As the 2011 Patriots begin to come more and more into focus there are a handful of guys who will really need to elevate their games in 2011 if the team is to contend for a Super Bowl.
While there are no major holes in the Patriots depth chart there are quite a few areas where inconsistent play from fairly unproven players could spell doom. The five guys I see as most pivotal to a successful 2011 season:
1. Brandon Meriweather – Meriweather has to be one of the most talked about Patriots of the past off-season. He made the Pro Bowl, was accused of shooting two people, recorded a rap song, and acted in a You Tube short film. All the while fans were weighing his potential trade value or options to replace him. It seems like Meriweather’s inconsistencies have continued in training camp 2011, and while the pass rush looks to be improved, if you have a back end safety making boneheaded decisions it won’t really matter. Meriweather is in a contract year so the stakes for him to play well have never been higher. I’ve already crossed a potential extension from the Pats almost completely off the list of possibilities, but if the light goes on for him you never know. Perhaps this is why we’ve seen him more in the box in preseason, to avoid the potential catastrophe of mistakes being made by your deep safety.
2. Dan Connolly -In 2010 Connolly did an admirable job filling in for first Logan Mankins, then Stephen Neal. Now Connolly enters the 2011 season penciled in as the starting right guard, however he was one of a few players to not look awesome against the Buccaneers. While it appears that Marcus Cannon is the right guard of the future waiting in the wings, the burden of the 2011 season will fall on Connolly unless rumors of putting Nate Solder at RG are be based in fact. Personally I’m not sold on Solder there, and if Connolly struggles there’s not yet a solid veteran presence on the roster that could replace him. Replacing Neal is not an easy task, but the Patriots cannot afford to have a weak link in the heart of their offensive line. Especially with teams like the Jets who love to send pressure up the middle.
3. Jermaine Cunningham – Cunningham has caught some flack for not having a more stand out camp before getting hurt, but I think that’s more of an effect that playing left defensive end. Remember how Ty Warren never got much praise compared to Richard Seymour? It’s a similar situation even in the 4-3. Cunningham’s job will be stopping the run first and foremost, though he will get chances to rush the QB when the offense goes strong side to the defensive right. Many thought Cunningham was supposed to be the pass rush answer but his real strength is his strength. If he cannot hold up at LDE, it might mean Eric Moore gets a shot there but I’m not sure he’s a great fit there either. There’s a lot of pressure on Cunningham, not only to get healthy but to lock down a position where the Pats don’t have a lot of great fits behind him.
4. Rob Ninkovich -I could also throw Gary Guyton on here too because I think we’ll see a rotation of them at Strong Side Linebacker depending on the opponent, but if Ninkopoop puts it all together I could see him wining the spot outright. The SLB is one of the most important positions in making the 4-3 defense go, and it’s a position that neither Ninkovich or Guyton have much experience in. They have to be adept at coverage, setting the edge, and getting after the quarterback, and they’re in close on the line of scrimmage without any protection from the line. We’ve seen both Guyton and Ninkovich do those things to varying levels of success, but no matter who is in there, especially since they’ll be next to Jermain Cunningham (see above) a lot of the time, they’ll have to be on their game for the Pats D to be successful. Ninkovich and Cunningham will be very much tied to together, if they don’t bring it teams are going to be running at them all game long.
5. Taylor Price/Brandon Tate – This might be asking a little much of Price, but one of these guys has to develop into a consistent deep threat for the Pats to truly open up their offense. While Chad Ochocinco will draw his fair share of attention, someone who can stretch the field will make things that much easier on him, Welker and Branch. After seeing the greatest field stretcher of all time in a Patriots jersey for three plus seasons it’s unfair to expect Tate or Price to be Randy Moss-like, but if one of them can make opposing teams take notice of their deep speed and synergy with Brady it will add a whole new dimension to this Patriots offense that will have to be defended.
