Until last week, New England was deemed an offensive juggernaut with a suspect defense. After a 20-16 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, a game in which New England’s defense came up with their biggest (and only) stop of this young season, a full-strength Patriots squad is looking extremely viable for a deep post season run.

Tom Brady was not at his best until the end of the fourth quarter, when he led the Patriots on a 10-play, 80-yard drive, culminating in an eight-yard touchdown reception by TE Aaron Hernandnez. After throwing two interceptions earlier in the game (both on tipped passes), Brady was arguably the sharpest he’s been all season, completing 88.8% of his passes on his final drive as Patriots fans enjoyed watching Tom Brady in vintage form.

Despite Brady’s offense’s heroics, it was the New England defense that deserves the credit for the victory.

Heavily criticized and seriously victimized in past weeks, the defense prevented the Cowboys from capitalizing on New England’s uncharacteristic mistakes. The unit allowed just six points off of four Patriot turnovers, including holding Dallas to a field goal when forced to defend within their own 30-yard line.

Their biggest stop came in the fourth quarter.

Brandon Spikes Leads the Patriot Linebackers

With Dallas leading 16-13 with the ball and less than four minutes on the clock, the Patriots defense needed to force a quick three-and-out. For the first time in what has seemed like years, the defense was rock solid in the game’s most critical situation.

In giving up just five yards on three ineffective plays, the defense looked extremely energetic. Considering the group is lacking its best player in MLB Jerod Mayo, we should see the team improve as health progresses.

Liked this? Follow me on twitter @neso17 

Image Credits: mkrob.com

In the draft, the Patriots drafted complementary running backs Stevan Ridley (power) and Shane Vereen (quickness), and also addressed their need for depth at offensive tackle with the addition of Nate Solder.

The Patriots added mammoth defensive linemen such as Albert Haynesworth and Shaun Ellis, while bringing in proven pass rushers Andre Carter and Mark Anderson.

The Patriots’ plan to add solid veterans who were at career lows in terms of value culminated with the addition of WR Chad Ochocinco.

With the somewhat controversial decisions, fans asked the inherent question: Will the Patriots have locker-room issues?

After about three weeks with their new team, guys previously deemed lazy have been praised for their work-ethic and passion. On Sunday, Brady praised Ochocinco: “…  he’s really finding a role for himself. He’s been practicing hard. He’s very competitive.”

The biggest question for the Patriots now is whether or not they’ll be able to defeat the New York Jets, a team they’ll inevitably face in the regular season and a potential postseason matchup.

Last year, it was the head-to-head game that decided the result of each team’s season, so let’s look at the head-to-head matchups.

Position-by-position, the Jets fail to stack up. Obviously the Jets have some great talent, but what they have in talent they lack in depth.

Quarterbacks

Last season, Mark Sanchez had a passer rating of 75.3 with a completion percentage of 54.8. Those are obscenely low values for a quarterback deemed as the franchise’s “savior”.

Tom Brady on the other had was the unanimous MVP, throwing 36 touchdowns to just four interceptions. With the best touchdown to interception ratio the NFL had ever seen, Brady’s efficiency was unprecedented.

However, Mark Sanchez seems to have reasonable success against New England over his past two seasons, with the obvious exception being the 45-3 shelling of New York last year. Why does Sanchez find ways to beat New England when the two teams play?

Three reasons: His wide receivers get open for him, his running backs put pressure on the Patriot front seven, and New England seems unable to generate any significant pass rush.

This year, the Patriots will have Leigh Bodden returning from shoulder injury, providing New England with a significant upgrade in the defensive backfield. With a stronger, more experienced secondary, Jet receivers may find themselves struggling.

On the defensive line, with the Patriot free agent acquisitions, Sanchez will see a far more consistent and physical pass rush, while New York will find it more difficult to run it up the gut of a 4-3 defense.

Edge: Patriots. Tom Brady is elite, and Mark Sanchez will find the new-look Patriots defense far more formidable than the 2010 group.

Offensive Line:

The Jets offensive line is anchored by All-Pro center Nick Mangold, who is deservedly considered part of  the NFL’s elite.

D’Brickashaw Fergusen has developed into a very consistent offensive tackle, and the two set the tone for a very physical front-five.

The Patriots offensive line, however, is unbelievably versatile. Logan Mankins is the star of the group, while right tackle Sebastian Vollmer has cemented himself as a long-term offensive tackle as he has been a rock for two seasons. Throw in the vocal center Dan Koppen and experienced left tackle Matt Light, and New England’s offensive line will look to have another very successful season.

However, it’s almost useless to compare two offensive lines to each other, however, as an offensive line’s strength can vary based on defensive matchups.

For instance, a group of 320 pounders would suffer from the speedy Indianapolis defensive front, while that same group would find great success against the physical Baltimore Ravens front seven.

With that being said, it’s hard to give New England an edge after the debacle they suffered in the playoffs last year. The Jets completely outmatched the Patriots offensive line, while New York’s line shut down New England’s front seven.

The Jets have proven that they can beat New England’s offensive line, while the Pats have yet to find consistent success against New York’s big men.

Edge: Jets. They have shown no signs of weakness against New England.

Running Backs:

Many fans might initially consider this an easy Jets victory, but what these fans fail to realize is the immense versatility the Patriots have in their backfield. From the extremely quick Danny Woodhead to BenJarvus Green-Ellis, arguably one of the purest downhill runners in the game, the Pats have a mix of power and speed.

Rookies Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley will add to the versatile group, and Ridley (with the exception of his fumble against the Buccaneers) has looked extremely viable in his first two preseason appearances.

The Jets have the aging LaDainian Tomlinson, and the still unproven Shonn Greene. After seeing his numbers decline from 2006-2009, Tomlinson had a bounce-back 2010 with 914 yards and six TDs, but we’ve seen aging running backs have one great year before fading into obscurity (Corey Dillon).

Shonn Greene has the speed, power and quickness to do whatever he wants with the ball, and the Jets hope that he can finally become the primary back they expect he can be after a 2010 which saw him compile just 766 yards of rushing.

Not to be lost among the RB’s is full back John Conner aka the Terminator. The guy is a wrecking ball, and his ability to clear the path for backs is vital for the Jets physical nature when running the ball.

Edge: Wash. The Patriots have unprecedented versatility through their running-back-by-committee approach, while the Jets feature an aging star and a young back who will look to find success.

Wide Receivers:

The Patriots have Chad Ochocinco, Wes Welker and Deion Branch as their presumed top-three. The Jets have Santonio Holmes, Plaxico Burress and Derrick Mason. Plaxico is still having problems with his damaged ankle, while Derrick Mason’s age is enough of a factor to have significantly slowed him down.

Over the past four years, Mason has seen his reception numbers drop since 2007. After his 103 catch 2007 campaign, he totaled only 80 catches in 2008, 73 in 2009, and 61 in 2010.

Santonio Holmes is an exclamation point in a receiving group otherwise filled with question marks.

New England, on the other hand, has the best slot receiver in the game (Wes Welker) who will look to return to his 2007-2009 form, pre-ACL tear. As a third receiver New England features an experienced veteran and extremely precise route-runner in Deion Branch.

Last year, Welker had 86 catches in just 15 games while returning from severe knee surgery.

Branch, after joining the Patriots (11 games), had 48 catches, five touchdowns and 706 yards of receiving.

Ochocinco was elite in his heydays with Cincinnati, and is a great medium-length (13-20 yards) route runner. With Tom Brady’s unbelievably accuracy, especially on underneath routes, Chad will be a weapon. In terms of depth, the Patriots and Jets both have unproven back ups, and it is always dangerous to speculate on young receivers.

Edge: Patriots. Too much depth and talent to ignore, plus the addition of Ochocinco and the introduction of a viable running game will certainly add to the receivers’ success.

Tight Ends:

The Patriots have an elite, young group of tight ends. Both Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are mismatch nightmares. Gronk’s power and size makes him a physical linebacker with safety speed, while Hernandez’s speed is similar to that of a wide receiver, while his size is similar to that of a strong safety. Last year the two combined for over 1,100 yards receiving, 87 receptions and 16 touchdowns.

Rookie tight end Lee Smith is an NFL ready tight end because of his blocking ability, as he will be called upon as a sixth lineman this season.

The Jets have Dustin Keller who is no doubt a major weapon, along with second year tight end Jeff Cumberland, who still needs to make a name for himself. Keller had 55 catches for 687 yards year, but that wasn’t nearly the level of production seen from Hernandez and Gronkowski.

Edge: Patriots. For a long time to come, the Patriots will have significant threats in the form of tight ends.

Okay, so after going through the offense, it’s safe to say that New England’s will be stronger. As a Jets fan, however, one can point at the defense and say that that is where the team’s real strength is while being 100% correct. Part 2 will compare the two teams’ defenses, and we’ll see how they actually match up!

Here’s a recap:

	Jets Key Players	Patriots Key Players	Edge
Quarterbacks	Sanchez	Brady	Patriots
Offensive Line	Mangold, Fergusen	Light, Vollmer, Mankins	Jets
Running Backs	Tomlinson, Greene	Green-Ellis, Woodhead, Vereen, Ridley	Wash
Receivers	Holmes, Burress, Mason	Ochocinco, Branch, Welker, Price	Patriots
Tight Ends	Keller	Gronkowski, Hernandez, Smith	Patriots

Image Credit: cdn.bleacherreport.net

Liked this? Follow me on twitter @neso17

I was originally planning to rank the top 16 teams, but I felt it unfair not to include the #17 team given the unexpected success they had last season.

The free agent frenzy has slowed significantly, and with most teams ready to prepare with their most recent acquisitions, it felt right to rank the top half of the league.

Last season was marked by extreme parity, and I think it’s fair to expect the same equality around the league this season, but, at the end of the day (last year it was the Packers) some teams will stand out.

To find out who, read on…

17.     Kansas City Chiefs

The Cheifs had an unbelievable season last year by exceeding all expectations. For the first time in years they were a playoff team as they went 10-6. Led offensively by Jamaal Charles and Matt Cassel and defensively by Tamba Hali and Brandon Flowers, the Chiefs surprised the entire NFL.

Flowers has emerged as a legitimate shutdown corner, while Jamaal Charles (1,467 yards, 6.4 YPC) showed he has elite skill as a running back.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Matt Cassel will continue to develop, and the Chiefs hope he can build on a season which saw him throw 27 TDs to just 7 Interceptions (93.0 QB RTG). Throw in the speedster Dexter McCluster on special teams, and Kansas City looks to have a dangerous squad.

The Chiefs were the best rushing team in the NFL last year averaging 164.2 yards per game. Still, the Chiefs had arguably the easiest schedule in all of football last year, and although the team will be better, their record will not.

16.     Minnesota Vikings

The 6-10 Vikings were obviously hurt by their lack of a starting QB last year, as the revolving door  of Tavaris Jackson, Joe Webb and Brett Favre was not successful.

The addition of Donovan McNabb will immediately transform their offense and help hide the offensive line deficiencies which led to Favre getting hurt in the first place. Maybe Bernard Berrian will finally live up to his potential with an elite quarterback tossing him passes, but without Sidney Rice the Vikes have only one real receiving option in Percy Harvin.

Minnesota (and McNabb) will sorely miss Rice’s production in the form of 1,312 yards and 8 TDs from his healthy 2009 campaign.

The Vikings will look for rookie tight end Kyle Rudolph (an athletic player from Notre Dame) to be a consistent underneath option for McNabb who has the speed to roll out of the pocket, but relying on rookies (especially as receivers) is always a risky proposition.

Although Minnesota benefits from having an All-Pro running back in Adrian Peterson, they will struggle because of their lack of offensive depth.

Defensively, they were solid against the run and pass (9^th/10^th in the league last season respectively), and are led by pass rushing extraordinaire Jared Allen. Barring injuries, there is enough talent on both sides of the ball to make a run, but in a league where depth is so vital, the Vikings will be in trouble.

Further, Minnesota faces the Bears and Packers twice each during the season, and their success will depend on how they fare against these two divisional rivals. 

15.     Dallas Cowboys

As Always, the Cowboys have the talent to be a big time postseason contender. But, will their talent translate into wins? Last season, it did not, as the ‘Boys ended up 6-10.

Offensively, Dallas has studs throughout the field including Miles Austin and Felix Jones. Austin had 1,041 yards and 7 TDs last season, and looks to continue on his success from the past 2 seasons. Jones has seen increasing responsibility with each NFL season, as last year he had 800 yards on 185 carries (4.3 YPC).

Throw the ever-dangerous Jason Witten into the mix, and the young but fast Dez Bryant, and the Cowboys are looking to explode on offense.

The offensive line of the Cowboys, however, has always been a major concern for the team. It should be bolstered by the drafting of Tyron Smith, but, the larger question remains, can Tony Romo be the quarterback the Cowboys need him to be? History says no, and their defense has too many holes to carry the load.

In 2010 Terrence Newman had 79 tackles and 5 picks, while DeMarcus Ware totaled 15.5 sacks, 66 tackles and 2 FF. These two Pro-Bowlers are clearly elite players, but can they cover for the massive liabilities throughout their squad, including cornerback Mike Jenkins?

If a team does not have the depth to support their stars in the NFL, then that team is beatable, no matter who their stars are.

14.     Arizona Cardinals

The 5-11 Cardinals needed a legitimate quarterback last season, but could not get much out of Matt Leinart or Derek Anderson. The weapons are in place and with a high level QB the Cards made it to the Super Bowl (Kurt Warner).

After trading for Kevin Kolb, the Cardinals think they’ve found their answer, and frankly he’s certainly an upgrade over the players they let onto the field last season. Kolb picks up yards, but is susceptible to the interception (7 TDs and 7 Ints)

I don’t think the Cardinals are an exceptionally strong team, but in an extremely weak NFC West anybody has a chance (see the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks who made the playoffs last year).

Offensively, the Cardinals hope rookie RB Ryan Williams will immediately upgrade their 32^nd ranked run offense (86.8 YPG), and he will. Larry Fitzgerald even without a  real QB, amassed 1,137 receiving yards.

Defensively, The Cardinals will look for Patrick Peterson to make an impact as soon as he steps onto the field, adding another solid athlete to their already stacked secondary (Adrian Wilson, Kerry Rhodes).

Darnell Dockett is a great defensive tackle (5.0 sacks last year), and will bolster the front seven. The problem with this team is depth, as it is with many rebuilding teams.

They have their stars but, like the Vikings and Cowboys, lack depth. Ff one of their key guys goes down, the whole team might follow.

13. Indianapolis Colts

There’s no secret in Indy’s formula for winning. Let Peyton Manning score as many times as possible, and hope the defense can allow one less score. Indy limped into the playoffs at 10-6, but were not the dominant team that Colts fans had seen in years past.

With Manning’s neck injury a cause for concern, the Colts might be in trouble. They have no running game to speak of, and very little defense after losing Clint Sessions.

As always, the team will need Manning to be amazing. But, with a defense unlikely to stop either Chris Johnson of the Titans or the Houston Texans offense, the Colts might miss the playoffs entirely.

12.     Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The (10-6) Buccaneers are the real deal. Offensively, they have a trio of young players in QB Josh Freeman, WR Mike Williams, and RB LeGarette Blount. Not only do they have a strong top three, but those key guys are also young, improving players.

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Last year, Freeman threw 25 TDs to just 6 Interceptions. LeGarette Blount averaged 5.0 YPC on his way to a 1007 yard rushing season, while Mike Williams finished with 11 TDs and 964 yards receiving.

The Bucs addressed their defense with their 1st round selection of DE Adrian Clayborn. Clayborn, with his explosive athleticism, should provide the Bucs pass rush a needed boost and put less pressure on a secondary led by a still effective Ronde Barber (65 tackles, 3 interceptions last season).

The Buccaneers are building their defense from the trenches, a strategy that has proven successful in the past (2000-2010 Patriots).

Raheem Morris has set the proper attitude for his young team, highlighting responsibility, passion and ownership. His players clearly love to play for him.

However, the major flaw with this team is the division they play in. Force to compete with the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons, the Bucs’ playoff drought will continue for another season.

11.     Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears finished11-5 last season, but viewers always seemed skeptical about their success. Similar to the squad that reached the 2006 Super Bowl, the Bears put a lot of faith in an erratic quarterback. In 2006 it was Rex Grossman, now it is Jay Cutler.

Cutler had 23 touchdowns to 16 interceptions last season, and having a young, fairly unproven receiving squad will not help his high interception total. Also, the Bears parted ways with Greg Olsen during the offseason. Arguably Cutler’s favorite target, the tight end’s absence will be noticed if the receivers cannot step up. Devin Aromashodu will likely be a top receiving target.

This offense has question marks at every position, although the drafting of  OL Gabe Camiri will immediately strengthen the miserable offensive line and should inherently have a positive impact on Cutler’s inconsistencies.

Cutler is unquestionably a superior player when compared to Rex Grossman, and if Chicago can prevent Cutler from getting hit every time he drops back then they will have a dangerous offense.

Defense is of course a strong point for the Bears. Led by Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher, the group certainly commands respect from opposing offenses.

The biggest positive for the Bears comes in their return game, as they can consistently expect sparks from speedster Devin Hester.

A team with a lot of weapons and a lot of question marks.

10.     Houston Texans

Offensively, this team is rock solid. Led by Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson and Arian Foster, Houston relied on their offense for their 6-win season.

Andre Johnson: 13 games, 1,216 yards, 8 TDs.

Arian Foster: 1,616 yards, 16 TDs.

Matt Schaub: 4,370 yards, 93.0 QB RTG.

Clearly, the offense should not be a problem for Houston.

Defense, however, is an entirely different story. Although strong up front, the Texans had an atrocious pass defense last year, allowing a league worst 267.5 YPG passing. They will be looking for first-year corner Brandon Harris to support Jonathan Joseph as the second corner, but the Texans made very few improvements in their secondary over the offseason as they failed to sign Nnmadi Asomugha.

What does bode well for Houston is their front seven. Mario Williams, Demeco Ryans and hopefully steroid-free Brian Cushing (76 tackles in 12 games) will lead their front 7.

The Texans, by drafting DE J.J. Watt, are clearly looking to solve their CB deficiencies with a strong pass rush and run defense, forcing offenses to be predictable.

Houston has an exceptionally talented offense, but will need their defense to improve to have any legitimate success.

9.     San Diego Chargers

Last year, the Chargers were the epitome of the “stats lie” adage in the NFL. The Chargers ended up a mediocre 9-7, but led the league in both total offense and total defense (395.6 YPG and 271.6 YPG respectively).

The biggest problem for San Diego came on special teams, as their return defense was one of the worst in the NFL. Yet, they were able to go on a late season run last year as they closed out the campaign with a 7-2 record over their final 9 games. They hope the  big-hitting rookie corner Shareece Wright can have an immediate impact on Special Teams.

Offensively, San Diego should see an improvement in their running game as Ryan Matthews makes a healthy return. San Diego will have a far more balanced attack with a healthy Matthews if Rivers can continue having success with Vincent Jackson, Malcolm Floyd and Antonio Gates.

Defensively, Shaun Phillips leads the front seven (11 sacks) while CB Quentin Jammer is a tone setter in the secondary. He is a big, physical player who lays down punishing hits.

The Chargers will win the AFC West if their special teams can become an even mediocre unit, and will be a very threatening playoff team.

8.     Atlanta Falcons

The 13-3 Atlanta Falcons have no shortage of talent, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Roddy White had 115 catches for 1,389 yards and 10 TDs last season. White is an elite, premier receiver who will no longer be the only receiver on the radars of defenses now that rookie playmaker Julio Jones has entered the fold.

Matt Ryan had 28 TDs to just nine interceptions last year (91.0) rating, and is developing into an elite quarterback.

While Tony Gonzalez is more of a threat in name than ability in this stage of his career, his leadership/veteran presence is vital in guiding a young offensive core.

With Michael Turner fully healthy after a successful 2010 campaign (1,371 yards, 12 TD s), the offense looks poised to shred through defenses once again.

Defensively, the Falcons were very poor against the pass. Playing against the Saints (passing team) twice a year, Atlanta will have to improve their defense, ranked 28th in PPG allowed last season.

The Falcons signed Ray Edwards, a premiere defensive lineman, to bolster the front seven and give support to the aging John Abraham.

Atlanta’s offense is sensational, but to finally find postseason success the Falcons will need to focus on defense (and they failed to do so in the draft). 

7.     New York Jets

The Jets are pretty much the same 11-5 team that they were last year. Braylon Edwards’s absence was quickly filled by the signing of Plaxico Burress, although Burress needs to stay on the field to help the team.

Santonio Holmes is one of the great NFL receivers, and defensively the Jets were able to bring back Antonio Cromartie to support Darrelle Revis.

But, New York lost respected veteran Shaun Ellis (to the Patriots nonetheless) and with the exception of Calvin Pace, have a weak front seven. For them to reach the next level, they need to beat the Patriots, and with New England’s tight ends being as powerful as they are (Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez), I’m not sure the Jets have safeties/linebackers who match up.

Also, the Jets can trust Mark Sanchez all they want, but I’m still not ready to put my faith in a 75.3 rated passer who completed just 54.8% of his passes in 2010.

The Jets will look for LaDainian Tomlinson to have another successful season (934 yards, 6 TDs), but we’ve seen old running backs have a one year of resurgence before quieting down for good (Corey Dillon).

The Jets do have one thing going for them, and that’s their passionate, play with nothing to lose attitude instilled upon them by Rex Ryan.

6.     Baltimore Ravens

Ray Rice led this offense with a stellar 2010, as he had 1,220 rushing yards with 5 TDs. Joe Flacco built upon his early-career success with a 25 TD season in which he amassed 3,622 yards with a 96.3 quarterback rating.

Rob Carr/Getty Images

Defensively, the Ravens are rock solid. Ed Reed had 8 picks in just 10 games, while Ray Lewis had 139 tackles, two forced fumbles, two interceptions and two sacks. Haloti Ngata is a boulder (quite literally, in fact) down low, as the nose tackle is arguably the best in the game.

Throw Terrell Suggs and Cameron Heyward into the mix, and the Ravens’ front seven becomes even more deadly. Suggs had 11 sacks last year, and Heyward has the strength to fit right into the physical Baltimore defense.

Although Baltimore is known for defense, they had the 21st ranked pass defense in the NFL. By drafting CB Jimmy Smith, the Ravens found a strong, physical, Ravens-style defensive back who should allow Ed Reed more freedom as a center fielder.

The Ravens will look for Anquan Boldin to replicate the success he had with the Cardinals, after a fairly unsuccessful season last year (just 837 yards). Although he did have 7 TDs, the Ravens need Boldin to be a capable receiver.

The Ravens will also likely rely on Torrey Smith and Tandon Doss (rookie receivers) to begin making contributions on the field.

The question is, can Joe Flacco lead this team to the next level? If he can, the Ravens look poised to make a deep run…

5.     New Orleans Saints

The Saints have one of the most versatile offenses in the NFL, and with a healthy Pierre Thomas and newly drafted Mark Ingram, New Orleans is as dynamic as ever. 11-5 last season despite a sub par year from Drew Brees (despite his 90.9 rating, 4,620 yards, 33 TDs, Brees threw 22 interceptions), New Orleans is improved if by nothing else than health.

Marques Colston is a premier receiver, and showcased his talent once again last year, catching 7 TDs and totaling 1,023 receiving yards.

4th in NFL in total defense, and third in the league in passing yards per game (277.6), New Orleans clearly has the talent for a Super Bowl run. After drafting DE Cameron Jordan, New Orleans will have an improved pass rush and therefore an inherently better passing defense , already ranked 4th in the league.

It’s pretty clear New Orleans needed a healthy running back last season, and they now have two. Strong defense, better offense.

4.     Pittsburgh Steelers

This team has always been a defense-first, pound the rock kind kind of squad. James Harrison is of course an elite, top three linebacker in the NFL, and the secondary is led by Troy Polamalu who, despite missing 2 games, had seven interceptions and 63 tackles.

James Farrior (109 tackles) and LaMarr Woodley (50 tackles, 3 forced fumbles) are also elite linebackers, punishing tacklers, and smart defensive players.

The Steelers have the best linebackers in the NFL, and having the 330 pound Casey Hampton at the nose helps.

The Steelers do not have a good group of cornerbacks however, and rely on their run defense to force offenses to become one-dimensional passing teams, so Troy Polamalu can take over. Pittsburgh also boasts a strong pass rush, putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks to make consistent throws.

Offensively, the Steelers have a strong core. Hines Ward is not the player he once was, but he has the physicality to power through smaller corners. Ben Roethlisberger had a 97.0 rating as he threw for 3,200 yards with 17 TDs. The Steelers play run-first offensively, and Big Ben is the perfect QB for their style.

Mike Wallace and Rashard Mendenhall have very bright futures with exceptional seasons last year. Wallace had 60 catches for 1,257 yards and 10 TDs, and Mendenhall managed 13 TDs on 1,273 yards of rushing.

Mendenhall has the speed to burst around the corner on stretch plays, and the power to give defensive backs in the second level fits.

A Super Bowl victory last year was all that the Steelers lacked, and a great team is returning this year.

3.     Philadelphia Eagles

The 10-6 Eagles have certainly made noise this offseason. They added Nmadi Asomugha, Cullen Jenkins, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Jason Babin and Vince Young.

Defensively, the Eagles are vastly improved. They have one of the best corner tandems in the NFL (Nmadi and Asante Samuel) along with the very talented (and fast) Rodgers-Cromartie. Jenkins and Trent Cole anchor a defensive line which will also be bolstered by Jason Babin, whose motor is always at 110%.

Offensively, the Eagles have DeSean Jackson, Michael Vick and Jeremy Maclin.

Last year, Vick threw 21 TDs to just 6 interceptions with a 100.2 rating, easily the best rating of his career. Jackson had 1,056 yards and 6 TDs, while Maclin caught 11 touchdowns. A healthy (TE) Brent Celek will give defenses fits, as he can make catches up the seam, an area that will be opened up by the Jackson and Maclin.

Vick, given his fragile frame and reckless playing style, can always be counted on to miss 1-2 games with a minor injury, and with Vince Young cut from the same mold as Vick, the Eagles should be able to keep pushing forward.

Of course, one of the Eagles greatest strength comes in the form of special teams, with electrifying return men such as Jackson and Maclin, the Eagles are always a threat to score.

Philadelphia bolstered a shaky defensive unit through free agency, and with an ever-explosive offense will be tough to beat.

2.     New England Patriots

After a 14-2 regular season, the Patriots choked against the Jets and were eliminated in their first playoff game. But this season, they hope that their free agent acquisitions provide them with more offensive options, and a defensive presence that they lacked last year.

They have arguably the most dynamic offense in team history, with tight ends, wide receivers, running backs and a quarterback who are all exceptional play makers.

With Chad Ochocinco, Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Danny Woodhead and Tom Brady (111.0 QB rating last season), the Patriots know they will be able to score.

The defense was not great statistically, especially on 3rd down, but led by Devin McCourty (7 interceptions) and Jerod Mayo (175 tackle) the Patriots were able to lead the league in turnover differential (mind boggling +28).

Vince Wilfork has received help on the defensive line this year as the Patriots brought in Albert Haynesworth, Shaun Ellis, Mark Anderson, Andre Carter and retained Gerard Warren. All of these guys are mammoths who have power to push offensive linemen backwards.

The pass-rush issue was not solved with a dynamic, outside linebacker or defensive end. Instead, Bill Belichick solved it with brute force.

The Patriots are once again a Super Bowl contender, and if their offseason acquisitions produce, look out.

1. Green Bay Packers

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

It’s simple why the Packers are number one. They won the Super Bowl last season, and have a plethora of returning players who were on the IR last season, including starting RB Ryan Grant, starting TE Jermichael Finley and a strong press CB in Atari Bigby.

They have two shutdown corners in Tramon Williams (6 interceptions in 2010) and Charles Woodson (11 interceptions over the past 2 years, with 76 tackles last season).

Aaron Rodgers still has Greg Jennings as a number one target, and the Packers drafted a big OT in Derek Sherrod who should help keep Rodgers from spending time on the bench.

Basically: The best team in the league has some of its best players returning — Hard to beat that.

What do you think? Did I miss any teams you think will do better than expected? Do I have any teams on this list that will end up under achieving? With the season coming up, we’ll see…

Liked this? Follow me on twitter @neso17

Image Credits: keeperleaguegm, Getty Images

The Red Sox know how important team chemistry is to the success of a team. Just ask the 2004 Idiots or the frustrated clubhouse before Manny Ramirez’s eventful departure.

Ortiz is clearly concerned about his contract situation and has mentioned feeling hurt that he has not received attention from the organization that he would like, but is he becoming a clubhouse cancer, starting with the press conference incident?

Absolutely not. Ortiz’s on-field production has clearly not faltered (hit a huge double in the bottom of the 10th inning against the Yankees on Sunday, leading to a Red Sox victory) and his happy-go-lucky nature still seems to dominate his persona.

Whether it be him entertaining young fans while in the batters box or supporting teammates, Ortiz cannot even be considered a minor problem, let alone a spreading cancer.

Brady threw 50 touchdown passes, and Moss caught 23, both single-season NFL records. Although the team seemed unstoppable, their offense was halted in the Super Bowl thanks to a perfect New York Giants scheme: hit Brady early and often, and prevent him from connecting with Randy Moss.

The offense became too predictable by the end of the year, as defenses realized that the most prolific offense in NFL history was also fairly one-dimensional.

Laurence Maroney led all Patriots rushers with 835 yards, and his indecisive running style prevented him from ever being a legitimate threat to defenses.

The 2007 Patriots offense could be summed up with the following three players: Tom Brady, Randy Moss, and Wes Welker.

This season, however, the Patriots benefit from having legitimate options throughout their offense.

Receivers:

Starting with the wide receivers, the 2011 Patriots include Deion Branch, Wes Welker, and of course, Chad Ochocinco. Welker is the game’s best slot receiver, impossible to defend due to the impeccable timing of his route-running.

Deion Branch has consistent hands and enough NFL experience to regularly find openings in coverage. He doesn’t drop many passes and although he has lost a step, is still quick enough to out-maneuver less agile defensive backs.

Chad Ochocinco has been a premier wide receiver for the better part of the decade, totaling six 1000 yard seasons in 10 seasons. He does drop the occasional pass, but his speed, quickness and size make him a threat after receiving the ball. He has a knack for getting open on 15-20 yard passing routes, and has the size and leaping-ability to win jump-balls.

Not to mention a potential emergence of a young receiver such as Brandon Tate, Julian Edelman or Taylor Price, which could prove invaluable in keeping defenses guessing.

This group of receivers can certainly hold a candle to the 2007 squad, but Randy Moss and Wes Welker’s unbelievable seasons may be hard to replicate under any circumstances.

Tight Ends:

While the receiving core may not be as dangerous as it was in 2007, the 2011 Patriots have two new weapons: Tight Ends Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski.

Both players are mismatch nightmares. Hernandez has the speed of a wide receiver, while Gronk has the strength to run over would-be tacklers. Enhancing their physical attributes is their ability to catch the ball. Both showed impressive hands last season, highlighting the major difference with 2007 tight end Benjamin Watson.

The Boston Herald describes Gronkowsi’s performance in practices as “dominant…[making] every defender look overmatched and overwhelmed.” (Guregian).

Last (but potentially least), is rookie tight end Lee Smith. Smith was drafted to help fill the role of Alge Crumpler as the primary blocking tight end.

He has looked great in practices in the blocking game (as expected) but has shown a surprising knack for catching the football.

Brady now has 4 premier red zone options (Ochocinco, Hernandez, Gronkowski, Welker), after having just 2 in 2007 (Moss, Welker).

Running Backs:

Lastly, the Patriots have put together a consortium of running backs, including BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Shane Vereen, Stevan Ridley, Danny Woodhead, and potentially Kevin Faulk or Sammy Morris.

The group features a powerful, downhill runner in Green-Ellis, as well as immense quickness in Woodhead and Vereen. While there is no premier back on the squad, each has his own positive attribute that can attack a defense.

Essentially, this 2011 team has more offensive options than the 2007 squad. The team cannot be predictable, simply because of the sheer number of players they have who can make significant contributions.

Clearly, every single skill player on the 2011 squad has the potential/has demonstrated the ability to penetrate opposing defenses. In contrast, the 2007 team had only three such threatening players.

The last segment of the offense that will be focused on is the offensive line. The 2007 line was one of the best lines the game had seen, but the 2011 line has significantly upgraded their right tackle, usurping Nick Kaczur with Sebastian Vollmer.

The 2011 line should have similar success.

The offense is clearly good, but will the 2011 defense be good enough to bring the Patriots back to the Super Bowl? They get to practice against the Patriots offense everyday, so we’ll see.

Image Credits: www.wikipedia.com

Liked this? Follow me on twitter @neso17

Coming into the season, the Red Sox seemingly had unprecedented depth in their pitching rotation, with Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka as the starting 5.

Still, the team had Tim Wakefield and Alfredo Aceves available for spot-starting duties, as well as Felix Doubront waiting in the wings we call Triple-A.

Despite their multitude of pitching options, the squad’s starting rotation fell into a state of disrepair from the start of the season, as Daisuke Matsuzaka suffered a season-ending injury (requiring Tommy John surgery), while John Lackey struggled mightily.

As the season progressed, Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester found themselves on the DL, as Buchholz’s injury has now seemingly compounded into one that is potentially season-ending.

The Sox found themselves in a situation where they required more pitching depth, as they called on Kyle Weiland and Andrew Miller to make starts.

The situation has very clearly proven Red Sox GM Theo Epstein’s core belief that “you can never have enough pitching.”

Now, onto the grades –

Josh Beckett:

Key Stats: 2.20 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 9-4 W-L

One of Beckett’s best seasons has come during this 2011 campaign. If the season were to end today, Beckett would have easily set new career bests in terms of ERA and WHIP. A front-running Cy Young candidate, Beckett has dominated hitters over the course of the entire season.

Most importantly, Beckett has pitched his best games during Boston’s biggest games, as he boasts a 3-0 record with a 0.86 ERA against the Yankees, and a mind-boggling 0.00 ERA against the Rays.

Grade: Beckett has carried this Red Sox rotation, and has been a model of consistency, dominance, and success. A

Jon Lester:

Key Stats: 3.23 ERA, .232 OPP BA, 11-4 W-L

After a career year last season, Jon Lester set the bar of expectations extremely high, as the Red Sox turned to him as the “ace” of the rotation. He has not disappointed. Although not the ace (that title has been given to Beckett) of the staff, the lefty has had great success with his impressive 3.17 ERA.

Lester has faced his share of adversity this season, including a stint on the DL as well as a May with a 5.50 ERA, but is quickly regaining his 2010 swagger.

In his first two starts after coming off the DL, Lester went 13.1 innings while allowing just 3 runs (2.02 ERA), striking out 14 and giving up just 11 hits. If he continues on his current path, the Red Sox will have one of the best 1-2 punches in the league.

Grade: Lester’s time on the DL and occasional dud performance is all that is preventing Lester from being considered elite. B+

Clay Buchholz:

Key Stats: 3.48 ERA, 6-3 W-L

Buchholz put up phenomenal numbers last season, in what was easily his best year. The Red Sox were probably not expecting a replica of last season, but they were certainly expecting more from the oft-injured right hander. Buchholz’s season may be in jeopardy due to a nagging back injury, and it doesn’t help that the injury is putting an otherwise successful year at risk.

With a 1.29 WHIP and a 3.48 ERA, Buchholz was on his way up when he got hurt after a fairly rough start to the season. In his final 9 starts, the Red Sox were 8-1, with the lone loss coming in a 3-2 pitching duel against the Cleveland Indians during which Buch gave up 2 runs in 7 1/3 innings.

His stuff is clearly nasty, and when he’s on, he’s tough to beat, but his key will be getting back on the mound to assist the Sox in the postseason.

Grade: Injuries have derailed an otherwise promising season, but part of being a good pitcher is staying healthy. B-

John Lackey: 

Key Stats: 6.11 ERA, 10-8 W-L, .300 OPP BA

For the better part of the first half of the season, fans and media were quick to jump on the “dump Lackey” bandwagon, and they had reason to do so. The righty started off the season in abysmal fashion as he struggled in nearly every game he stepped on the mound.

After missing part of May, Lackey seemed poise to make a healthy return and regain control of his pitches, but he failed to do so and continued getting bashed.

With his reputation at stake, however, Lackey managed to string together several solid starts, and at this point in the season looks to be ready to pitch at the level at which he was expected to perform.

In his last four starts in July, Lackey was 4-0 with a 2.52 ERA with 21 strikeouts. That being said, Lackey took a step back in his first August start as he gave up 5 runs in 6 2/3 innings pitched, but if Lackey can go out and pitch even decently during the majority of his starts, the Sox will be thankful.

Grade: Although he has improved of late, Lackey has had a very, very difficult season. C

Daisuke Matsuzaka:

Key Stats: 5.30 ERA, 3-3 W-L, 1.47 WHIP

Daisuke was clearly affected by his elbow injury which required him to receive Tommy John surgery. With the exception of two phenomenal starts against Toronto and Tampa Bay (15 IP, 0 ER, 12 K’s, 2 H), Matsuzaka struggled, getting out of the sixth inning only once.

Oft-injured, consistently inconsistent, a model of mediocrity for much of his career, Daisuke may have thrown his last pitch in a Red Sox uniform.

Grade: Inconsistent with a few dazzling performances, lost a season because of injury and thus cannot contribute. D+

Tim Wakefield:

Key Stats: 4.99 ERA, 6-4 W-L

Wakefield’s mediocre season has been fairly magical because of his pursuit of 200 career wins. He has consistently kept the Red Sox offense in games, and has done everything Terry Francona has asked of him.

Grade: His professional nature and chance at 200 wins has been great to watch, and he has certainly earned his success. B-

 Liked this? Follow me on twitter @neso17

Image Credits: redsoxjersey.net

Both teams made early, generally inexcusable errors, while both C.J. Wilson and Jon Lester did not have complete command of their pitches, often missing their spots.

For the Red Sox there was certainly a lot of bad (considering they lost the game), but a lot of positives came from Game 1 as well.

I’ll start with the negatives, so we can end on a positive note!

Negatives

1. Jon Lester pitched poorly. He recorded zero strikeouts for the first time in an outing since 2008, and gave up three home runs for the first time in his career.

The silver lining? He was able to tough out 5 1/3 innings, and he seemed to gain command towards the end of the game, retiring six straight batters at one point.

2. Daniel Bard pitched an atrocious game. Part of it can be attributed to his lack of velocity on his fastball (most of his pitches were around 95 MPH, instead of 99 MPH), but even with the decreased velocity Bard was missing his spots.

The velocity will come as Bard continues to ramp up from the offseason, and he is the type of pitcher who will throw a streak of scoreless innings, but then have a horrible game. He got the bad game out of the way early…

3. Carl Crawford aand the bottom third of the lineup combined for zero hits. Crawford’s zero is not concerning, given that he has never hit C.J. Wilson well, batting .133 against the pitcher for his career.

Positives

What is concerning is that the bottom three hitters (Mike Cameron, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and Marco Scutaro) had no hits. Keep in mind, Cameron is a career .260 hitter, and Saltalamacchia only hit .167 last year.

Scutaro is not worrying, since he has been a consistent on-base guy and is a patient hitter, but when J.D. Drew is not playing against lefties, the Sox have a major hole with Cameron and a fairly unproven Salty.

If Salty can put up decent numbers and get on base consistently, say higher than a .335 OBP, then the problem will be less significant, but he is certainly a question mark.

Now, on to the positives:

1. David Ortiz hit a home run. Enough said given his struggles in the early-goings of the past two seasons.

2. Jacoby Ellsbury is back. He was a monster during the Spring, and his torrid hitting is carrying into the season. He looks comfortable again.

3. The Sox lineup is unquestionably one of the most dangerous in the league, and if the bottom hitters can get on-base then the offense should have no problems.

To sum it up there was a lot of bad, but a lot of the negatives can be attributed to early-season rust evident on every team, and the Red Sox certainly have a bright season ahead of them.

Liked this? Follow me on twitter @neso17

Image Credits: Junko Kimura/Getty Images, SI

The trade shocked me. I love Perkins, as a player and as a guy. He is genuine off the court, and he works his tail off in games and in practice.

But, as we all know, the NBA is a business, and the Celts felt a deal had to happen.

The trade tells me a few things about the team’s outlook.

What We Learned

1. Kendrick Perkins would not have been retained after the season. The Celtics know that Perkins’s defensive prowess in the paint is a major asset, and Perk will likely garner numerous lucrative offers from teams willing to (over)pay for his services.

2. Boston is not worried about the Orlando Magic. Having Perkins gave the C’s a clear advantage over the Magic, since he could guard Dwight Howard. However, Orlando is still trying to find an identity after re-tooling their roster.

The Heat, Bulls, Lakers, Spurs and Knicks are all more relevant to the Celtics than the Magic, and these teams should be.

The Celtics have the personnel to let Howard score his 30 points and snatch his 15 rebounds, but keep guys like Jameer Nelson, Gilbert Arenas and Hedo Turkoglu in check.

3. The Celtics are not sold on Perkins’s offensive progression. Boston viewed Perkins as expendable simply because he was an offensive liability. Although he was able to hide his deficiencies through the play of the other starters, he was clearly a defensively oriented player.

Having both Rajon Rondo and Perk on the floor on offense was making the Celtics easier to defend.

Teams don’t mind leaving Rondo alone (daring him to take jump shots), and can shade off of Perkins, relying on the time it took Perkins to hesitate, up-fake, or take the ball to the floor.

Essentially, opposition had free defenders to prevent Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen or Paul Pierce from scoring.

4. Delonte West is an upgrade over Nate Robinson, and Boston knows it. Nate Robinson was only expendable because Delonte West is a better point guard (to back up Rondo), a more consistent offensive player, and a stronger defender.

This brings me to my next point, why the trade makes sense for the Celtics.

It Makes Sense

First, Nate Robinson, although fun to watch, a high-energy defender and a light-it-up type scorer, he was inconsistent offensively.

Enter West, who can do what Nate Robinson does defensively, and even more offensively. West is significantly larger than Robinson, and he has a skill set of a natural point guard.

The Celtics have never truly been able to find a back up for Rondo, and West gives the second-unit a desperately needed point guard.

Now, in terms of what the Celtics got: Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic.

Jeff Green is a good player. He has averaged just under 15 points per game in his young career, along with 5.8 rebounds per game.

The Celtics have been looking for somebody to replace James Posey since the lock-down defender and three-point specialist moved on to New Orleans, and they finally have found their answer.

Green is a tall forward, at 6-8, so he has the size to guard power forwards and small forwards (LeBron James, for instance), but the quickness to keep up with slashing 2-guards. Also, he has been playing at power forward, where he is slightly undersized.

On the Celtics Green will be able to play his more natural SF position, where the size mismatch is in his favor.

Nenad Krstic is young (27), but has seen his numbers take a dip this season. Nonetheless, he has averaged 10 points per game over his career, and is a player who (unlike Perkins) is an offensive threat with jump-shooting capabilities.

He is certainly not as much of a defensive presence, but at 7-0 he can block shots.

Also, people think that without Perkins the Celtics will be lost defensively.

Boston didn’t look lost without him for the first half of the season, and defense is as much about being mentally strong as it is about being physically capable (as in guys can step in, embrace a way of playing, and add to their game).

Let’s look at the starting lineup, post trade (assuming Krstic will have the starting job over Shaquille O’Neal).

Defenses now have four players to focus on, meaning less double teams keying in on the C’s “big three”. This makes the offense more dynamic.

Here’s the much improved second unit:

Jeff Green starts on almost any other team in the NBA, as does Delonte West. Von Wafer, for some reason, has been lost on the Celtics bench.

He has an average jumper but is explosive when driving through the lane, and Doc has consistently praised his defensive awareness. He is similar to Marquis Daniels in terms of abilities, but he has more upside.

Glen Davis will surely be in contention for sixth-man of the year, and he too could start on many teams.

The second unit is, quite frankly, the best in the NBA, and strong enough to compete with many first units.

Overall, the Celtics gained what they desperately needed, a young, healthy swing man who can play defense but also score. They lost out defensively, but Shaquille O’Neal is still in the mix, and if Jermaine O’Neal comes back, the team will have another big body to take up space.

Liked this? Follow me on twitter @neso17

Image Credits: www.DailyThunder.com

However, I disagreed with him in two areas.

1. Speed

Lewis understood from Billy Beane (Oakland A’s GM) that steals are an unnecessary risk to take, presenting high risk and relatively low reward. Transitionally, Lewis argued that since steals are not important, neither is speed.

That is where I disagree.

Although steals may be an

overrated statistic, speed itself is not. Pitchers often unravel with quicker base runners on base, knowing that if their delivery is not perfect, they can let a runner move 90 feet closer to home.

Further, it changes the pitches the pitcher will throw. Take the Red Sox, for instance.

When Jacoby Ellsbury gets on base, pitchers are more likely to throw fastballs to the next hitter (Dustin Pedroia), to give Ells as little time as possible to complete a steal.

Pedroia, however, is a fastball hitting machine, and regularly deposits fastballs into right field.

Ellsbury’s speed not only makes the pitcher change his delivery and pitching style, but it also makes the pitcher change his mentality.

2. Clutch

I believe that “clutch”, or hitting in timely situations, is something which a player either has, or doesn’t. Sure, a guy like Mark Bellhorn can hit a home run in a big situation during the World Series, but that doesn’t make him clutch if he strikes out nine out of the other 10 at bats he has!

The bottom line is, clutch is something that can be measured, and I am working on building up a statistic which relies on hitters’ stats with two outs and runners on base.

That situation is when a hitter feels pressure similar to that of a 9th inning at-bat with the game on the line since a scoring opportunity is possible, as is letting down a full dugout of teammates.

This statistic can determine how "clutch" a player is.

Singles, doubles and triples all help a players clutch factor equally.

A single is equivalent to a triple since speed is already taken into account with steals, and sometimes balls hit with little power can find their way into the  corner for extra bases, dependent upon ballparks and factors external to the hitter.

Home runs are the most valuable hit, since they automatically produce runs, and stealing in clutch situations can be game changing, while getting caught hurts a teams chances of winning.

On-Base percentage is another large factor in determining a player’s clutch factor, since the single most important thing a player can do is to get on base to prolong an inning.

Alternatively, striking out is the worst thing a player could do, not even giving himself a chance to put runs on the board.

Coming soon: ClutchFactor Calculator to NESO’S TAKE.

Liked this? Follow me on twitter @neso17

Image credits: Boston.com

Woodhead averaged 5.6 yards per carry, and defenses had a hard time locating him behind the bodies at the line of scrimmage due to Woodhead’s small stature.

Green-Ellis’s downhill running style and Woodhead’s scat-back abilities created a great complementary running game for the Patriots, as they were the first team to rush for over 75 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers this season.

However, much of the success on the ground came because of Tom Brady’s constant pressure on the opposition’s secondary.

Green-Ellis had ten games where he eclipsed 50 yards rushing, and 9 games where he eclipsed 70 yards. Every single game that Green-Ellis rushed for over 50 yards, Tom Brady’s passer rating was over 100.

There were four games during which Tom Brady’s quarterback rating slipped under 91.0. During those four games, against the New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens, San Diego Chargers, and Cleveland Browns, Green-Ellis rushed for 19, 20, 24 and 14 yards, respectively.

Essentially, for Green-Ellis and the Patriot ground attack to have success, Tom Brady needed to have success.

This issue came to the forefront in the playoff loss to the Jets. Rex Ryan consistently dropped eight men into coverage, using just a three man rush to pressure Brady. Not only was Brady sacked twice by a three man rush, but he was unable to find any open receivers (A similar strategy worked in suppressing Peyton Manning, so no Brady hate in that situation).

Ryan stuck with three-four man blitzes, daring the Patriots to run into his defense.

The Patriots were unable to run with much success, and by the time the offense found a rhythm there was not enough time to focus on the running game.

The bottom line is that the Pats needed a player who demanded respect from a defense from the get go, and neither Green-Ellis nor Woodhead have those capabilities.

This offseason, it is likely that Fred Taylor will retire, and it seems doubtful the Patriots will bring back mid-season acquisition Thomas Clayton.

That leaves two roster spots open for running back depth, and if Kevin Faulk is unable to return after tearing his ACL, then the Patriots will surely add depth to the RB position.

That being said, the Patriots offense was balanced this past season because Tom Brady had so much success passing.

For true balance to be gained, the Pats need to either draft or sign a game changing back. I’m not saying the team needs to completely overhaul the position or bring in an Adrian Peterson or Chris Johnson, but they need to add a dynamic playmaker.

This offseason, Cedric Benson, Pierre Thomas (whom the Patriots have demonstrated interest in) and Ronnie Brown are guys who can shoulder the load of being an every down back, while Darren Sproles and Leon Washington could be brought in to spark the kick-return game while adding a big-play threat on offense.

Alternatively, if Mark Ingram or Ryan Williams are available in the later part of the first round of the draft, the Pats could choose one of them, but the first priority needs to be adding a pass rusher.

For the Green-Ellis fans: He’ll still get his touches, but he’ll be more of a short-yardage type back who gets 8 carries/game instead of 14-15. Essentially, he’ll take the roles of Fred Taylor and Sammy Morris.

Liked this? Follow me on Twitter @neso17