?"

Do you guys expect to see more 3-4, 4-3, or just two linebackers?
I feel like a package that gets Hightower, Mayo, Collins, and Sheard/Spikes all on the field at the same time would be pretty good, but i'm not sure how I feel about Jones and Ninko playing in a 3-4 D, especially without a proven NT in the middle.

Brady&Springsteen FTW said:

So in one paragraph the front seven is "decent" and in the next it's "great?"

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What I meant is has potential to be great but I can't really look at it as anything more than "decent" until there is a proven improvement in the pass rush. Just a poor choice of words.

Hey everyone, It's been a good minute since my last post and to be honest haven't had any interest because i'm beyond SICK about hearing deflategate BS! But back to the thread topic. I think we are a step up on another level at pretty much every position, but CB and DT with the obvious loss of Mevis, Browner, and Wilfork. Pass rush will be the strongest it's been in a very long time with the additions of Sheard, Flowers, Grissom. We should be able to go back to the two TE sets, possible even three sets with Chandler, Davis, and Wright. I am thinking that BB has something up his sleeve in regards to our CB group. Maybe he knows something through one of his close sources that a good veteran will be released in the next couple months or he knows Butler is capable of taking it to a much higher level this coming season plus he is banking on the seventh round guy Roberts to be a much bigger piece of the puzzle. If i had to bet i would say that all three of those are pretty right on with picking up a vet CB who will get cut, Butler is ready to make the jump and Roberts will be ready to contribute more than people are thinking.

Pats play 4 QBs this year. Roethlisburger, Romo, P. Manning, and E. Manning. And in the case of the Mannings you got Peyton who maybe is on that decline but Pats will be getting him at the time where he seems to start to wear down in the season. As for Eli imo it's a coin flip he could be playing top 5 QB football or he could be playing subpar with as many TDs as INTs.

Luck gets no consideration because until he and the Colts can prove to me they can beat he Pats I will give them none.

Then you are looking at Cassel, Bortles, Smith/Fitzpatrick, Tannenhill, Bradford(?), Hoyer/Mallet and Mariotta. I have faith a BB defense can do more than enough to beat the likes of them.

And as we've all seen a BB lead team gets better as the year goes on.

I'm not as concerned about the Secondary as I probably should be. FFS the Giants won two Super Bowls with deplorable Secondaries. If the Pats are going zone, then it appears they have the CBs to do so. I feel comfortable with McCourty back there patrolling, pulling the unit together. Really, it'll come down to BB's mantra; do your job.

Why I feel comfortable is it's incredibly difficult to build a stout Offensive Line in the NFL. How many teams have rock sold lines? It's not a large proportion of the league. The Pats just went ballistic in the front 7 and added much needed speed and depth. Couple that with a returning potential wrecking ball in Easley, then what's not to like about the Pats D?

The Pats will go as far as the OL and health allows. Brady has proven time and time again he's irrepressible. I may be one of the few with belief left in him but if Dobson can finally make his mark, for varied skill-sets, it'll be one of the best collections of pass catchers Brady has had in New England. That's exciting.

We still have no pass rush?

I strongly disagree with you on that one.

Joey007 said:

We still have no pass rush?

I strongly disagree with you on that one.

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We don't have linebackers either probably according to some of the experts here

ausbacker said:

one of the few with belief left in him but if Dobson can finally make his mark,

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I think people are dumb to write him off this soon. He proved in his rookie season that he can play in this offense I just think missing the whole off-season just had him too far behind and that he wasn't 100% from the surgery and tried to play through it.

JMC00 said:

I think people are dumb to write him off this soon. He proved in his rookie season that he can play in this offense I just think missing the whole off-season just had him too far behind and that he wasn't 100% from the surgery and tried to play through it.

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I agree man, our offense has a lot of wild cards(Dobson,Boyce,Davis,wright,cadet) and to think absolutely none of them will emerge is dumber than the notion that a pats fan roots for Tom Brady to end up with the bills. Not saying that they all are gonna be pro bowlers but to think none of them will make plays is just as stupid

Pass rush ... you are going to be sadly disappointed in both Flowers and Grissom. I hope I am wrong!

Clark Ryan said:

Hey everyone, It's been a good minute since my last post and to be honest haven't had any interest because i'm beyond SICK about hearing deflategate BS! But back to the thread topic. I think we are a step up on another level at pretty much every position, but CB and DT with the obvious loss of Mevis, Browner, and Wilfork. Pass rush will be the strongest it's been in a very long time with the additions of Sheard, Flowers, Grissom. We should be able to go back to the two TE sets, possible even three sets with Chandler, Davis, and Wright. I am thinking that BB has something up his sleeve in regards to our CB group. Maybe he knows something through one of his close sources that a good veteran will be released in the next couple months or he knows Butler is capable of taking it to a much higher level this coming season plus he is banking on the seventh round guy Roberts to be a much bigger piece of the puzzle. If i had to bet i would say that all three of those are pretty right on with picking up a vet CB who will get cut, Butler is ready to make the jump and Roberts will be ready to contribute more than people are thinking.

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Imagine if the #1 & #2 CBs were Butler and Roberts and the defense was maybe not as good as last year but not that far off points and yards per game allowed.

Man would that make the mediots and chicken littles mad.

Deflatemyballs said:

We don't have linebackers either probably according to some of the experts here

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Collins and Hightower may be two of the better young linebackers in the game.

Collins has been referred to often times as a superstar in the making.

What a moron.