This team can absolutely, 100% still win the Super Bowl. Do the injuries make it harder? Absolutely. But every game we have in the playoffs we will have an advantage in probably the two most important areas, QB and HC. As long as we have TB12 and BB we can beat anyone on any day at any stadium.
Looking at the standings it is likely we will finish with the 2 seed. I think if you give this team an extra week to prepare we have a good shot at beating whoever we come up against, likely the Bengals. They have a strong D but its not the same without Geno Atkins. I'm not too concerned about their offense and think we can handle Andy Dalton. Plus it will likely be at home so I think the conference championship game is definitely possible.
If we make it to the AFC title game we will likely come up against Denver or KC. I like our chances against KC because I don't trust Alex Smith as a big time playoff QB. I think we can certainly beat Denver again on the road this time, especially in a January game. We saw how Manning struggled in Foxborough, I think the same could happen in Denver.
If we can manage to get to the Super Bowl anything can happen. I don't care who it is, nobody in the NFL scares me on a neutral field, outdoors in New Jersey in February.
The injuries absolutely hurt but I'm not gonna give up on this team yet. If there is something they have shown this season its heart, determination and resilience. I think there are two things that are key to how far this team can go. The first is kind of obvious, can the O-line protect Brady? If they can keep him on his feet and give him time I think we can pick apart any defense. The last few years we have struggled its because the O-line couldn't protect Brady, can they do it this time?
They other thing I think is key and is probably a surprise is Stevan Ridley. The offense will now run through Shane Vereen, but Ridley will have to step up and pick up some of the load. Without a TE to give us a versatility advantage of being able to run/pass out of any formation, I would love to see us utilize more two back sets. I think we can accomplish a similar thing to having a well rounded TE by having a RB like Vereen who we can flex out to WR. That will either take a LBer out of the box to help run the ball or force a safety down and maybe open things up deep for our WR's. Either way I think Ridley will have a major part to play, as long as he can hold onto the damn ball.
So yes, this team can still win the Super Bowl even without Gronk, Mayo, Wilfork, Vollmer or whoever we may lose. As long as we have Brady and Belichick I will have confidence.