It's a shame more people can't be objective and have to love everything Belichick does.
This team's biggest problem has been its inability to get off the field on 3rd downs. That correlates directly with the pass rush. There is no edge presence on this team at all. If you want to rely on scheme to pass rush, that's fine but I don't see Belichick turning his defense into a high blitzing Dom Capers/**** LeBeau/Rex Ryan type of defense.
If you're not going to do that, you need to get impact pass rushers who can collapse the pocket as part of a 4 man rush. The Pats have 0.0 of those guys. Banta-Cain, Cunningham, Ninkovich, Moore -- none are elite or even great. Cunningham has some potential, but is seen as more of a solid/steady Colvin-type that doesn't have gamebreaking ability.
Look at the final 4 teams this past year. They could all rush the passer extremely well. The Jets had Pace, Ellis, an aging Jason Taylor and a pretty aggressive scheme. The Steelers have an aggressive scheme as well as Woodley and Harrison. The Packers have Clay Matthews, an aggressive scheme, and some difference makers on the DL like Jenkins and Raji. The Bears have a passive scheme, but shelled out the cash for one of the best pass rushers in the game -- Peppers.
Even look at the Colts who have Freeney and Mathis, the Chargers when they had a healthy Merriman and Phillips, the Giants when they beat us with Strahan, Tuck, Osi, etc.
The Pats edge presence is laughable in comparison to that. They don't have anyone that instills fear in the opponent's protection scheme. And that's a major problem and a major reason why they allowed nearly 50% of third down attempts to be converted into first downs.