Giants vs. Patriots: How Do Patriots Rebound from Super Bowl Loss?

The New England Patriots defied a lack of defense to land in the Super Bowl and very nearly win it all. The next steps are obvious for a team that is once again on the brink of greatness. 

There is no need to riot like the kids at UMass Amherst did on Sunday night. It sure as hell isn't the time to meet the Patriots' demise with hyperbole and overdrawn emotion like Brady Wilbur lent for Boston.com. 

The Patriots' offense was again powered by the group of little engines that can, will and do. The issues they faced on defense should have seen them ousted from the title race long ago. 

It's hard to see it now, amidst the confetti that drowned the Giants players and the parade that is sure to be ignored in every pub in Boston, but this is a good moment for the Patriots. 

With an awful defense and an offense heavily geared on the pass, the Patriots landed in the title game. It was the perfect coup for an unbalanced team, so the next offseason is all about adding that pesky balance that we bandy about so readily. 

The Giants gave a blueprint to what the Patriots need next season. New York didn't have a dynamic or otherworldly defense, but they had just enough to disrupt Tom Brady when it mattered. 

The Patriots secondary was just a step slow on Sunday, and that has to be remedied moving forward. The hard part is that New England is now in a crucial free agency period and it will prove tough to keep the crew together. 

Wes Welker is a free agent, as is Ben Jarvus Green-Ellis. Big issues come on the other side of the ball as well with defensive ends Mark Anderson and Andre Carter heading into the open market, as well as defensive linemen Gerard Warren, Shaun Ellis and linebacker Gary Guyton.

This will hardly be a perfect moment to add when a good amount of talent is heading the other way, but that is exactly what the Patriots have to do this offseason. 

While the regular season saw the Patriots give up 293.9 yards per game through the air, they only gave up 282 to the prolific passing Giants in defeat and dealt the Ravens the same measures in the AFC title game. 

The Giants only had 15 points headed into the final moments, which lends hope that with a few tweaks here and there, a dynamic machine lead by Tom Brady can outlast other teams until the very end. 

All he needs is a defense to finish the job on that side of the ball. New England is but a player or two away from a championship, and that is far less than we thought prior to the postseason starting. 

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