2009 Patriots Preview: Knee-Jerk Reaction

AFC EAST
1. New England Patriots
Projected Record: 11-5

Offense: A-
Defense: B-
Coaching: A

What’s new: Tom Brady’s left knee…or at least the Patriots hope that’s the case.

What’s good: Assuming that Brady is close to what he was in 2007, the offense should still be very dangerous. Throwing Laurence Maroney down the depth chart is the right move for New England. I’d rather have Sammy Morris as my starter. They still have Randy Moss and Wes Welker for Brady to throw to. So the targets are there. The majority of the offensive line can still play at or near a Pro Bowl level.

What’s bad: The Pats are the favorites in this division, but they are far from what they were two years ago. First off, Father Time has really caught up to this team. Richard Seymour, Tedy Bruschi, Shawn Springs (yes…that Shawn Springs), Adalius Thomas, Matt Light and Steven Neal are all expected to start and all well past 30. The defense has depth, but they don’t have a lot talent in the secondary or on the left side of the linebackers. And if Brady gets hurt again, there’s no more Matt Cassel. It will be up to Kevin O’Connell. I’ll give you a few minutes to wikipedia him since I know unless Bill Belichick is reading this, you haven’t heard of O’Connell.


Bill Belichick's reaction upon learning another Patriots hidden-spy camera was discovered by the NFL.

What to expect: The season will come down to Brady’s knee. It’s safe to assume that Brady will never be the quarterback he was two seasons ago. It wouldn’t be surprising if Brady never comes close to being that quarterback again. Knee reconstruction is one injury that is almost impossible to ever recover from. It typically takes 15-18 months before the knee is physically ready. And it usually takes much longer for the person that knee belongs to, to be mentally and emotionally ready. Carson Palmer tore his ACL in January 2006, and he is nowhere close to what he once was. If Brady stays healthy, the Pats should be good enough to win the division and maybe a playoff game. If not, then all bets are off.