The last time the Patriots spent a year consumed by scandal, the only obstacle that prevented them from completing an undefeated season was a miraculous David Tyree catch. While Spygate accusations swirled, the Patriots walloped opponents in 2007. But this time around, on the heels of the eight-month DeflateGate saga, the results might be different.
DeflateGate motivation may not benefit Patriots
The Patriots probably want to trounce opponents like they did in 2007 while Spygate was playing out, but they might not have the talent to pull it off.
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
On top of sheer motivation, the Patriots added superstars Randy Moss and Wes Welker to their offense in '07. The two wideouts clicked with Tom Brady instantaneously, and the Pats had what was then the most prolific offense in league history. But this offseason, the Patriots didn't add that kind of talent to their roster. The team that will take the field Thursday night against the Steelers at Gillette Stadium is worse on paper than the one that left Glendale, Ariz., at the conclusion of Super Bowl XLIX.
That’s the difference between those Patriots and these Patriots.
The motivation level of the two clubs has to be the same, or perhaps even greater this time around. Instead of being lauded as the NFL’s next great dynasty, the Patriots have been sullied by an overreaching league office that’s seemingly intent on destroying Brady’s legacy. According to ESPN’s Outside the Lines, Roger Goodell pounded the Patriots over DeflateGate to appease owners who thought he conducted a hasty investigation into the Pats’ videotaping scandal eight years ago. But in the process, he nearly took down one of his league’s marquee players.
Brady will likely be back with a vengeance this season, but his wide receiving corps is lacking. Brandon LaFell will begin the year on the PUP list, which leaves the Patriots with few outside options. Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski are supposedly healthy, but they both sat out the preseason with various ailments.
Starting center Bryan Stork will miss at least the first eight games of the season, too, as he was placed on IR Wednesday with a concussion. Stork solidified the offensive line last year, which will probably start two rookies at guard this season, Tre' Jackson and Shaq Mason.
As the Patriots showed last September, even Brady isn't good enough to overcome a weak offensive line. But he may have no choice this year, because the defense will be without Darrelle Revis and every starting cornerback from 2014.
Last season, the team's defense was dominant in the second half of games. Over the last nine contests, including the playoffs, the defense allowed a mere 12 fourth-quarter points. Perhaps the best example of this came in the Super Bowl, when the Patriots’ secondary depth allowed the coaching staff to deploy Malcolm Butler on to the field for Seattle’s final play.
This year, Butler will likely be one of the Patriots' top two cornerbacks, despite the fact that the undrafted second-year player only has one career start under his belt. He'll be joined in the secondary by Logan Ryan and reclamation projects Bradley Fletcher and Tarell Brown.
A subpar secondary has been one of the few issues Bill Belichick hasn’t been able to coach himself out of either. From 2010 to 2012, for example, the Patriots allowed the third-, second-, and fourth-most passing yards in the league, respectively.
The Patriots have won with a bad pass defense before; they went to the Super Bowl in 2012 with Edelman slotting in at corner. But the Revis loss will be tough to overcome. Quarterbacks who targeted Revis last season only completed 43.4 percent of their passes for 523 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions. He was flat-out dominant.
The fortunes of the Patriots defense seems to ride on its young front-seven, as Chandler Jones, Jamie Collins and Dont'a Hightower appear to be on the verge of superstardom. But it might take some time to get there.
As the Patriots showed last season after starting 2-2, it’s all about how you finish. There’s little doubt that the Pats should be atop the AFC East once again, poised for a first-round bye.
But it might take a little time to get to that level. Patriots fans who are expecting a repeat of 2007 could be disappointed.
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