Super Bowl 2012: Patriots Must Revamp Defense for Tom Brady to Get Another Ring

Tom Brady wasn’t at fault for the Super Bowl XLVI loss to the New York Giants.

Sure, he deserves some of the blame for the safety to start the game and the interception when trying to go deep to Aaron Hernandez, but it largely was not his fault the team lost.

The New England Patriots biggest weakness all season was their defense, and it was the reason why they lost last night to the G-Men.

They were the No. 31 overall group during the regular season and played like it in the biggest game after stepping up in the previous two playoff matchups.

With 3:46 remaining, the Giants had to go 88-yards to score the game winning touchdown. They easily did—the defining moment came when Ahmad Bradshaw tried to stop on the one-yard line and failed to do so.

It was the biggest moment of any of the defenders' lives, and they completely failed to step up and grasp it. It took just nine measly plays for the Giants to score and Mario Manningham caught a ridiculous 38-yard pass from Eli that should have easily been forced out.

Bill Belichick mercifully told his helpless defense to roll over and give the Giants the score, allowing Brady to get the ball in his hands with a chance to win it on a TD.

Of course, that didn’t happen, and the Hail Mary at the end was harmlessly batted down, but it still shows that New England’s QB knows what it takes to win, and the team wants the ball in his hands with the game on the line.

It’s the defense that needs to get new personnel and some players who actually have heart and desire in order to win.

Brady certainly wants to get back to the bowl again, and hopefully he will have better players to go to war with on the defensive side of the ball.

According to an Associated Press report, the Patriots’ captain told reporters, "I'd rather come to this game and lose than not get here," Brady said. "I won't stop trying to get here."

It should definitely be easier for him to get back with some star defenders instead of the scrubs he carried on his back this season.