This defense was built around Hightower and McCourty. Without Hightower, it was a miracle we ever got to the Super Bowl. From the beginning of this season onward, this wasn't a team that felt like a champion. Too many mistakes and reliance on luck. We were lucky to beat Pittsburgh, but we did it. We were lucky to beat a phenomenal Jacksonville defense, but we did it. Philadelphia was a talented and smart football team and the Patriots were, except for a few key players, a bunch of rag tag guys.
The good news is that, provided Brady comes back, we should be able to restock the defense with Hightower, a pass rusher through the draft or free agency, and a little more depth at linebacker and the secondary. Otherwise, I don't see us even beating teams like the Jaguars, Texans, and Steelers without a little more luck following our way. We'll also have a lot to overcome with new coordinators, but I suspect a new philosophy under Belichick's guidance on defense could help to develop new systems around a younger core group of players.