Since Belichick went off on midseason grades I’m going to avoid that here, but it’s a good time to take inventory of what we now know about the 2015 Patriots, and look down the road to what they’ll have to overcome to win back-to-back Super Bowls.
First, let’s take a look at the major unknowns entering the season:
Cornerback Turnover
The biggest storyline entering the season was the purge of all the cornerbacks and the anticipated move back to more zone defense. The good news is that Malcolm Butler looks like the best young corner we’ve had since Ty Law, Logan Ryan has finally found some consistency, and rookie Justin Coleman has be surprisingly solid as the slot corner. The better news is that the Patriots have stuck with a majority of Cover-1 Man defense, something that I feel is vital in today’s NFL. Maybe the overall great play of the front seven has hid some of the deficiencies at cornerback, but they’ve also managed to incorporate a lot more three (and even four) safety packages.
Interior OL
The retirement of Dan Connolly put a major focus on replacing a starting guard this season, but little did we know they’d also have to replace Ryan Wendell and Bryan Stork out of the gate. But the great news is the emergence of veteran Josh Kline (who just earned a two-year extension) and a trio of rookies – Shaq Mason, Tre Jackson and David Andrews. With Bryan Stork back, the Patriots suddenly have solid depth on the inside of their offense line. The problem has been the unrelenting injuries to their tackles.
Replacing Vereen
Like the interior offensive line, it looked like the Patriots had magically upgraded their passing down running back role with the emergence of the electric Dion Lewis, who would’ve broken records had he remained healthy the entire season. But now, with Lewis done for the year, the question of who will replace Vereen for the potential last 11 games of the season remains wide open. James White should get the first crack at it. Can he replicate Vereen’s clutch play in last year’s Super Bowl?
Fatal Flaws?
The Patriots are 8-0 right now, but there are plenty of areas that could derail their Super Bowl hopes. The biggest is the health of their tackles and that almost entirely hinges upon the health of Marcus Cannon and Sebastian Vollmer. We’d assume both will return sooner than later, but the bigger question is keeping them healthy for the playoffs. With those two guys in the game the Pats could beat anyone. But they’re almost out of bodies at the position and losing someone else for the season could be catastrophic.
No one will admit it but the ceiling of the Patriots offense going forward rests almost entirely on James White’s shoulders. If White can’t pick up pass protection, can’t pick up those clutch third downs that are needed on checkdowns, can’t make the first guy consistently miss, the Pats offense will be hindered. For as unstoppable as Gronk and Edelman are, they need that running back element, especially when they go with a pass heavy gameplan. The good news is that we still don’t know what we have in White, and he’s shown some flashes at times in his first two years.
Reasons to Book Tix to San Fran in February
Tom Brady has mastered the game and unless his offensive line just totally lays an egg, he’s going to find a way to beat any team that is put in front of him. Obviously the health of Gronkowski is paramount. As we’ve said all along, if he’s healthy in the last game of the season, it will likely be in the Super Bowl. As good as Brady is, the presence of Gronkowski makes the Patriots’ offense truly impossible. But we’ve known about Brady and Gronk for a while now, the true difference for this Patriots team is…
The front seven. Chandler Jones, Dont’a Hightower and Jamie Collins are the kind of talented pieces the team lacked on defense from 2008-2011. Now they are all coming into their prime and will give the Patriots at least another season of defensive dominance. Add in the solid play of Rob Nikovich, the anticipated return if Jabaal Sheard and the elevated play of Alan Branch and first-round pick Malcom Brown and this defense has more talent than we’ve seen since 2007. And it’s younger, athletic talent that can dictate, not older, savvy talent that has to rely a little more on brains than brawn as we saw in those late dynasty years.
Despite the health issues on offense, the defense has been largely lucky outside of losing Sheard for the last month and Tarrell Brown for the season. But otherwise their depth is outstanding and varied and they can play any kind of game necessary to win.
Simply put, this is a defense I would feel good about getting the last stop in a playoff game. That’s what the defenses of 2006, 2007 and 2011 didn’t do.
Conclusion
This Patriots team will remain largely intact next season, giving them a window of two years to get another title before some big decision have to be made about who stays and who goes. But with a number of high round picks on defense coming into their prime as well as Brady not slowing down and having great pieces around him, the Patriots should be favorites to hoist the Lombardi Trophy at least once in the next two tries.
We’re only halfway through the season and what defines the second half could be much different than what has defined the first. Dion Lewis helped get the Pats to 8-0 but they’ll need someone else to step up to get them to the Super Bowl.
Still, this first half has once again proved how well the “Patriot Way” works. In hindsight the Patriots were right to let Revis, Browner and Arrington walk, and if anything their defense has been better overall this year than last.
I don’t know what will transpire before the Pats get to the playoffs, which players they will lose or get back, but it’s clear they have they should once again be in it until the end and will go down swinging no matter what. Can an opponent put together that perfect game needed to beat them? The Pats will welcome all challengers.