New England Patriots: 2011 NFL Season Preview

The Green Bay Packers are the reigning Super Bowl champs and the Pittsburgh Steelers are the current AFC champs.  The Chicago Bears and New York Jets were on the losing end of their respective conference championship games.

Lost in last year's recap is the fact that the New England Patriots went 14-2 and quarterback Tom Brady was the league's first unanimous Most Valuable Player.

Going into last year's postseason, the Pats were the team to beat (remember that?).  Well guess what? Going into the 2011 NFL season, the Pats are still the team to beat.

Another playoff berth seems inevitable for the Pats especially with two games against the Miami Dolphins and the lowly Buffalo Bills as well as games against the Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins (that's nine wins right there).

With Brady under center, the Pats will once have a potent offense.  Last year, at 32.4 points a game, New England was the top scoring team in the league.  With the addition of Chad Ochocinco, to catch passes alongside Wes Welker and Deion Branch, the Patriots have a redoubtable wide receiver corps. 

However, the offense's biggest strength, besides Brady, is their tight ends.  Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Taylor Price, and Julian Edelman give the Pats the best, and deepest, tight end crew in the league.

On the O-line there's only one difference between last year's five-man squad and this year's.  Right guard Stephen Neal has retired but his heir apparent, Dan Connolly, played well in 13 games subbing for both him and left guard Logan Mankins.  Connolly will join the previously mentioned Mankins, center Dan Koppen, left tackle Matt Light, and right tackle Stephen Neal.

Where the Pats need to improve, at least in order to return to the Super Bowl, is on defense.  With that in mind, the franchise acquired defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth.  The big guy languished in the nation's capitol the past two seasons.

"It's a great chance to be on a great team," said Haynesworth. "It's a chance to restore my name or whatever you want to say. It's a great chance to get back on the field and play football."

With the 30-year-old on the roster, New England now has the personnel to play a 4-3 defense.  In that scheme, Haynesworth will clog up the middle with three-time Pro Bowler Vince Wilfork.  If Haynesworth returns to playing like he did when he was a Tennessee Titan (2002-2008), the Pats will have the most formidable defensive tackles in the league.

In the new scheme, the team's leading tackler from a year ago, Jerod Mayo, is free to roam and employ his strong coverage skills.  He'll play alongside stalwart Brandon Spikes and strong side backer, the versatile Rob Ninkovich.

The secondary was up and down for the Patriots in 2010.  The team allowed the third-most passing yards a game (258.3), but they intercepted a league leading 25 passes.  This year New England gets back Leigh Bodden—he missed all of last season with a shoulder injury.  The former Duquesne Duke will play across from 2010 first round pick, Devin McCourty.  D-Mac had seven picks a year ago. 

Bodden's return will help with defending the pass but what the team really needs is a consistent pass rush.  They are hoping Haynesworth, their other defensive acquisitions (ends Shaun Ellis, Andrew Carter, Mark Anderson and linebackers Ricky Brown and Niko Koutouvides), and another year of experience for young defenders (Jermaine Cunningham, Dane Fletcher, Patrick Chung, and McCourty) will make the "D" formidable again.

Perhaps the biggest deficiency the Patriots have to overcome is the disappearance of their aura of invincibility.  This team may be coached by the legendary Bill Belichick, and led by a future hall of fame quarterback, but they are no longer "The Patriots."

An undefeated season didn't stop the New York Giants in 2008.  Gillette Stadium was useless against the Baltimore Ravens in 2010.  And 14 wins did nothing to ground the Jets in 2011.

Yes, that's right.  The Patriots haven't won a playoff game since the 2008 AFC Championship Game.

To rectify that losing streak their defense needs to step up.  Nothing brings back an atmosphere of dominance more than a shut-down "D."  The Patriots and their fans are hoping Haynesworth and the new 4-3 scheme will do just that.

New England opens the regular season on the road against the Dolphins.  The game is set for Sept. 12 and it's one of two games slated for the first Monday night of the season.