Disco Volante
Experienced Starter w/First Big Contract
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SI Full 2008 NFL Predictions
New England Patriots
Projected Finish: 1st in AFC East
-Paul Zimmerman
It's business as usual: Replacement parts have been found, everyone's locked in, the machine rolls on to the Super Bowl.
The 2002 Super Bowl -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 -- had been over for a few hours, and Bill Belichick, the New England coach, shook his head and mumbled to the few people near him, "Can you believe we won the Super Bowl with this?"
It was hard to believe then that Belichick's collection of castoffs and reclamation projects had become world champions. Now it's not so hard. In an era in which dynasties are supposedly impossible because of the salary cap, free agency and so forth, the Patriots under Belichick have marched through the 21st century like medieval warlords. In the last seven years they've won three Super Bowls in four appearances, and they're overwhelming favorites to be back this year.
Oh sure, there's always some tweaking to do. Two years ago they wouldn't pay the price to keep David Givens and Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch, so off went their two top wideouts. "Give me wide receivers," Tom Brady said after the 2006 season, in one of his few public shows of annoyance. So in came a supposedly washed-up Randy Moss, who had an All-Pro year, and Wes Welker, Brady's magician on the hot reads, who tied for the league lead in receptions.
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And this when we continue to read reports about how our OL is not doing good, we have only two TEs both of whom are prone to get hurt quickly, our CBs aren't good, our ST sucks at this point...whew...
