Tom Brady eclipsed Peyton Manning to claim the top spot among quarterbacks in today's game. Randy Moss was more unstoppable last season that any receiver since Jerry Rice, and in some ways, more so.
Wes Welker will suffer from losing Dante Stallworth. Unless Chad Jackson somehow figures it out tomorrow, teams will find a way to cover these receivers using the blueprint from late in the year when defenses were able to alter the Patriots' game plan.
Jabar Gaffney and Kelley Washington are critical role players, but can't be counted on to shoulder any kind of offensive burden should Welker or Moss miss any time (people forget how healthy the key players on the Patriots' offense were last season).
This offensive line is stellar, but showed some vulnerability on the edges late last season, and those big bodies can break down in a hurry. Expect teams to attack this offensive line, particularly in the middle, to try and get in Brady's grill.
A solid running game will certainly help. Laurence Maroney's playing time was all over the place, but he still certainly represents, by far the Patriots' best option in the running game. Sammy Morris and Kevin Faulk can also get it done, and their versatility is what makes this offense so scary because they can score from so many areas.
This offense is great, and I mean all-time great, but it won't be 16-0, 50 touchdown passes great in 2008.
Defense: Five of the 11 Patriot defensive starters are 30 or older, Jerod Mayo will start at middle linebacker as a rookie, and 24-year-old free safety James Sanders has never started all 16 games in a season (to be fair, he started 15 last year).
This is a defense that wore down late last season, but always seemed to get stops when they needed them. Bill Belichick is a master schemer, so I never doubt any team he coaches.
Up front, the Patriots might have the best front three in a 3-4 scheme in the NFL. Richard Seymour, Vince Wilfork, and Ty Warren all play at a Pro Bowl level, and all are 28 or younger.
They can rush the passer and, with the enormous Wilfork in the middle, can anchor against the run as well. This line gives the Pats incredible flexibility, but injuries have been a concern with this group making depth an issue.
The linebackers are household names. Bruschi, Vrable, and Thomas are cerebral, smart players and can really get after it. Off the edges, they can be as tough as any rush linebackers in the game to defend, particularly now that Thomas will move back outside to his more natural position.
Jerod Mayo, by all accounts, looks like a perfect fit for the Pats, and some people (for the record, not me) believe Jerod Mayo could be Defensive Rookie of the Year.
The defensive backfield should be a concern for New England.
Asante Samuel plays in Philly now, Randall Gay is in New Orleans, and the Pats didn't do very much to fill the void. Fernando Bryant appears to be Samuel's replacement, but he is 31 and showed his age for the Lions.
Ellis Hobbs can play, but the depth and versatility of this group has been lost. That doesn't even take into account Rodney Harrison's decline and James Sander's inexperience.
This group could be vulnerable, and I cannot wait to see quality offenses like Seattle, Indianapolis, San Diego and Pittsburgh attack it, not to mention this defense will see Brett Favre twice a year.
Overall: An undefeated season seems an impossibility from a chance standpoint. The Patriots still play one of the easiest schedules in the league, but this is a violent, physical game.
Everyone remembers the whooping the Pats put on teams, the perceived disrespect some people (yes, that includes me) believe they showed the league last season, and with injuries, plus just dumb luck, this look more like a 12-4 team, but certainly a playoff team and a contender to win a championship.
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