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

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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.

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His injury was a blessing to the Jets.

Obviously Revis is an outstanding corner, but so is Antonio Cromartie. The difference between the two is that Revis can cover anyone, while Cromartie excels at defending speed receivers.

Jets Defense, With Moss in the Game:

When Moss was hurt, Cromartie was defending Wes Welker, and Wes was tearing Cromartie to shreds. Cromartie did not have the quickness to match Welker’s abilities, and he is too tall and lanky to stick with Welker on quick cuts.

When Revis went down, Cromartie was put on Moss while Kyle Wilson was put on Wes Welker. Wilson was much better at handling Welker than Cromartie, and Antonio shut down Randy Moss, who is a speed receiver.

Essentially, in the first game, Tom Brady had one person to throw to if there was heavy pressure: Welker.

Brady’s Quick-Out Weapons:

Now, Brady has three. Wilson and Revis will be covering Deion Branch and Wes Welker.

Branch is a wily old veteran who still has the quickness and route running ability to beat a young corner like Wilson.

We have never seen Revis cover Wes Welker, but we have to assume that Revis will keep a not fully healthy Welker in check.

Nonetheless, Welker is still an option on quick routes where Brady needs to dump it off in a hurry.

If the Jets try to put Antonio Cromartie on Branch or Welker, he will be torched, as he is not quick enough to keep pace with either receiver. Essentially, Branch is a better receiver than the penalty-prone Kyle Wilson is a corner, and Antonio Cromartie won’t be able to cover him.

Brady’s other option is Danny Woodhead. I expect Woodhead to have a monster game against the Jets because of his abilities in the passing game. When the Jets defense gets after the quarterback, Brady will be able to dump it off to Woodhead.

If linebackers shade over to watch Woody over the top, then 6-11 yard passes will be open on their side of the middle of the field.

Brady is the best in the game at hitting his receivers in stride, so his receivers should be able to turn up-field after catching the pass and gain an extra few yards.

Overall, Brady now has three guys he can rely on when there are heavy blitzes, and initially against the Jets he only had one.

Further, the Jets better have a plan for stopping Rob Gronkowski. Gronkowski has the speed to beat every Jet linebacker (with the exception of Calvin Pace, who will likely be pass rushing in most situations), and the size to run over the Jets safeties.

Gronk should be an absolute terror for the The 5′ 8″, 185 pound Jim Leonhard and the 6′ 2″, 205 pound Brodney Pool.

The Jets Run Defense: Susceptible to the Patriots’ Rushing Attack?

Lastly, look for a lot of draw plays from the Patriots in the early going of the game. The Jets love to turn on the heat, and Ben Jarvus Green-Ellis, being the 1-cut back that he is, has the power to get through most holes without dancing in the backfield.

The draw should soften the Jets front seven and also slow the pass rush.

Offensively this Patriots team matches up well against the Jets. Sans Moss, their offense is far more versatile.

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As a Pats fan, I must admit that I was frustrated. I mean, a fifth rounder for Santonio Holmes? Considering New England needs a wide out, he could be useful, even if suspended for four games.

But, are the Pats actually the third best team in their division? Let me just say that it is too early to tell. The Patriots have 12 draft picks, and Bill Belichick  has hinted at trading up, potentially spending one of his three second rounders.

Also, before we write the Jets a ticket to the Super Bowl, let’s remember that they lost their best RB from last season, and while they do have LT, Shonn Greene and Leon Wahington, they lost the RB who led the NFL in yards last year.

Plus, they have Mark Sanchez at the helm. I think Sanchez will be a good QB in the NFL, but Sanchez threw 20 picks last year, and was near the bottom of the league in passer rating. If the Jets want to make the Super Bowl, or utilize the weapons they have at the receiver position, Sanchez will have to be better.

Also, the Jets have a very volatile locker room, and while talented, if the team morale drops, the team’s stats will too. Look at the Broncos last season, after starting of 6-0, they went on a stretch of losing.

After losing one game, they were unable to prevent it from snowballing, and I think part of the problem was a lack of trust in their coach (locker room problem). Josh McDaniels was calling out players left and right.

All I’m saying is that locker room problems cannot be underrated. If the Jets get off to a slow start, they may not be able to dig themselves out of the ditch, with multiple locker room distractions.

The Dolphins are seemingly just as talented, but their once strong running game has become inconsistent, with Ricky Williams a year older and Ronnie Brown unable to stay healthy.

The addition of Karlos Dansby will help tremendously, cementing a poor run defense, and the Jets were able to acquire their biggest need, an offensive play-maker in Brandon Marshall.

The ‘Phins gave up little of their “future”, by trading two second rounders over the next two years.

To me, the Jets and Dolphins are both as good if not better than the Pats on paper, but let’s remember how the Patriots won their first Super Bowl.

A superb defense and an above average offense.

The Pats definitely have the latter, even without Wes Welker, and the Pats have 12 draft picks (the majority of them hopefully addressing defense) to bolster their defensive unit.

If the Pats can address the pass rush effectively, the secondary will inherently become better, and Darius Butler certainly has great potential, showing great cover skills last season.

I still have the Pats winning the division, partly because I think with Sebastian Vollmer playing tackle instead of Kaczur the Pats will be able to deal with blitzes (especially against the Jets) much more effectively.

You look at what both Miami and New York have done, add talent at the expense of locker room composure.

What am I saying?

The AFC East is finally a three team division, one of the strongest in the league.

New York and Miami have both improved vastly, but do not discount the team’s losses, or what they’ve given up. The Patriots have lost little from last season, while adding back-ups and depth.

It’s too early to decide who will ultimately have the upper hand, because the draft can change the outlook of any team; for better or for worse.

Image Credits: media.commercialappeal.com

First, let’s put this game into perspective. The Pats are the best team this decade, and are the first dynasty of this new  millennium. They played a bad game, and this one loss does not characterize the Patriots’ dynasties.

I’m not going to spend time discussing the game, because in all honesty, there really isn’t much to discuss.

Tom Brady played a terrible game, the wide receivers played a bad game, the defense was laid out to dry, constantly trying to stop the Ravens from their own 30 yard line, and the special teams were sporadically good (some good returns but awful coverage).

That pretty much sums it up.

Brady couldn’t make a pass, and you have to wonder how much of his performance was injury related, as he was throwing ducks throughout the game, unable to zip the ball with a tight spiral consistently. If he did have a broken index finger, that would certainly play a role in his throws.

Randy Moss didn’t have a great game, but he did have a few catches for first downs, and he too was apparently banged up (knees and back).

I am not going to sit here and make excuses for New England. They came out flat and trying to look for a single play which sums up the game would be difficult, because there were so many (key word here) BAD plays by the Pats.

So, after a truly pathetic game, what are some keys which the Patriots need to fix going into next season to go back and contend for the Super Bowl.

In my opinion, these are the key areas the Pats need to focus on:

• Finding a pass rusher/OLB
• Brady coming back healthy
• Receivers playing well potentially without Welker
• The right side of the Patriot line (consistent ground game)
• Defensive cohesiveness/experience
• Coordinators

I know it seems like a lot to handle, but some of these things are expected to happen (Brady’s health early on and the receivers playing well). I think Edelman will continue to develop, and the right side of the line can be bolstered if Sebastian Vollmer plays at the level which we’ve seen him play at (against Dwight Freeney). The defensive cohesiveness just takes time and working together.

One of the most pressing issue that New England faces is finding a player who can rush a quarterback with consistency. Tully Banta-Cain is not a great player, but he is the Patriot’s best pass rusher. He should be a role player on this team, playing in obvious passing situations.

Next year, with their first round mid-twenty pick, they need to draft a pass rusher. Obviously, if they find a guy who they think fits their system, they may look in the second round for that type player.

Preferably, they will draft a linebacker early, because other than Jerod Mayo and maybe Gary Guyton, the Patriot ‘backers are lacking. Adalius Thomas probably won’t be back next year, and Tully Banta-Cain is a good 5th or 6th linebacker.

I do think Derrick Burgess can make an impact if he stays, but he is more of a pass rushing specialist, as he is not the same stud he was earlier in his career.

So, the Patriots should try to find an outside linebacker, because at this point Mayo is great and Gary Guyton is a solid player. Guyton developed with Mayo’s absence, and he has the physical qualities (speed and strength) to have reasonable success.

Secondly, they need to find a way to develop consistency on the ground. I still have faith in Laurence Maroney to average 3.9-4.1 yards per carry and I am willing to give him one more year to be the player we thought we were getting when he was drafted.

Welker is most likely going to be out in the beginning of the season with his knee injury (depending on recovery time his return could even be late in the year). With Welker out, the Pats cannot use those 4-12 yard passes as a running game. I think this might come from a new player on the right side of the O-line.

Nick Kaczur is an okay player, and Stephen Neal, although a great player, is well out of his prime and at this point thinking about retirement. The Pats should be able to find their RG or RT with success, as they have had success drafting linemen in the past.

Next season, Sebastian Vollmer might see more snaps instead of Kaczur, depending on their performances in training camps and pre-season.

Thirdly, Brady needs to come back, fully healthy and ready to play. This season, he came back still finding a rhythm, and he was banged up week to week. He hurt his shoulder in the pre-season, hurt his ribs early on, re-injured them, and broke his finger later on in the year. Essentially, he was never fully healthy and came into the year trying to recover from a serious injury.

I know he had his second best statistical season, but it just seemed like he was not the same quarterback he was in ’07 (or even previous years) in terms of consistency and command.

Tom will have a good off-season, spending time with his family, and he should be able to fully recover, emotionally and physically for the year.

The receiving corps will have to improve upon the season.

Randy Moss is an amazing receiver, but has trouble during certain stretches. He did have 13 TD’s and over 1000 yards over the regular season. The potential loss of Welker early next year will hurt, but Julian Edelman seems like a solid replacement.

Yards after the catch were questioned in Edelman’s ability, and one play that might be forgotten is on a 4th and long play against the Ravens, nullified by a penalty. Nevertheless, Edelman made the catch on the next play for a first down, converting the 4th & 17 play to prolong the game.

However, I want to go back to that initial play. Brady threw a screen pass to Edelman, and from there the game looked over. A Baltimore defender was poised to make a tackle.

At that point, Edelman juked, ran forward and met more defenders, he broke one tackle, spun out of another hut and dove with defenders all around him for 11 yards and the first down. Essentially, it was a ridiculous effort, and if there comes a time next year when Welker and Edelman can finally play together, fully healthy, with a Randy Moss, watch out.

Sam Aiken is a decent 4th option, and hopefully he’ll be okay after hurting his head in today’s game. He has okay speed and while he has trouble reeling in the long ball he makes the easy catches most of the time. Also, I would like to see what Brandon Tate can do after being hurt this season.

Isiah Stanback seems like a decent player. He made the catches during his limited opportunities, but I question his desire to win. After the Baltimore loss, he went over and shook the hands of the opposition. He had a gigantic grin on his face, and while it’s a good thing to have sportsmanship, he could show some disappointment that his season was over.

I think a move will be made to sure up this receiving corp, especially without Welker for some time.

Fourthly, I think the Patriot secondary needs to build on this season. They came out during some plays and made huge interceptions or tackles, but they were inconsistent and clearly a young unit. Leigh Bodden was one of the only consistent factors. Brandon Meriweather seems finally poised to develop into a really good safety (pro bowl this year), and continual improvement over the season. James Sanders finally played very well this year after losing his starting job, wrapping up ball carriers and covering well.

However, despite some players who had success, the secondary was clearly taken advantage of at times because of their youth. Obviously, the only fix for this is to gain experience, and with one season together as a group, they should come out next year playing much more consistently. I like Darius Butler’s coverage abilities and drive, Bodden showed he’s solid, and Meriweather can be great at times. Hopefully Brandon can build up consistency, and James Sanders can build upon this season.

Jonathan Wilhite is an good option at the 3rd corner, but I’m sure New England can find a better option. I think Terrence Wheatley might have an impact if he can stay healthy, but he is an unknown. Shawn Springs is old, and maybe during some packages he plays assuming he stays.

But, with one year under their belt, I think this unit comes out with more success next season as a group but for that to happen, Vince Wilfork, the plug down low, needs to be re-resigned.

And, all season I was talking about it, the defense never seemed cohesive, and they never seemed to play as a unit. At the end of the year they started to play as a team occasionally, but again, I think that this was a very young defense and the only way for them to gain this “cohesiveness” is to play together, which they now have done for a year.

In all, I think the defense comes out much better next season, with the possible addition of a few players through the draft or free agency.

One thing that really does worry me, and is my next point, are the coordinators. I wrote an article about offensive play calling (http://newenglandsportsonline.com/blog/for-the-patriots-a-lack-of-change-is-the-problem/) but I continue to stand by my opinion that Bill O’Brien needs to be revoked of his play calling.

The offense was predictable, and throughout the season the Patriot offense has had to burn a timeout because of the inability to get the play in time. O’Brien is not necessarily a bad coach, but he is not a good play caller. Every down seemed to be predicted, especially against this Ravens team.

The offense was unimaginative and uncreative, and I think these crazy plays and play calls which set up the next plays have been lost, and as a result the excitement players have on offense fades.

Someone who knows what he’s doing (like Weis or McDaniels) needs to take the helm of play calling and the offensive coordinator position.

Belichick had too much to handle this year, dealing with the coordinators, the offensive play calling at teams, defensive play calling, coaching, picking players, etc. If coaches/coordinators are found, I can see this team being much more successful than they were this year.

Defensively, Dean Pees is good at grooming young players, and considering the youth he had on defense this season, their inconsistencies should be excused. Next season, however, I expect more from Pees and his unit.

If it cannot produce, then a change might have to be made. Still, this is a topic for next season.

In my opinion, the number one, most important thing the Patriots need to do? Come back next year, hungry, ready to play. Not just going through the motions. I mean determined and passionate about every single play they make.

We’ll see how this off-season plays out, and if the Pats can improve their roster/coaching staffs.

I still think the Pats are a playoff team, but at this point, not nearly a Super Bowl contender. They’re still a solid team, but at this point not one of the elite.

To return to that status, they will have to have a very successful off-season.

Another player under scrutiny was Randy Moss. People thought he was not giving his all to the organization, and there was severe skepticism towards the receiver after being sent home for being late a few weeks prior to the game. Last week he played well, with a TD catch, but this week he torched the Jags’ secondary, as he caught 3 touchdowns, the 4th time he has achieved this feat as a Patriot.

Seemingly as always, Wes Welker racked up 10+ catches, as he caught 13 balls. Despite missing two games, Welker leads the NFL in receptions with 122 catches. Astonishingly, this is 21 more catches than the Brandon Marshall, second place in recepetions with just 101 catches.

Based on his average, had Welker not missed those two games he would have over 138 catches.

Sammy Morris also played very well, as he had multiple long runs in the first half which set up touchdowns, including one short, goal line score from himself. Laurence Maroney, after fumbling a goal line handoff, saw limited action. If he wants to continue to have the opportunity to play (something he was becoming accustomed to), he’ll have to hold the ball.

Despite the stellar offensive performance, it was the defense that stepped up. The Patriot defensive squad held a potent Jacksonville offense built around small and powerful Maurice Jones-Drew to just 7 points. Jones-Drew was held to just 63 yards on 18 carries, a not so solid 3.5 average.

In addition, the defense forced two turnovers, both interceptions, demonstrating respectable pass coverage. Shawn Springs and Brandon Meriweather both picked off Jacksonville QB David Garrard.

The horrific pass rush from New England? Not so horrific anymore, as the defense mustered two sacks from Gary Guyton and Tully Banta-Cain.

I would like to mention James Sanders, who after losing his starting spot to Brandon McGowan continued to work hard, improve his game, and has now regained his role. McGown, still a solid player, continues to contribute, as he assisted in 2 tackles. Also, Jerod Mayo seems to be breaking out of his sophomore slump, as he had 11 solo tackles.

The unit is seemingly coming together, generating respectable rush against opposing QB’s and making the most of opportunities in the secondary.

The defense has put together multiple high-quality performances now, against the Bills, Panthers and now Jags. The offense, finally generating some power after relying on the defense in the mentioned games, is also continuing to gel.

Essentially, this team is hitting its stride, and now after clinching the AFC East it will roll into the playoffs with some important momentum.

This team was known for making spectacular second half adjustments and preying on opponents’ weaknesses which were noticed throughout the game. Unfortunately, this year has been a vastly different story.

The Patriots lost in heartbreaking fashion to the Jets, Broncos, Dolphins, and most notably, the Colts. In their most recent failure against Miami, the Pats managed just 7 second half points, a fluky touchdown to Sam Aiken who made a great reception and ran 70 yards to the end zone.

In all of these contests, the other team has seemingly shut down the juggernaut Patriot offense in the second half, with Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Tom Brady and a decent running game.

What does this say about the team, offensively?

Does New England not have the personnel/players to succeed? Do the players get fatigued? Is Tom Brady not fully healthy? Why aren’t adjustments being made on New England’s side of the ball?

Well, the Pats are not short of talent, as previously mentioned, Welker and Moss are two of the most dangerous receivers in the NFL, Sam Aiken is developing into a solid third option, and the Pats have a viable running back in Laurence Maroney (8 TDs in 7 games).

Offensively, fatigue is never as much of an issue as it is on the defensive side of the ball, with all the opportunities for substitutions.

Tom Brady is clearly healthy, as he put up monster numbers against weaker teams such as the Buccaneers, and managed solid numbers against even the Colts. Is he at his 2007 form? Maybe not at this point, but he is certainly at a high enough level where he can be considered healthy.

So, this leaves the question, why doesn’t the team seem to make any offensive adjustments? Brady’s offenses have always had great offensive coordinators, with names such as Charlie Weis and Josh McDaniels. This year, with Bill O’Brien holding the reigns of the offense and mainly in charge of playcalling, there seems to be a problem.

Bill Belichick deserves some negativity, but it is O’Brien who is unable to make his unit better in the second half.

Against the Dolphins, not only were offensive adjustments not made, but the play calling was borderline horrific.

The fullback run with a yard to go inside the five during the second quarter was a poor idea. Morris never had the opportunity to build up speed to plow through the line of scrimmage, as he started just a couple of yards behind Brady. A simple running play would have been a better option for Morris, or a quarterback sneak with Brady.

Against the Colts, Kevin Faulk was stopped short on 4th down. O’Brien had the right idea, a quick slant to Welker or Faulk, but why have Kevin catch the ball on a quick out?

Instead of breaking out on his route, Faulk should have broken in. The linebacker covering Faulk, shown in the replay, was clearly a step out of position but had time to react, as the ball was in the air for a long enough period of time. Had Kevin broken inside at the same distance, the linebacker would have half as much time to react, and Faulk could have dived forwards and saved the game for New England.

The time the ball would have been in the air would have been shorter had Faulk cut up the middle, giving the linebacker less time to react.

Two examples of bad play calls by O’Brien, both in important situations.

I don’t think you need examples of situations where the Patriot offense looked flat in the second half. I can think of at least eight games (out of 12 the team has played) where the New England second half offense looked like the Browns’ offense.

Defensively, the Patriots are not an awful team.

They have an average defense. Unfortunately the defensive backs take a lot of heat, when it is the front seven who cannot generate pressure on quarterbacks and give wide outs all day to run their routes. Some heat is deserved, like Meriweather’s blown coverate in New Orleans, but some pressure they take is just unwarranted.

A perfect example came in the Dolphins game. Greg Camarillo had time to run a double move route, with Jonathan Wilhite in coverage. At the last second, Camarillo turned around in button hook fashion and caught the ball, with Wilhite right behind him.

Yes, Wilhite slightly stumbled, but after over 4-5 seconds in coverage, wide receivers inevitably get open.

Nevertheless, holding the Dolphins to 22 points should have been enough. However, the Patriot offense managed to run minimal time off the clock in their two possessions in the final few minutes (the defense was able to make two stops), and gave Miami the chance to win.

I never thought it would come to this, but it is the Patriots’ offense which is at fault.

Yes, the defense can play better, but the Patriots’ offense, with the lineup they have, should be able to put up massive numbers against Miami, and should be more than competitive in “shootouts”.

Matt Cassel torched the Dolphins, and Tom Brady is capable of doing the same (is there really any question of that). So, Bill O’Brien, if you want to keep your job, you need to think about strategies that put the stacked New England offense in a position to win. If not, then you will be changed.

Charlie Weis, anybody?

Up two possessions in the fourth quarter, right after Moss scored his touchdown, the Patriots defense was clearly giving Peyton Manning and the Colts offense any underneath passing patterns.

Obviously, this makes sense. Let the Colts drive, but make them wear down the clock. Unfortunately, the Pats were unable to take significant time off the clock through defense, breathing life into Indianapolis’ lungs.

Bill should have made the Patriots utilize the schemes they had been using for the majority of the game, holding the Colts to a reasonable 21 points.

However, Belichick’s major mistake came during the ensuing drive, after Pierre Garcon burned Leigh Bodden (who did play a solid game) on a slant-and-go pattern for a TD.

Bill decided to move away from the formula of offense which had put up 31 points in 3-plus quarters against the leagues’ No. 1 ranked defense. Whether or not he was trying to run the clock out, the running game he tried to use was clearly ineffective.

Belichick decided not to utilize his teams’ strength (passing) against Indy’s weakness (pass defense), and instead used his weakness (running), playing right into Indy’s defensive strength (run defense).

New England was unable to burn any significant time off the clock with only their sub par running game (wouldn’t it be great if Sammy Morris and Fred Taylor were available, maybe the running game would have succeeded).

Every possession New England had in the fourth quarter was slightly dysfunctional. The offense sputtered, but Bill did not think to go back to the Patriots’ strength and get Welker or Moss involved in the game.

Then, his second mistake (which is not as major because if he doesn’t commit the first mistake, the game never gets to this point) came with 2:23 left, when he used both of New England’s remaining timeouts before the end of the two-minute warning.

Obviously, the 4th-and-2 call to go for it was questionable, but I stand by Bill’s decision.

No, it’s not because if Bill makes a decision, I deem it correct. It’s because the Patriots defense was without Ty Warren, Jarvis Green, Rob Minkovich and Tully Banta-Cain, resulting in an exhausted front seven without one of its best pass rushers (Banta-Cain).

Yes, Peyton had not been overly successful against the Pats despite injuries, as he threw two ducks for interceptions, but if Peyton threw with the same precision he did in a short field, he would certainly have had success.

Even if the Colts had to drive 70 yards, who’s to say New England wouldn’t have been torched due to a lack of pass rush? Belichick realized his blunder in calling the two timeouts, and he knew he needed to go for it, as he would be unable to stop the clock if the Colts went through a long drive.

What he didn’t count on was his defense making desperation stops, keeping the clock going.

I have trouble understanding two things.

One, the play Belichick called. I know he was confident in its ability to gain two yards, but if Kevin Faulk had, instead of running a short out route, ran a short in route, where he cut across the center of the field, he would have gained the necessary two yards.

On the out route, Melvin Bullitt was given extra time while the ball was in the air to react and make a solid stop, whereas if Brady threw the same pass to Faulk in the middle, Bullitt would have had less time to react, giving Faulk an opportunity to dive forwards, while still giving Brady the opportunity to evade the blitz.

Second, the defense from the Colts’ 30. Unlike some people, I don’t think that Belichick going for it was an insult to the defense. I think it was a statement of reasonable support, putting faith in the defense to hold the Colts on a short field.

However, I think that on the Joseph Addai run, with just over a minute to play, the defense should not have stopped him at the 1, giving the New England offense 1:13 to work with instead of just 0:13 on the clock.

One more thing I should mention, Laurence Maroney fumbling the ball in the end zone. Unbelievable and completely inexcusable. Even though the Colts didn’t score off the mistake, the Patriots should have at least added an extra three points, if not seven had Maroney not fumbled. Can he alone be blamed for the loss?

No, obviously Belichick has to take some heat, as he has, as do many defensive players for missed tackles and the sort.

Nonetheless, whether or not Belichick should have gone for it should have been irrelevant had he not botched the earlier portion of the fourth quarter, when he had opportunities (on interceptions and punts by the Colts) to put the game away.

The game is over. I am still stunned, and there is truly no excuse for the Patriots’ to even be in that situation at the end of the game, as I said up by three possessions with just 10 minutes remaining.

However, the Pats can clearly hang with the Colts, even in Indy. So, if the teams match-up in the playoffs, which would not be too surprising, we can look out for a sensational game.

The most disappointing part about this game to me? Not just that we lost, but that now the Colts have won 18 regular season games in-a-row, 5 away from breaking the Patriots’ 22-game regular season win-streak record. Yes, records are meant to be broken, which I suppose provides some solace, but the Patriots still have the most consecutive (post-season/regular season) wins, which, when Super Bowl titles are looked at, are important.

Looking at this in a positive light, as seemingly hard as it might be, we know that the Patriots will not have problems playing against Indianapolis even if in Indianapolis, putting up 34 points and losing by just 1, and we know that Sebastian Vollmer can be a force, as he shut down Dwight Freeney. For that matter, the Patriot offensive line was very strong, with the exception of a couple breakdowns caused by Robert Mathis. From a football fan’s point of view, this was truly an amazing game to watch, it’s just that the Patriots fell on the wrong end of the score.

The Pats succeeded against the Falcons last week thanks to the a strong running game opening up the passing attack, as Fred Taylor ran all over the Falcons’ D compiling over 100 yards of rushing.

However, New England knew that they would not be able to pound the ball against the Ravens defense as Baltimore’s’ defense, anchored by Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Haloti Ngata, lead the league in rushing defense. The Pats managed just 85 yards rushing on 30 tries, resulting in a meager 2.8 yards per run.

The Patriots worked quickly and used different passing packages to open up receivers. At one point, Randy Moss was double teamed going down the sideline allowing Ben Watson a free release up the seam, enabling a 30 yard pass completion from Brady.

With all the hype surrounding the Ravens’ D, the Patriots unit seemed to fly under the radar, but it was because of them that New England won the game. They managed their first interception of the season, but also stopped the high-flyin’ Baltimore offense when it counted most, halting the Ravens as they tried to score the game-winning TD.

Tom Brady and the Patriot offense kept the Ravens’ off the field holding the ball for almost 36 minutes, winning the time of possession battle. Brady had his first touchdown pass to a wide receiver on the season, and unsurprisingly, Randy Moss was its recipient.

Wes Welker also made his presence felt in his return from a knee injury, catching six passes for 48 yards.

Over the first three weeks of the season, New England had struggled to put the ball in the endzone while working in the Red Zone. They erased all concerns, going 3 of 5 against the stingy Ravens’ defense, a unit which allowed their first rushing touchdown of their season.

The offense did put up 27 points, but, unlike previous seasons, the New England defense deserves a lot of credit for the win. They did give up a large chunk of yards to Baltimore (363 total) but they looked great on deep passing attempts made by Joe Flacco, something that has been severely lacking over the past seasons. Darius Butler made a spectacular coverage play to stop a 50 yard touchdown pass, as did Brandon Meriweather, who sprinted across the field to dive in front of Derrick Mason, breaking up a clear touchdown pass.

Brandon Meriweather had a spectacular game, almost intercepting two passes, breaking up a few attempts, and managing nine total tackles.

Meriweather and the rest of the Patriots defense have been strong against the long pass this season, something that has been a major weakness to the team since 2004. Even with Asante Samuel and Rodney Harrison, the Pats were weak against long passing attempts.

It seems the times have changed, as a youthful, speedy New England secondary clamped its teeth on the Ravens’ passing attack, holding Flacco to just 264 yards.

This is an extremely bright looking secondary displayed by New England, and it is really starting to remind me of the days when we had Ty Law and Otis Smith patrolling the depths of the football field.

Of course, it’s too early to keep that comparison a legitimate thought, but if the secondary continues to perform the way it has been, then it will become a strength of the Patriots.

Also, Gary Guyton is doing a great job as middle linebacker for the Pats’. There was a time when he was going to be the reason the Patriots would not win games, as he could not fill the role vacated by Jerod Mayo. However, he has done a great job using his speed and strength to succeed. When Jerod Mayo gets back, the two will be a force to be reckoned with, as both are fast, physical and tackling machines.

Overall, a great win from New England, as Brady seems to be getting back into a rhythm, while the Patriot defense is beginning to gel.

It had to be a well played game to beat the previously unbeaten Ravens, and it was, as the Patriots won 27-21.

The team made a statement against a strong team, showing that they are no longer led by an injured player trying to figure things out on offense, nor are they easily passable defensively.

Randy Moss could not buy a centimeter of space thanks to suffocating coverage displayed by Darrelle Revis.

The New England defense was solid in the first half, but could not contain the Jets’ when Mark Sanchez started to throw. Sanchez continuously picked apart New England’s secondary, and the Pats’ could not even contain the screen pass.

On special teams, Leon Washington ran all over the Pats’ coverage units, and the Patriots had some terrible kickoff returns.

So, why shouldn’t we be worried?

Offensively Wes Welker, Brady’s normal target if blitz pressures is coming full speed like it was today, was sidelined with a knee injury. This left Julian Edelman with Welker’s normal duty on his shoulders.

Julian performed extremely well, as he had 8 receptions for 98 yards, but it was apparent on some missed throws that Brady’s timing was off without his normal go-to guy in Welker. Wes is not expected to be sidelined for an extended period of time, so Brady will be able to hit Welker to avoid blitz packages if he is attacked again.

This is why Brady and New England’s offense looked foolish trying to play against the blitz. Normally, Brady relies on the extremely accurately synced timing he has with Welker on short routes to get rid of the ball, and he just did not have that today.

Also, Joey Galloway will become more accustomed to New England’s offense. This means that the deep threat he had today when Brady under threw him will become more of a consistent threat that teams will have to watch out for, taking a lot of deep pressure off of Moss, as safeties will have to also focus on Galloway.

Not only this, but when Welker returns, teams will have to be aware of his presence and Julian Edelman’s.

After today’s games, beating the Pats seems simple. Keep the pressure on and never let up.

Well, most teams do not have the covering capabilities that the Jets have with Revis, and Welker will normally be there as a quick dump-off target.

Another major factor that has been rarely utilized by New England: Their running game.

They have four great RB’s in Sammy Morris, Fred Taylor, Laurence Maroney and Kevin Faulk, but because of failure to get ahead early, Brady has been forced to make 50 passes a game. Well, if established early (and trust me, Belichick will), the play action pass will be a huge threat, and a simple draw play will bust blitzes so badly that their frequencies will steadily decline.

Tom was recognizing the blitzes, pointing out guys he thought were going to make a rush at him, so calling a draw play would not be a major difficulty.

Defensively, New England was without their stalwart and one of the best linebackers in the league, as Jerod Mayo has a strained MCL.

Jerod was the glue to the Patriots’ defense, and has been washed away for up to 8 weeks. Nevertheless, the Patriots’ defense will continue to grow and gel as a unit just by playing and practicing together.

The MLB filling in for Mayo, Gary Guyton, will improve. Guyton was the fastest linebacker in his year’s draft, with a 4.5 forty-yard dash time, so he does have the physical abilities to track down screens and make big coverage plays.

Give Gary some time with Bill Belichick and guys like Vince Wilfork, Ty Warren and Adalius Thomas, and the reads and football IQ will begin to develop even further.

In terms of screen passes, that will automatically be improved once Guyton starts to make the necessary reads from his MLB position, and his speed will enable him to seek out and wrap up the ball carriers, or clear up blockers for others to make the tackle.

The secondary was not a concern after today’s game, as there was just one or two major plays against them. Jonathan Wilhite played extremely well as a cover corner, Brandon Meriweather didn’t miss any tackles, and Patrick Chung (the Patriots’ 2nd round draft choice) will begin to make contributions.

Just remember, the defense did not even play badly today, as they only gave up 16 points to a capable Jets offense. Also keep in mind that this defense has been playing together for just two games, and the camaradiere and comfort level will increase, as will the ability and performance.

On special teams, the Patriots’ were missing a major return man in Wes Welker. Their special teams coverage units obviously needs work, and I’d say that after today’s game, is my biggest concern, and it is not large at all.

Patrick Chung was partially drafted because of his special teams ability, and he has seen limited action thus far. His role will soon be increased.

Also, the Pats were facing one of the best return men in all of the NFL in Leon Washington. Defensively, the Pats have the talent to make big plays and it is now about practicing together and playing as a team.

Offensively, do not even try and say the Pats can’t get it done.

When fully healthy, there is nothing a team can do to shut it down. The Giants Super Bowl performance was hugely helped by no running game from New England, which, as I said earlier, the Pats now have, and will be utilized by Bill.

Essentially, the point I’m trying to make here is that it is week 2 of the NFL season. WEEK two. If I remember correctly, the Patriots’ were shut out 31-0 against the lowly Bills early in the season (no offense or defense), but still went on to win a Super Bowl. The defense is extremely young and inexperienced, so again, playing together and practicing will strengthen the team.

The Patriots were clearly outplayed by the Jets in today’s game, and clearly have a lot of things to work on. The Pats have had some injuries so far which has adversely affected the team, but just by practicing together, they will improve and become a monstrous team to oppose.

I see all these fans panicking, ready to throw the season out the window.

Honestly? Come on, have faith in the Patriots, they will not disappoint.