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FOXBOROUGH - Let the real dog days of August begin.
Some folks out there still hold out hope that the Red Sox will be playing deep into October. The Celtics are stockpiling guards like Bill Belichick used to stockpile tight ends. The Bruins are in hibernation with nothing yet to show that they'll bring the Stanley Cup back to Boston next spring. There is a friendly match Wednesday night at Fenway Park involving John Henry's team, Liverpool FC, that is generating far more interest than the Revolution and their losing streak.
Thank goodness for training camp. It's on. They're training down in Foxborough. The most wonderful time of the year has finally begun. Football is back.
The 2014 edition of your New England Patriots is garnering a ton of interest this year, to the point where anything short of a Super Bowl appearance will result in a failed season. To some, the Patriots need to win the Super Bowl for the season to be successful. Nothing like putting undue pressure on the local boys to make good.
On defense, you have the addition of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner in the secondary, and the return of injured stars like Jerod Mayo and Vince Wilfork. On offense, you have the return of Rob Gronkowski and the addition of Brandon LaFell to the receiver corps. It would seem that the Patriots have the weapons in place to make a deep run in the playoffs, perhaps as deep as February.
But the players out there won't guarantee the Patriots a spot in Super Bowl XLIX in Arizona early next year. Things still have to break right for the Patriots to fulfill their destiny and actually win the big game they haven't been able to win in ten years.
So, if the Patriots truly are destined to win the big one, here is basically what has to happen.
You still can't complain, but injuries do matter
Too many key Patriots are coming off injuries. One of them happens to be the new guy at cornerback.
Gronkowski, Wilfork, Revis and Mayo are at the top of the list of injured Patriots to keep your eye on. Of these three gents, the most debilitating loss due to injury would probably be Revis. His arrival in Foxborough is right up there as being one of the most highly anticipated in recent memory. Just Revis alone back there defending passes kicks the Patriot defense up a few notches.
Granted, these guys have won an aggregate total of one Super Bowl between them (Wilfork). Their presence will go a long way towards how well the 2014 Patriots do. But what if one or more of these guys blows out their knee or aggravates their previous injuries? Or, what if someone else pulls up lame and heads for the IR list? To be completely morbid, what if the Jimmy Garoppolo experiment has to begin this year because Bernard Pollard (or some reasonable facsimile thereof) still can't be blocked?
Nobody in the NFL is allowed to complain about injuries or make excuses because all teams get them. The Patriots generally do well in replacing injured players. But it may only get them in the playoffs without getting them to that big game in February.
The two most important words of the season: Third down
If you have the ball, convert. If you don't, get off the field.
 Tom Brady needs his whole team to come through in 2014 for him to win his fourth Super Bowl. (USA TODAY Images) |
Defensively, this was more of a problem last year than offensively. The Patriots were 26th in the NFL in both total first downs surrendered on defense and percent of first downs made on third down. If Revis and Browner (who is on suspension until after Week 4) can put the clamps on the receivers, this will help the Patriots greatly. Either incomplete passes or coverage sacks will replace clutch third downs from opposing offenses. The Patriots do need to upgrade their pass rush in any case, but tighter coverage in the secondary is essential if the Patriots want to get off the field better than they did last year.
Don't settle for two, go for one
By that, we mean playoff seeds. If it does once again come down to New England and Denver for the AFC Championship, the Patriots cannot be made to travel to Denver. The Patriots always play poorly there and rarely win there. To ensure their easiest path to Glendale, Arizona, the Patriots need home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Winning at Pittsburgh and winning at Denver are two different things. The Patriots need to be home.
Circle this date on your calendar: Sunday, November 2. Denver at New England. It will be a 4:25 PM game on CBS, so they don't have to mess with NBC. And it will be at Gillette Stadium, just like last year. It would be nice if the Patriots don't make like last year and spot Denver a huge lead only to have to rely on a freak play to win the game in overtime.
And even this wasn't enough. The Patriots won the game, but later wound up coughing up home field advantage thanks to a shameful loss at Miami. At the very least, the Patriots have to win this November 2 matchup. Then they need to match Denver win for win and get the playoff game at home. Having to go to Santa Clara through Denver is too much to ask.
Then when you do get the one seed, take full advantage
Patriot Nation might sometimes forget that Brady won his first ten playoff games. His first postseason loss was, naturally, in Denver. The Patriots are 9-8 in playoff games since their win in Super Bowl XXXIX.
Brady needs to regain his playoff touch from ten years ago. If an aging John Elway can win his only two Super Bowls in his final two years, Brady can win a couple more Vinces. Brady is at a comparable age as Elway was when he ended his career with two straight championships.
But what Brady needs is what Elway finally got: the ability to win without him being the main reason why. Elway could not do it himself, and when a few more component parts were added (read: Terrell Davis), he finally got his titles. Brady cannot be relied on to win championships all by himself, great as he is.
All eleven players on offense, starting with the offensive line, have to play their best football in January and beyond. Defensively, the Patriots literally have to hold opponents to 20 points or less to have a chance. The deeper you go in January, the harder the defenses are that Brady will oppose. He needs more than just merely being immortal.
It all begins today with training camp. It's finally here. Football arrives just in time to wake up the moribund sports fans around here. Now it's no longer important if the Red Sox are buyers or sellers. The real boys are back in town, and life is once again good in these parts.
Ed. note -- Venue of Super Bowl XLIX corrected to Glendale, Ariz., instead of Santa Clara, Calif., as previously stated.
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