4 Moves New England Patriots Must Make to Bounce Back from Super Bowl Loss

In order for the reeling New England Patriots to stop the bleeding after falling yet again to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI, they must employ some forward thinking.

While the loss does not signify the end of the Tom Brady era, this Patriots team is no longer in its dynasty days. However, the 2011 season marked a new era for New England, and what we saw in the Super Bowl is just the beginning of what's to come.

Though they made it to the highest stage the sport can offer, it's time for New England to turn introspective.

Here are four moves the Pats must make to improve in 2012.

Bring in a Fresh Batch of Wide Receivers

The Patriots are in desperate need of depth at wide receiver. They've been relying almost exclusively on 30-year-old Wes Welker, who finished the season with the second-most receiving yards in the NFL.

Their No. 2 wide receiver, Deion Branch, accrued less than half of Welker's yardage in the air.

While Branch can still make good moves down the sideline, he has slowed with age. He fails to provide the speed and deep threat the Patriots will need if they want to get to New Orleans in 2013.

If the Pats keep him, he cannot be their go-to wideout behind Welker next year. And if they let Branch go, they should not rely on free agency pickups to bolster their thinning WR squad (please don't buy into the Randy Moss hype).

In order to strengthen their receiving corps, the Pats must use one of their first- or second-round draft picks to grab a young wideout they can develop over the course of the year. They need someone who is quick, shifty and versatile. Size would help, but speed matters most here.

My pick? Rutgers' Mohamed Sanu.

Add Strength at Safety

In 2012, Bill Belichick cannot MacGyver up a defensive squad.

Last season saw a revolving door of players at the safety position. Sixteen defensive backs lined up to take snaps in the secondary, and Belichick was even starting undrafted free agents.

While losing Patrick Chung for half the season was a big blow to the Patriots' coverage unit, his loss only highlighted the team's weaknesses at safety. The Pats have a relatively young secondary, and they should obtain an experienced player through free agency to balance it out.

Safety Tyvon Branch, who led the Oakland Raiders in tackles last season, is a free agent in 2012. He would be an excellent pickup for the Patriots next year.

Enhance the Pass Rush

In 2012, Bill Belichick was the patron saint of washed-up talent. He scooped up Albert Haynesworth, Shaun Ellis and Chad Ochocinco, three veteran players passed over by their former teams.

Even though there were preseason doubters, the general attitude around New England was to be quiet while the genius worked his magic.

But three failed experiments and a bottom-ranked defense later, and all of New England was scratching their heads.

Neither Haynesworth nor Ellis were able to create a ferocious pass rush this season, and after the loss of Andre Carter, New England's defensive pressure seemed almost non-existent.

The Patriots need to bring the heat in 2012. 

One solid consideration for them is Mario Williams. After six seasons on the Houston Texans, Williams is a free agent in 2012. And he hasn't lost his mojo. Averaging just more than 1.5 sacks per game in 82 NFL starts, Williams would be a difference-maker in New England.

Pick Up a Punt Returner

While the Patriots have an All-Star in Zoltan Mesko who ranked third this season in net punting average, they need a guy who can return punts on the other end.

The Pats rank in the middle of the league for both punt returns and kick returns.

The midseason acquisition of Tiquan Underwood seemed to signal the Pats were trying to revamp their return unit, but Underwood hardly made a splash, returning no punts for the Patriots. He was used almost exclusively as a wide receiver in the few games he played, and the biggest splash he made was when one of his dropped passes catalyzed commotion between Tom Brady and then offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien

The Patriots should have had Underwood run it back a few times. Neither Julian Edelman nor Wes Welker did much for the Pats' punt return unit. Edelman looked like a returner without instincts on special teams, and Welker seemed too afraid of injury to take any risks during returns.

As a result, New England's punt-return problems persisted deep into the season.

In Super Bowl XLVI, the Pats got pinned within the 10 in three of their nine drives, starting from their own 6-, 4- and 8-yard lines.

Some of these were due, in part, to the brilliance of New York's punter, Steve Weatherford.

But still, what was Welker doing calling for a fair catch on the 8-yard line in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl?

In order to improve next year, the Patriots need to find a talented punt returner who can give Brady a short field.