The 2011 New England Patriots season ended in a disappointing fashion in a 21-17 loss against the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI. After an embarrassing trashing at home to the New York Jets in the 2010 divisional playoffs many experts predicts the Patriots wouldn't even make the playoffs. The Patriots proved the doubters wrong yet again and dominated the AFC East division (and all of the NFL) and ended the regular season with a stellar 13-3 record. However, Belichick and Brady are seeking for not another trip to the Super Bowl, but the return of the Lombardi Trophy in New England.
With a revamped offense adding wideout Brandon Lloyd and the return of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, the Patriots will look to lead the league in almost every offensive category again. The loss of the rock steady producer Benjarvus Green-Ellis will be a hit. Green-Ellis never fumbled in his 4 years with the Patriots. The trio of Shane Vereen, Danny Woodhead, and Steven Ridley will look to be integral components of the offense Vereen and Ridley will look to battle it out in training camp for the #1 back. Oh, and lets not forget Tom Brady. Brady should be as motivated as ever after two losses to Eli Manning in the Super Bowl. Brady will look to once again light up the stat sheet and carry this team back to the Super Bowl. Aaron Hernandez and Wes Welker will be go-to targets for Brady once again. After the "Summer of the Gronk", a healthy Rob Gronkowski will look forward to getting back on the field and performing at the level he's capable of.
The Defense will have everything to prove this season. The 2011 Patriots defense ranked #31 in total defensive statistics. The #32 ranked defense? The Green Bay Packers. Though the NFL is now a pass happy league, you can't win in the postseason without a strong defense. The Packers cruised through the regular season with a 15-1 record, but lost in the divisional round to the Giants in a 37-20 upset. With first round picks Dont'a Hightower and Chandler Jones expected to make impacts, the defense is looking more like a reliability than a liability. Linebackers Brandon Spikes and Jerod Mayo should continue their steady play up the middle as long as they can stay healthy. Cornerback Ras-I-Dowling is expected to make an impact after only playing in 2 games last season. Devin McCourty did not have the Pro Bowl season he had in his rookie year, but should at least be able to make quarterbacks think twice before throwing his way.
The window of opportunity to win a championship should be open for a few more years as Bradys career comes to a close. This years squad has the perfect opportunity to win a title this year. The league has conveniently made the Patriots schedule the easiest in the league. With talks of another 16-0 season, the Patriots will look to once again dominating the NFL. When all is said and done, one team will be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in the Superdome on February 3rd, 2013. This time, the Patriots will be sure to leave the field not in defeat, but as champions.
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