New England Patriots: Why They Won't Lose Another Game in 2011

The New England Patriots have arguably one of the best teams in the game.

Offensively, the team is excelling in the pass and the rushing attack is getting better with each game. 

Although the defense is struggling, having Tom Brady on the other side of the ball helps relieve some pressure off of the team.

Losing in the NFL is almost inevitable.  Regardless of the record of opponents, each team is of professional quality capable of winning at any given time.

This prevents a team such as the Patriots from losing focus during practice and assuming the upcoming game will be an easy win.

With Bill Belichick at the helm of the team and Tom Brady basically an extension of him on the field, it is tough to out-smart the Patriots team. 

Certain factors will need to tip in New England’s favor, but from the looks of it, fans will not be seeing the Patriots lose another game this season.

Weak Schedule

Let's start with the remaining schedule.

Currently, the only team with a winning record is the Buffalo Bills.  Even so, the Bills are only one game above .500 and are on a two-game losing streak at the moment.  They have a fairly difficult future schedule, which seems to not work in their favor.

Although the Eagles have the talent to win, they have not shown that they can win consistently and with a good formula.

Overall, the Patriots opponents have a total record of 21-43 combined at the moment.  

The Chiefs are decent and could potentially win, but not at Gillette stadium (which is where they play each other). 

The Eagles probably have the best shot at taking the Patriots down, however the strength in the Pats defense is the run defense and the Eagles strength is their run.  This will probably be one of the better matchups in the Patriots' schedule.

The Colts are winless and do not show any signs of changing tides.

Redskins, Broncos and Dolphins all have pretty weak offenses and it does not seem like they will be able to keep up with Brady and the Pats offense.

The Bills would probably have a better light on them if they have not been struggling the way they have been.  Currently on a two-game losing streak, things will not get easier having to play Tennessee, New York, San Diego and New England.

Passing Defense Will Not Matter (As Much)

One of the biggest concerns for the team would probably be the shaky defense.

The Patriots have the last ranked passing defense in the league.  However the rushing defense is ranked in the top 10.

With a good rush defense, teams will look to torch New England in the air.  The rest of the season (with the exception of Michael Vick and Ryan Fitzpatrick) looks pretty easy in that department.

The Chiefs have a decent quarterback in Matt Cassel but considering he is a product of the Patriots coaching, they will know how to stop him.

Who are the other quarterbacks that the Patriots are going to have to face?

That would be Curtis Painter, John Beck, Tim Tebow and Matt Moore.

Looks like a pretty easy lineup for the Pats defense to stop.  Most of these teams will probably be looking to run, which would work in the Pats' favor.   

Tom Brady and the Tight Ends

From the looks of it, none of the teams they play have an exceptional linebacker corps.

This would work in the Patriots favor due to the system they run.  Brady runs a lot of short routes to both receivers and more importantly the tight ends.

Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are having great seasons thus far.  Brady is finding them consistently and they are making plays just as much.

With a fairly lax defense in the middle of the field, these players will be targeted much more than in games against let's say, the New York Jets.

Knowing that some teams (such as the Eagles) have great corners, Brady will most likely manipulate them to open up the middle of the field and work his receivers in that way.

More Talent

Overall, the Patriots just have more talent than most of the teams left on their schedule. 

The only exception in terms of straight talent would probably be the Eagles, but Philadelphia does not have the cohesion that is necessary to consistently win.

Tom Brady is the best quarterback left in the rest of the schedule and there really is no one else that is close.

Although the defense is shaky, it has a fairly easy schedule for the rest of the regular season, giving them plenty of time to work out the kinks for the postseason.

With tight ends and receivers such as Gronkowski, Hernandez and Welker, it is going to be difficult to match up with a team like this.

Brady will light up scoreboards, which helps the defense in knowing that giving up a few scores will not hurt the team as much.   

Experience

Bill Belichick understands that winning the Super Bowl is not a sprint but a marathon.

He has coached long enough to know that peaking during week 10 is far from ideal.  Although the team is not perfect by any means, they are not in panic mode.

Tom Brady will be his usual self and put up great quarterback numbers. 

Welker and the rest of the receivers will also help out by giving Brady targets to throw to.

New England’s defense overall will become better and luckily the rush defense is already starting to take shape into a dominant force.

Aside from the pass defense and rushing attack of the Patriots, they look to be pretty legitimate contenders for the Lombardi trophy. 

Belichick and Brady know what to do in order to prepare for the postseason.  They also understand winning during the regular season is vital to set up ideal seeding. 

The experience of this coaching staff and team will help them to win the rest of the regular season.