Boston-Homer

Part 2: Pats Musing at the end of a season

Looking Back.

The Pats post-game show posed this question. Was this season a success or a failure? I think if you told me in September the Pats would go 14-2 I would have been shocked. I thought this was a 10 win team at best, and I worried about their ability to compete with the Jets and also with their very difficult schedule. Obviously expectations change as the team's performance progresses.

I think there are some things to take from this season that make it a success. For instance, Devin McCourty, a guy who people in this area were upset about having on their team, was outstanding all year. He is a future cornerstone of this defense. The defense improved over the course of the season. They were the youngest in the league, and hopefully they learned from their failures on Sunday.

Jerrod Mayo had a great season, leading the league in tackles. However, I do wonder why I have never heard his name called on a big play.

Tom Brady's knee is just fine and he still has some very good football in him. The offensive line took good care of Brady this year, until Sunday. That will help his longevity as he gets a bit older.

BenJarvis Green-Ellis might be a feature back. He ran for 1,000+ yards and didn't fumble the ball once all year. I would like to see a running back taken in the draft though.

Deion Branch's return was a huge help to this offense.

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I am disgusted that this could actually happen in Gillette...

The Jets knocked off the two best quarterbacks in football in 8 days. Very impressive. I think one big thing I take from that is that a great quarterback can get you into the playoffs, but a good team gets you through the playoffs. Brady's season was amazing, he had some good weapons around him. On Sunday night he looked lost and frustrated, which hurt the team. I think Brady has a lot of pressure on him, some internal and some external. Manning was the same way this season. Neither had a Super Bowl team surrounding them. The Jets exposed that during both games. The Jets have a Super Bowl type team, the Pats don't. Unfortunately it took a tough loss to realize that.

Overall, I would say this year was a success. You cannot win all the time, am I disappointed/bitter/angry/sad about Sunday's loss? You bet. However, I think the Pats got their butts kicked and had all their weaknesses exposed by Rex Ryan and the Jets.

Looking forward

The natural thing to do when your team's season is over is to ask why it ended when it did, and then look forward to figure out how next year can be better.

Last year people said that the Pats had holes all over the defense. The front seven was weak, the defense overall was porous and there was no real leader in the secondary. 

The Pats bolstered their linebacking corps and their secondary made a leap with the development of Devin McCourty. 

Now the question is: What do the Pats need to do this off-season to get further than the Divisional Round of the Playoffs.

The Pats need a pass rusher. Someone like a Julius Peppers that teams need to gameplan for. Right now they have no one who strikes fear in an offensive line. Obviously Peppers is not leaving Chicago. The Pats tried to get him last year and he was too much money. Maybe this draft can bring the Pats 1 or 2 guys who could develop into a monster pass-rusher off the edge.

The Pats need a Playmaker to throw the ball to (Great Greg Jennings Madden Video...hilarious). A guy who has the ability to go up and make a catch over a cornerback. They do not have one. They have guys who run good routes and get open in the middle part of the field. Randy Moss was not that guy. I know he could stretch the field, but he was not a guy you could count on to go up and fight for a ball. Maybe a Gronkowski or Hernandez can become this guy. They have the size.

Brandon Meriwether was a non-factor on Sunday. He has played games this season where you never here his name called. He is constantly late on plays and just flies around. Is he the guy the Pats want leading this secondary? He does not seem like it. This guy's offseason could be spent looking for a new job. If not, he is on thin ice in my mind. The only memory I have of him on Sunday is being dragged into the endzone by Braylon Edwards (another playmaker).

Finally, I think the Pats need to add depth in their running game. The last Super Bowl they won was with a guy who ran for 1,600 yards. Corey Dillon was outstanding that season, and he added so much to the offense. Maybe BenJarvis Green-Ellis has a few solid years for them. But I think they need more depth and possibly end up with a stud in the draft or free agency.

Next season is in the balance. There is no Collective Bargaining Agreement. You have to wonder how successful teams that are in flux will be next year.  They could lose a ton of preparation time, new coaches and teams with a lot of new players could struggle. That could help the Pats start the season fast, their core is pretty set, which could be a huge help.

The Pats have Logan Mankins and Matt Light coming off the books. One of these guys needs to stay. You cannot lose your two best linemen, especially when they both play on the same side of the line. I am hoping they pay Mankins the money he wants, and I am also hoping Light will take the hometown discount as he reaches the twilight of his career.

The Pats have 8 picks in the first 4 rounds of the draft. 3 of those picks are in the top 33 overall. The Pats could have a huge draft and get some great new young players. This is not the year to trade down and collect more picks for the future.

There you have it, the Pats season is now officially over. Keep your eyes open for my Conference Championship predictions...