So now that the Brady/Cassel hysteria is starting to subside and the smoke is clearing, we are beginning to notice some positive things that happened in the game.
1)Deltha O'neal was excellent, which means that if Wilhite and Wheatley learn the system and make an impact this year, all of a sudden we have a truly elite group of CBs.
2)Mayo playing the full 63 snaps. To me this just shows how intelligent this kid is and how much faith BB has in him. As he continues to progress, and Crable comes in, then that "old linebacking core" that people keep talking about has the potential to be the perfect mix of veteran leadership and quick rookie skill. Even Bruschi looked like he had a skip in his step we haven't seen from him in a while.
3)Seymour returning from injury becoming the dominant presence he wasn't quite ready to be again last year. This solidifies the DL as one of the best in the league easily.
4)Merriweather living up tp his potential. To me, this may be the biggest question of all. I like James Sanders because of his work ethic, but he's not an above average safety IMO. And Rodney isn't going to be the impact player he has in the past. Merriweather needs to emerge for this group to be considered elite, and if he does they are going to be a force to be reckoned with.
If all of these factors fall into place well, I honestly think this has the potential to be one of the most dominant Belichick defenses ever. And the best part of it is that the dopes in the media and around the league are so caught up in the "aging, questionable Pats defense" mantra that they are going to look like fools when it happens, because these are 4 enormous elements that weren't present in last year's above average defense.
I'm not going to lie, I have faith in Cassel, but I'm looking for the defense to be the best part of the team now, and I'm excited about its potential.