Offense - somebody said New England creates receivers like Shanahan creates running backs. They're right. Five guys grabbing 300-700 yards' worth, plus six or seven other guys who catch passes in a season, equals Tom's 3500-4000 yards, and 24-28 TDs, year in year out. I don't doubt the passing game can earn the Pats enough respect to open up the run (i.e., prevent the eight-guys-in-the-box gambit.) Dare TB to beat you through the air, and he'll still do it. Most teams will choose to address the balanced attack by playing a balanced D, and we've got the running game to wear down a balanced D to a bloody nub. I'm a time-of-possession, grind it out on the ground partisan, but the STRATEGY is to dictate that they pick their poison. When they show their hand, be ready to beat them with some other aspect of what will be a versatile, balanced, and innovative attack (i.e., do you cover run or pass for four tight ends who can all catch, and any number of running backs with different styles [1-2 in the backfield at any given time]?) A lot of toys for BB to play with here.
Defense - LB is still thin. Secondary quality is still middling. D Line is still the best in the league. If we get lucky, front 7 can be THE best in the league, bar none; if not, they will be good but not great. If we get hit with a couple injuries to the wrong guys, the LB unit could end up in the hands of the Roaches and Alexanders of the world... please, God, not yet.
The D will be much better than in 05 however:
1) Bruschi, Harrison, defensive backfield back (at least temporarily)
2) MUCH MORE REST every game. Defenses with healthy rushing games suddenly become superior units, even with the same personnel that stink up a joint WITHOUT a healthy rushing game. This will be a night-and-day difference.
3) A lot of guys got thrown into the fire last year, and they're now fire-hardened. There are some mistakes they had to make, which they have made and learned from.
I see this as a top 5 unit with luck, a top 15 unit without it. I don't see our D piddling around in the bottom half of the league like last year, but we can't be TOO homer about it... we love a strong D, but I think this one has a ceiling -- still a work in progress.
.02,
PFnV