Are we sure that the Broncos' defense will be nearly as good next year?
First, they have a lot of key free agents on both sides of the ball. You have Danny Trevathan, Brandon Marshall, Malik Jackson, and most importantly Von Miller. And they has 2/3 of their starting o-line, top two RBs, kicker, and #3 & 4 WR up for free agency.
Even with a lot of cap room (not as much as it looks with the amount of holes they have), they are going to have to spend a lot of money to try to keep their team together. And a lot of their top free agents on defense will get offers elsewhere that will be more than the Broncos are going to be willing to spend.
And don't forget that DeMarcus Ware will be 34 next year and Talib will be 30. Both are at ages where they could see a decline.
Also, the Broncos were mostly very healthy this year on that side of the ball. Guys like Aquib Talib, and DeMarcus Ware all have histories of injuries. Can the Broncos stay healthy on that side of the ball again this year.
And lastly, how will Von Miller act when he is one of the highest paid players in the league next year? We have seen it a thousand times. A stud player gets a huge contract and they get soft.
The Pats have to worry about themselves and improve in some areas. John Elway has a lot of work to do to get his team to be anywhere close to what it was this year. And I think the Pats anywhere near full health would have beaten them this season in both games.