New England Patriots Season Preview

In 2003, the complete lack of a running game wasn't enough to sink New England. The Pats adjusted by throwing on just about every down, and won their second title in three years. In 2004, when the club was down to the likes of Earthwind Moreland and converted receiver Troy Brown at the cornerback position, Belichick and company soldiered on, outlasting the Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX to become the NFL's first back-to-back champs since the 1997-98 Broncos.

And even in an offseason that has seen offensive coordinator Charlie Weis bolt to take the Notre Dame job; defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel head to the banks of Lake Erie to take over the Browns; Pro Bowl linebacker Tedy Bruschi suffer a stroke that will keep him out of football for at least 2005; and fellow ILB Ted Johnson abruptly retire on the eve of training camp, it is still somehow implausible to predict doom for the New England Patriots. A third consecutive Super Bowl crown would be unprecedented in NFL annals. Is there anyone, even those who reside outside of the picturesque New England landscape, who would dare doubt the Patriots' ability to capture that piece of history? Below we take a capsule look at the 2005 edition of the New England Patriots, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:

2004 RECORD: 14-2 (1st, AFC East)

LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2004, defeated Philadelphia, 24-21, in Super Bowl

COACH (RECORD): Bill Belichick (53-27 in five seasons with Patriots, 89-71 overall)

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Belichick

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Eric Mangini

OFFENSIVE STAR: Tom Brady, QB (3692 passing yards, 28 TD, 14 INT)

DEFENSIVE STAR: Rodney Harrison, SS (138 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 INT)

OFFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 7th rushing, 11th passing, 4th scoring

DEFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 6th rushing, 17th passing, t2nd scoring

FIVE KEY GAMES: at Pittsburgh (9/25), San Diego (10/2), at Denver (10/16), Indianapolis (11/7), at N.Y. Jets (12/26)

KEY ADDITIONS: QB Doug Flutie (from Chargers), WR David Terrell (Bears), WR/KR Tim Dwight (Chargers), PR-RB Chad Morton (Redskins), G Logan Mankins (1st Round, Fresno State), LB Chad Brown (Seahawks), LB Monty Beisel (Chiefs), S Antuan Edwards (Rams), CB Chad Scott (Steelers), CB Duane Starks (Cardinals)

KEY DEPARTURES: WR David Patten (to Redskins), G Joe Andruzzi (to Browns), LB Tedy Bruschi (sitting out 2005 season following stroke), LB Ted Johnson (retired), CB Ty Law (released), NT Keith Traylor (released), LB Roman Phifer (released)

QB: The Patriot offense will have little to worry about with Tom Brady at the controls, as the 28-year-old signal-caller only seems to get better and better. Brady is now 57-14 (.803) as an NFL starter, including a perfect 9-0 in the postseason, and comes off his third Pro Bowl citation in 2004. The depth chart behind Brady is a bit more uncertain, as incumbent No. 2 Rohan Davey figures to be challenged by local favorite and free agent pickup Doug Flutie. Flutie has 66 NFL starts under his belt compared to Davey's zero, but will turn 43 during Week 7 and may have little to nothing left in the tank. Matt Cassel (USC), whom New England used a seventh-round draft pick on, had just 33 collegiate pass attempts as a backup to Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart and looks like prime practice squad material.

RB: The presence of running back Corey Dillon (1635 rushing yards, 15 receptions, 13 TD) gave the New England attack an important new dimension in 2004, and Dillon earned selection to the Pro Bowl after establishing a career high in rushing yards. Dillon will turn 31 during the season, so there will be some question about whether he can match that success. Backup Kevin Faulk (255 yards, 26 receptions, 3 TD) is a reliable change-of-pace and good pass- catcher, and should continue to spell Dillon. Fullback Patrick Pass set career highs in rushing yards (141) and receptions (28) last season, and is expected to step back into his normal role.

WR/TE: The New England receiving corps will have a different look, as David Patten (44 receptions, 7 TD) defected to the Redskins, and David Terrell (42 receptions, 1 TD with Chicago) and Tim Dwight (2 receptions, 1 TD with San Diego) were brought on to offer depth. Terrell is seen as a big-league talent that has never produced as a pro, and should have plenty of opportunities to get open as part of a receiving group that includes Super Bowl XXXIX MVP Deion Branch (35 receptions, 4 TD) and David Givens (56 receptions, 3 TD). Veteran Troy Brown (17 receptions, 1 TD) was re-signed in the offseason, but both he and Bethel Johnson (10 receptions, 1 TD) could have trouble cracking a crowded receiver rotation. At tight end, Daniel Graham (30 receptions, 7 TD) had a productive 2004 but could be beaten out by second-year man Ben Watson, a 2004 first-round draft pick who missed all but one game following a knee injury last year. With Watson back, veterans Christian Fauria (16 receptions, 2 TD) and Jed Weaver (8 receptions) could be battling for one spot.

OL: The loss of guard Joe Andruzzi (to the Browns), who started every game for New England over the past two seasons, will be the most significant change on the line. Veteran Russ Hochstein, who has been a spot starter over the past two seasons, is the favorite to take over at left guard, though the team would like first-round draft choice Logan Mankins (Fresno State) to settle into a starting job sooner rather than later. Tackles Matt Light (left side) and Brandon Gorin (right side) were steady down the stretch last year, as were center Dan Koppen and right guard Steve Neal. Tackle Tom Ashworth started the first six games of 2004 before succumbing to a back injury, and should be in line for backup duties this year. Mankins and fellow draft pick Nick Kaczur (3rd round, Toledo) figure to be among the reserves.

DL: With changes afoot in both the linebacking corps and secondary, pressure will be on the defensive line to again perform at a high level. Right end Richard Seymour (39 tackles, 5 sacks) is the key to the unit's success, and will be seeking a fourth consecutive Pro Bowl citation. Fellow end Ty Warren (48 tackles, 3.5 sacks) could be on the verge of greatness, and nose tackle Vince Wilfork (42 tackles, 2 sacks) will look to build on an impressive rookie campaign. With Keith Traylor gone, Wilfork will be backed by the undersized Dan Klecko, who has played both fullback and linebacker in his time as a Patriot. The other backup of note is Jarvis Green (21 tackles, 4 sacks), who will push Seymour and Warren in the end rotation.

LB: No position will be under more scrutiny in training camp than linebacker, where Ted Johnson and Tedy Bruschi have left a giant void in the middle of new coordinator Eric Mangini's 3-4 alignment. Ideally, the team would like to plug free agent pickups Monty Beisel (51 tackles with the Chiefs) and Chad Brown (37 tackles with the Seahawks) in at the inside linebacker slots, but Beisel has never started an entire pro season and Brown has been injury-plagued over the past three campaigns. Special teamers Don Davis (32 tackles) and Larry Izzo (25 tackles) will have to be ready. New England is in better shape at outside linebacker, where Mike Vrabel (71 tackles, 5.5 sacks), Willie McGinest (51 tackles, 9.5 sacks), and Roosevelt Colvin (32 tackles, 5 sacks) form one of the best OLB rotations around.

DB: The departure of Pro Bowl cornerback Ty Law (28 tackles, 1 INT) would have been considered much more significant had the Patriots not soared through the second half of 2004 and on to a Super Bowl title without him. The starting Super Bowl duo of Randall Gay (34 tackles, 2 INT) and Asante Samuel (36 tackles, 1 INT) will be penciled in until further notice, though the added presence of veterans Duane Starks (58 tackles, 3 INT with Cardinals) and Chad Scott (29 tackles, 1 INT with Steelers), along with a now-healthy Tyrone Poole (13 tackles, 1 INT) could place that status in jeopardy. The team looks set at safety, with Rodney Harrison on the strong side and Eugene Wilson (67 tackles, 4 INT) on the weak serving as one of the top tandems in the NFL. Antuan Edwards (65 tackles with Dolphins and Rams) and rookie James Sanders (4th round, Fresno State) will provide depth at safety.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Kicker Adam Vinatieri (31-33 FG, 48-48 XP) and punter Josh Miller (42.0 avg.) are both back, though punt and kickoff coverage will be a concern for special teams coach Brad Seely. The presence of Tim Dwight (24.4 kickoff return avg. with the Chargers), who has 322 career returns and five touchdowns, could spell the end for Bethel Johnson (24.8 kickoff return avg.) and/or Kevin Faulk (6.7 punt return avg.) in the return game. The Pats also brought Chad Morton (22.4 kickoff return avg. with Redskins) in to compete for a job on special teams.

PROGNOSIS: It is easy to come up with enough question marks that could potentially add up to the Patriots' downfall - the loss of two respected coordinators, two talented inside linebackers in Bruschi and Johnson, the absence of Ty Law, and/or the assumed complacency that comes with back-to-back Super Bowl titles chief among them. But none of the naysayers can stack all those would-be problems up against the expertise and sheer will of Belichick and still believe New England won't find a way to get it done. They'll be challenged by the likes of the Colts, Steelers, Ravens, Chargers and perhaps Jets in the AFC, but anyone who bets against the Patriots doing what it takes to get to Detroit for Super Bowl XL has simply not been paying attention.

Straight Ups NFL Money Lines NFL Half Time Wagering NFL Teasers NFL Proposition Betting Football Futures "IF" Game Betting IN Game Wagering

We strive to bring you the very best coverage of the NFL. Included on this site you'll find an NFL team index and resource pages, Football Wager, NFL depth charts, stats, NFL standings matchups, injuries, transactions, and gameday NFL weather. It's truly all right here!!!

MySportsbook.com is a the best Online NFL betting source for New England Patriots betting, odds, and point spread information on the internet today. The online sportsbook industries best football betting promotions, bonuses, lines, teasers and futures anywhere in the world. My Sportsbook offers tons of New England Patriots betting options and if you check their lines now you'll see NFL futures are already posted. Rating A+

Click Here To Bet On NFL Games Today - MySportsbook.com - <-- The Best Vegas Sportsbook NFL Lines - (10% Free Money Bonus When You Deposit)

New England Patriots - Online Betting & Lines - Here are Your Best Bets In Our Best Sportsbooks!

Click Here To Bet On NFL Games @ BoDog. #1 For NFL Odds (20% Deposit Bonus)

Patriots Betting  - #2 Hands down one of the top online sportsbook offering New England Patriots Betting Odds, Lines, and Point Spreads. This includes being a industry leader in overnight Patriots lines, NFL gambling futures, and New England Patriots props. Including Half time props, and first half props. The best on the net!! Best online gambling site for New England Patriots betting and gambling odds, futures, lines, and point spreads. Rating A