10-6 in 2009. Won AFC East.
For whatever reason I am not very high on the New England Patriots going into the 2010 season. I am not sure if it is the fact that the Jets have improved so much, or simply that the Patriots are an aging team. 2009 ended with a whooping from the Ravens in the Wild Card round and the Patriots simply looked over matched. While the entire AFC East looks to be improving substantially, the Patriots did not seem to do the same in the offseason.
On offense there are still some very good pieces in place. The offensive line is a great unit, but contracts and age could have an effect on it this year. Tom Brady is still one of the best QBs in the league but a non-existent running game seems to hurt him during the course of the season. Randy Moss should prove to be a TD machine once again, but the Patriots really need Wes Welker to be healthy in order for their offense to function in the best possible way. The TE position saw a boost by drafting Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez but sometimes rookie TEs have a difficult time staying on the field because of blocking issues. The Patriots backfield is a crowded one. However, none of the backs are huge threats to the opposition and it allows for more people to drop back in the secondary. The Patriots offense will put up points but I don't think it will be the machine that we have seen in the past.
On defense the Patriots lack some of the big names but their scheme makes up for it. Getting Brandon Spikes could add some energy and life to a quiet defense. The DBs do not look to be anything special, but Brandon Merriweather is a force at SS and is a great hitter. Jerrod Mayo has played well with the Patriots so far and another year should mean even better stats, as he is now one of the leaders on that defense. The defensive line is anchored by Vince Wilfork, outside of that it is full of underachievers. This unit should hold its own but in the end it could cost the Patriots a few games.
I am not saying the Patriots do not have some good pieces in place, I just don't believe they did enough to stay an elite team in the AFC. The coaching staff and front office is one of the best as evidence from their success in the past few years. In the end I don't think the Patriots have enough firepower to compete with the Jets and the other top teams in the league.
9-7 in 2010. 9 wins probably misses the playoffs.
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