Brady "Knee"ded: But Defense Holds Key To Glory

They are men who live in New England infamy. 

Bucky “Bleeping” Dent, Jack Hamilton, Jack Tatum, Ulf Samuelsson.

These are athletes who have crushed hopes and dreams in New England.

Dent’s home run was the deciding factor in the 1978 one game playoff between the Red Sox and Yankees. 

Hamiltonhit Tony Conigliaro in the eye and prematurely ended Conigliaro’s career. 

With a vicious hit, Tatum paralyzed rising wide receiving star Darryl Stingley. 

Who can forget about the cheap shot from Ulf Samuelsson laid upon Cam Neely? Neely was never the same player again. 

Enter another player—Bernard Pollard.

The 2008 New England Patriots were trying to rebound from a devastating loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII. 

They were one game away from perfection. 

One game from shutting Mercury Morris up.

New England had the same team back, ready to finish what wasn't completed in Super Bowl XLII, a championship.

Seven minutes into the 2008 season, Pollard crawling while trying to force Tom Brady out of the pocket, hit Brady right on the knee. Brady crumbled to the ground, torn knee ligaments and all, effectively ending his season. The Pats finished off the season 11-5, in what was Bill Belichick’s finest coaching performance. 

With 2008 behind them, New England’s football version of JFK, returns to the field.

The Pats must feel confident that Brady’s recovery from ACL surgery is ahead of schedule. They were able to trade Matt Cassell, a former seventh round pick, to Kansas City for a second rounder in the 2009 draft.

This will become the most over-analyzed knee in all of sports. We will drown in more Mark Schlereth breakdowns and Dan Dierdorf’s "Captain Obvious" analysis. It’ll make the Brett Favre saga seem like just another transaction.   

Brady is the catalyst and leader of the Patriots, something this team lacked last season. He is what drives this offense and the team. 

His ability to check off receivers, step up in the pocket and play action fakes were truly missed.

Every fan, hater and teammate will wonder if he will ever be the same. Are we going to see the same Tom Brady? Or is this Carson Palmer, who has never really been the same since his ACL injury. Or Randall Cunningham, minus the mobility?  

Brady has more weapons now than he did in the near perfect season of 2007-08. He still has Moss and Welker to throw too. But Belichick added burner, Joey Galloway, to the mix. This is a big upgrade over Donte Stallworth, yet both are injury risks.

Added to the backfield was a ‘two-for-one’ special in Fred Taylor and his oft-injured groin. Add him with Laurence Maroney and this should provide depth in the backfield.   

But the Pats discovered flaws last season that were hidden by the most prolific offense in 2007. 

New England owned aging linebackers with a very soft and suspect defensive backfield.  Tedy Bruschi has slowed and gone is Mike Vrabel in a trade to Kansas City. Vrabel showed some age last season too, as he took a step back from 2007.

Adalius Thomas has not been the player the Pats hoped for since signing during the 2007 offseason. 

How many times is Belichick going to go to the well with the Julio Franco of football, Junior Seau?  Remember, he was a rookie when George H.W. Bush was president.  That’s a lot of years that has been taxed on his body. 

But the Pats found a stud linebacker through the draft in Defensive Rookie of the Year, Jerod Mayo. The 10th pick in the 2008 draft, was a monster up the middle leading the team with 128 tackles. Gary Guyton was a nice find last year, as an undrafted rookie.

The question becomes, who fills in for Vrabel?  Shawn Crable, third round pick last season who was lost in preseason?

Tully Banta-Cain? Vince Redd? Those will be big question marks entering the season

New England's secondary became a major issue last year as they were second in the league in plays over more than 40 yards, with 12. 

The Pats allowed 27 passing touchdowns and a turnover ratio of only +1. This was the first season without supposed shutdown cornerback, Asante Samuel, who jettisoned to Philadelphia over the offseason. 

That left the Pats with Ellis Hobbs, two rookies in Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite, and the venerable Deltha O'Neal. O'Neal harkened the ghosts of Duane Starks and Tyrone Poole, defensive backs who struggled in the Patriots defensive system.

With the 2009 season coming upon us, gone are O'Neal and Hobbs. Rodney Harrison, the leader of the defense will not be back. Yet, Belichick signed veterans Shawn Springs and and Leigh Bodden.

The Pats also used draft picks on safety, Patrick Chung out of Oregon and Connecticuts' Darius Butler with hopes of solidifying the defensive back issue exposed in 2008.

What will 2009 bring? 

Will Brady's knee hold up?

Who will step up in linebacking corp?

Who will lead the defensive backfield with the absence of Rodney Harrison? 

Only time will tell.