New England Patriots: 7 Reasons They Will Bounce Back and Win It Next Year

Even though the New England Patriots came up one game short, the team has all the right tools to win a championship next season. 

Losing another heartbreaker to the Giants will cause the Pats to lose some sleep in the following days, but come September, the 21-17 defeat will provide added motivation for the players and coaches. 

Here are the top seven reasons that the Patriots won't lose a step and will be right back in the Super Bowl next year. 

7. Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez

Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez had record-breaking seasons for the New England Patriots and are both only 22 years old.

"Gronk" finished with 90 catches for 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns. His yardage and touchdown totals are both NFL regular-season records. Hernandez does not have a cool nickname yet, but he reeled in 79 balls for 910 yards and seven TDs in 2011.

Both players ranked in the top five among tight ends in yards, receptions and touchdowns. They also combined for more catches and yardage than any group of tight ends in league history.

The biggest fan of the two young talents is their quarterback, Tom Brady. Brady had a 134.2 passer rating when throwing to either of the two tight ends. He also threw 31 touchdowns and just four interceptions with Gronkowski and Hernandez on the field, compared to eight TDs and eight picks with them on the sidelines.

The two have formed the greatest tight end duo the game has ever seen and are heading into just their third season. Gronkowski and Hernandez could both be even better next season and will help the Pats contend for a title.

6. The Defense Will Improve

The New England Patriots' pass defense was historically bad in terms of yardage allowed this season, but the unit was not as terrible as their stats may suggest.

The Patriots broke the record for most passing yards allowed (4703), only to have the Packers surpass their total in the same week. The Pats did hemorrhage yardage, but were fairly average in terms of points per game allowed (21.4, 15th in NFL). 

The team has quality players on all three levels of the defense; defensive tackle Vince Wilfork and linebacker Jerod Mayo are Pro Bowl-caliber players, while safety Patrick Chung is a promising talent.

The unit still needs to improve. Management should chase pass-rushers and defensive backs in free agency and the draft to plug some holes in the roster. 

With a full offseason to fix problems and incorporate new talent, the Pats defense will not be at the bottom of the league next year.

5. They Will Have a Chip on Their Shoulder

The Patriots' locker room was full of frustration and disappointment after losing to the Giants again in the Super Bowl, but come next season, those emotions will have turned into anger.

The 2012-13 Patriots will have the memory of Sunday's loss in mind when they take the field on opening day and will play like they have something to prove.

Seven seasons have passed since Tom Brady and Bill Belichick's last championship, and the Pats have been unable to close out games in the playoffs during that stretch. 

The Patriots have been the most successful team in the league during Belichick's reign, but the special aura that has surrounded the franchise during his tenure has faded with every postseason loss.

Brady and Belichick will come out next season looking to get their swagger back. The rest of the team will follow suit. 

4. Management/Coaching Staff Will Have a Full Offseason

Due to the lockout this offseason, training camps and the free-agency period were cut short and teams had just five weeks to prepare for the season.

Under the solid leadership of Bill Belichick, New England was better equipped than most teams to handle the chaos, but was not unscathed.

The Pats defense was inexperienced heading into this year and disorganized during it. A full offseason would have greatly benefited many of the young players on the unit.

Next year, the Patriots will have a full schedule leading up to the season and will be able to fix many of its deficiencies.

The team has two first-round and two second-round draft picks and has a history of acquiring undervalued veterans in free agency or trades (Junior Seau, Cory Dillon, Randy Moss, to name a few).

With a few new pieces to the puzzle and one of the top coaching staffs in the league, next season's Patriots will be a handful for the rest of the NFL.

3. Tom Brady Will Still Be Playing Quarterback

Any team that has Tom Brady lining up under center has a chance to win a championship.

The two-time NFL MVP is one of the best quarterbacks in the game today and one of the best to ever play.

Brady has only gotten better with age. At 34 years old, he threw for 5,235 yards this season and had a 105.6 passer rating.

During Belichick's tenure, the quarterback has been the one constant on the Pats offense and has been consistently productive while the team has shuffled through running backs and receivers.

Since becoming a starter in 2001, Brady has led the Patriots to five Super Bowl appearances and three championships in 11 seasons.

He is a lock for the Hall of Fame and will continue to play at an elite level next season. 

2. Bill Belichick Will Still Be Coaching the Team

Bill Belichick is the best coach in professional football.

The Patriots' dominance with him at the helm has been unprecedented. From 2001-2010, Belichick won more games (135) and had a higher win percentage (76.5) than any coach in NFL history.

In 2011, the Patriots went 13-3, earned the top seed in the AFC and made it to the Super Bowl. 

Belichick's only losing season with the Pats came in 2000, his first year with the club. Since then, he has made the playoffs nine out of 11 times and won three titles in a four-year span.

His coordinators constantly leave to take head coaching jobs (Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel, Josh McDaniels are on the list), but he finds replacements and the Patriots keeps winning.

Belichick is simply the best and will have his team competing for a championship next year. 

1. They Were One Drive Away from Winning It All This Year

Disappointment, despair and downright depression will plague Patriots fans in the near future, but the skies will clear, sunshine will return and Pats fans will be able to focus on the successes of this season.

Tom Brady threw for over 5,000 yards to lead New England to the top seed in the AFC and within four points of a Super Bowl victory. That is a very successful year.

Wes Welker's contract is now expired, but the Patriots will likely put the franchise tag on him. Other than Welker, the Pats will just have to decide which players to re-sign and which ones to replace through the draft or free agency. 

The team will bring back the same nucleus of players and coaches that reached the championship game this year. The 2012-13 New England Patriots will have the necessary talent and experience to shake off the loss against the Giants and win the Lombardi Trophy.