One hundred seventy days have passed since the Patriots suffered one of the most devastating defeats in team history, a loss that spoiled not only a fourth championship in seven seasons but a shot at immortality and a perfect 19-0 season.
Today, coach Bill Belichick officially turns the page as the club?s 2008 training camp kicks off with double sessions. He embarks on a new campaign with the same goals and grand prize still in sight. And with a few exceptions, the team that went 18-0 before suffering the ultimate crusher in Arizona back in February remains intact.
Gone are defensive backs Asante Samuel , Randall Gay and Eugene Wilson along with linebacker Rosevelt Colvin from the defense. Wide receiver Donte Stallworth and tight end Kyle Brady are the primary losses on offense.Offseason additions and draft choices were geared around the defense, specifically at linebacker and defensive back. An emphasis was placed on providing a fresh injection of speed.
Another important addition to the team, perhaps a sleeper of sorts, was the signing of Dom Capers, a former head coach and defensive coordinator who will now serve as secondary coach/special assistant to Belichick.
With all of this as a backdrop, here?s a look at six key issues facing the team moving forward:
1. How will they cope with the hangover?
Based on statistics alone, Super Bowl-losing teams don?t fare very well the following season. Seven of the last 10 Super Bowl losers have not returned to the playoffs, much less achieve winning records.
Add to that the disappointment associated with that game - coming so close to achieving what no other team in history had accomplished - and it?s possible the mental aftershocks could hang around for a while.
Then again, the devastation could provide the impetus for the club to come back with a vengeance and finish the job.
That might not result in perfection, but it might be the motivation to get back to the Super Bowl, and produce a different result.
Belichick has already laid down the edict that the Super Bowl is in the rear-view mirror, the distant past.The team is moving on. It?s a familiar Belichick refrain and mantra. Still, it?s going to be interesting to see if he can shepherd the team past this hurdle as well as he has others.
2. Should we worry about the offensive line?
For one game, at least, the guys up front appeared to be exposed. The Giants had their way in the trenches and Tom Brady [stats] paid for it. This was one of the worst beatings Brady had ever received, as he was sacked five times and hit on countless other occasions while attempting to pass.
This was quite a deviation from the season when the O-line was a rock, the ultimate suit of armor for Brady.
From left tackle, moving into center, the line still appears solid, with Pro Bowlers Matt Light , Logan Mankins and Dan Koppen. The right side appears to be the question mark here. Right guard Stephen Neal is returning from both shoulder and knee trouble, while right tackle Nick Kaczur has been dealing with off-field issues stemming from an April drug charge. It?s possible the Pats will need to have early replacements for one or both.Center/guard Russ Hochstein has proven a capable backup. After him, center/guard Bill Yates is back, as is right tackle Ryan O?Callaghan, and tackle Wesley Britt. The Pats also signed free agent tackles Oliver Ross, Anthony Clement and Lavdrim Bauta.
3. How much will Asante Samuel departure hurt?
On paper, the Patriots don?t have a player resembling a No. 1 or lockdown defender at cornerback. Samuel had evolved into a big play defender to the point where teams avoided throwing in his direction.
It?s doubtful opposing teams will avoid going at any corner currently on the Patriots roster. That said, the defensive backs will likely be aided this season by an enhanced pass rush.
Richard Seymour will be healthy heading into camp for the first time in several seasons. His added impact on the front three can?t be overlooked. That, and a little more speed coming from some of the young linebackers, could spruce up the rush. That certainly will go a long way toward helping out Ellis Hobbs , who is coming off surgeries for a torn labrum in his left shoulder and a hernia, as well as bargain free agent signees Fernando Bryant, Jason Webster, and Lewis Sanders, and rookies Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite.
Still, even with a strong defensive front - arguably the best in the NFL - it remains to be seen if Hobbs, Bryant and Co. can get the job done.
4. Can youth be served at linebacker?
The primary burden here is going to fall on first-round pick Jerod Mayo, especially given what Belichick demands of his inside linebackers in the complicated 3-4 scheme he runs.
During spring camps, Mayo, who is expected to be used in the middle, spoke of how difficult it was to grasp all the concepts and nuances of the Belichick defense. Given some of the uncertainty surrounding the linebacking corps, with Junior Seau not in the mix for now, it sure looks like Mayo will get plenty of opportunities along with Tedy Bruschi and former Jet Victor Hobson. Once he?s signed, that is. And that?s assuming Adalius Thomas plays on the outside.
So Mayo will have to pick up the defense at warp speed, or at least do so much faster than first-year players have managed here in the past.
As for third-round selection Shawn Crable, he could very well find a role as a backup, particularly in some sub packages, that is if he understands the dynamics of the system.
5. Can Rodney Harrison and Tedy Bruschi endure?
The 35-year-old Harrison, now entering his 15th season, isn?t as quick as he once was or quite the same intimidating force. Still, he remains a presence on the field. His ability to play in a linebacker-like role when the Pats employed a 4-3 base defense last season allowed Belichick and defensive coordinator Dean Pees to use five defensive backs on the field.
Should Harrison suffer more of a decline, the addition of Tank Williams, who was signed as a free agent, will help. Williams? ability to spell Harrison should keep the latter fresh, and produce some more wallop in the secondary. In all, the safety corps of Harrison, Williams, James Sanders and Brandon Meriweather figures to be a strength.
As for the 35-year-old Bruschi, his experience in the system, his leadership and his heart have remained invaluable components to the success of the defense.
He?s not the same player he was five years ago, but a lot will depend on how much he?s asked to do and how the rotation works with Hobson and rookie Mayo.
6. Can the offense produce an encore?
Really now, where do you go if you?re Tom Brady , Randy Moss and the rest of the record-setting offense? The answer is likely in a downward direction, but that doesn?t necessarily mean the offense will be a clunker. On the contrary.
While it?s unrealistic to expect the same kind of mind-boggling output - 50 TDs from Brady, 23 from Moss - that doesn?t mean this group isn?t going to put up tons of points once again. Laurence Maroney is young and improving, Sammy Morris is healthy and Brady has Wes Welker and Benjamin Watson at his disposal as well.
Of course, there?s no reason to think Brady isn?t going to air it out again this season. With weapons like his, it makes no sense to keep the ball in the holster.
Today, coach Bill Belichick officially turns the page as the club?s 2008 training camp kicks off with double sessions. He embarks on a new campaign with the same goals and grand prize still in sight. And with a few exceptions, the team that went 18-0 before suffering the ultimate crusher in Arizona back in February remains intact.
Gone are defensive backs Asante Samuel , Randall Gay and Eugene Wilson along with linebacker Rosevelt Colvin from the defense. Wide receiver Donte Stallworth and tight end Kyle Brady are the primary losses on offense.Offseason additions and draft choices were geared around the defense, specifically at linebacker and defensive back. An emphasis was placed on providing a fresh injection of speed.
Another important addition to the team, perhaps a sleeper of sorts, was the signing of Dom Capers, a former head coach and defensive coordinator who will now serve as secondary coach/special assistant to Belichick.
With all of this as a backdrop, here?s a look at six key issues facing the team moving forward:
1. How will they cope with the hangover?
Based on statistics alone, Super Bowl-losing teams don?t fare very well the following season. Seven of the last 10 Super Bowl losers have not returned to the playoffs, much less achieve winning records.
Add to that the disappointment associated with that game - coming so close to achieving what no other team in history had accomplished - and it?s possible the mental aftershocks could hang around for a while.
Then again, the devastation could provide the impetus for the club to come back with a vengeance and finish the job.
That might not result in perfection, but it might be the motivation to get back to the Super Bowl, and produce a different result.
Belichick has already laid down the edict that the Super Bowl is in the rear-view mirror, the distant past.The team is moving on. It?s a familiar Belichick refrain and mantra. Still, it?s going to be interesting to see if he can shepherd the team past this hurdle as well as he has others.
2. Should we worry about the offensive line?
For one game, at least, the guys up front appeared to be exposed. The Giants had their way in the trenches and Tom Brady [stats] paid for it. This was one of the worst beatings Brady had ever received, as he was sacked five times and hit on countless other occasions while attempting to pass.
This was quite a deviation from the season when the O-line was a rock, the ultimate suit of armor for Brady.
From left tackle, moving into center, the line still appears solid, with Pro Bowlers Matt Light , Logan Mankins and Dan Koppen. The right side appears to be the question mark here. Right guard Stephen Neal is returning from both shoulder and knee trouble, while right tackle Nick Kaczur has been dealing with off-field issues stemming from an April drug charge. It?s possible the Pats will need to have early replacements for one or both.Center/guard Russ Hochstein has proven a capable backup. After him, center/guard Bill Yates is back, as is right tackle Ryan O?Callaghan, and tackle Wesley Britt. The Pats also signed free agent tackles Oliver Ross, Anthony Clement and Lavdrim Bauta.
3. How much will Asante Samuel departure hurt?
On paper, the Patriots don?t have a player resembling a No. 1 or lockdown defender at cornerback. Samuel had evolved into a big play defender to the point where teams avoided throwing in his direction.
It?s doubtful opposing teams will avoid going at any corner currently on the Patriots roster. That said, the defensive backs will likely be aided this season by an enhanced pass rush.
Richard Seymour will be healthy heading into camp for the first time in several seasons. His added impact on the front three can?t be overlooked. That, and a little more speed coming from some of the young linebackers, could spruce up the rush. That certainly will go a long way toward helping out Ellis Hobbs , who is coming off surgeries for a torn labrum in his left shoulder and a hernia, as well as bargain free agent signees Fernando Bryant, Jason Webster, and Lewis Sanders, and rookies Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite.
Still, even with a strong defensive front - arguably the best in the NFL - it remains to be seen if Hobbs, Bryant and Co. can get the job done.
4. Can youth be served at linebacker?
The primary burden here is going to fall on first-round pick Jerod Mayo, especially given what Belichick demands of his inside linebackers in the complicated 3-4 scheme he runs.
During spring camps, Mayo, who is expected to be used in the middle, spoke of how difficult it was to grasp all the concepts and nuances of the Belichick defense. Given some of the uncertainty surrounding the linebacking corps, with Junior Seau not in the mix for now, it sure looks like Mayo will get plenty of opportunities along with Tedy Bruschi and former Jet Victor Hobson. Once he?s signed, that is. And that?s assuming Adalius Thomas plays on the outside.
So Mayo will have to pick up the defense at warp speed, or at least do so much faster than first-year players have managed here in the past.
As for third-round selection Shawn Crable, he could very well find a role as a backup, particularly in some sub packages, that is if he understands the dynamics of the system.
5. Can Rodney Harrison and Tedy Bruschi endure?
The 35-year-old Harrison, now entering his 15th season, isn?t as quick as he once was or quite the same intimidating force. Still, he remains a presence on the field. His ability to play in a linebacker-like role when the Pats employed a 4-3 base defense last season allowed Belichick and defensive coordinator Dean Pees to use five defensive backs on the field.
Should Harrison suffer more of a decline, the addition of Tank Williams, who was signed as a free agent, will help. Williams? ability to spell Harrison should keep the latter fresh, and produce some more wallop in the secondary. In all, the safety corps of Harrison, Williams, James Sanders and Brandon Meriweather figures to be a strength.
As for the 35-year-old Bruschi, his experience in the system, his leadership and his heart have remained invaluable components to the success of the defense.
He?s not the same player he was five years ago, but a lot will depend on how much he?s asked to do and how the rotation works with Hobson and rookie Mayo.
6. Can the offense produce an encore?
Really now, where do you go if you?re Tom Brady , Randy Moss and the rest of the record-setting offense? The answer is likely in a downward direction, but that doesn?t necessarily mean the offense will be a clunker. On the contrary.
While it?s unrealistic to expect the same kind of mind-boggling output - 50 TDs from Brady, 23 from Moss - that doesn?t mean this group isn?t going to put up tons of points once again. Laurence Maroney is young and improving, Sammy Morris is healthy and Brady has Wes Welker and Benjamin Watson at his disposal as well.
Of course, there?s no reason to think Brady isn?t going to air it out again this season. With weapons like his, it makes no sense to keep the ball in the holster.
