Until the Pats solve this 3rd down defense, I won't even think about another Championship. I don't care how many points a team scores. If you can't stop the opposing team, especially when the game is on the line, then there is a Big Problem.
I see no evidence that THIS CURRENT DEFENSE can make stops like that.
The defenses that we had when we won our three Championships were CLUTCH. How many times did Mcginest come up with a key sack to end the game, a drive, or even move a team out of field goal range? How many times did Law and Harrison come up with big INTs to win a game or end a drive?
Bruschi, God bless him, is past his prime. Back in those days he would come up with a big stop or pick to change the game. The Championship defenses that we had in the past MADE PLAYS, BIG TIME PLAYS when the game was on the line. If you don't believe me, go back and watch some of your old Super Bowl DVDs. Everytime I watch one, I realize what is missing from our CURRENT DEFENSE.
The defensive failure at the end of the Super Bowl last year is still fresh in my mind. We still have the same problem, and our defense was MUCH HEALTHIER last year than this year.
Our Offensive DOMINANCE covered up a lot of defensive weaknesses last year, IMO. Their margin for error this year is much smaller and now these flaws are being exposed. The weird thing is that overall we still have a good defense, it just has a couple of GLARING WEAKNESSES. I just can't make up my mind if it's the Players or the Scheme. IMHO, I think that it might be both.