UPDATE 2015/09/07: Deflategate ruling reversed; Tom Brady will start in Week 1.
A third-straight 12-4 record for the New England Patriots was made even sweeter when they won the Super Bowl last season for the fourth time since the start of the new millennium. Did we really expect anything less from mastermind head coach Bill Belichick?
The fallout from the Deflategate scandal even took a surprising turn when the judge from the U.S. Disctrict Court rescinded Tom Brady’s four-game suspension. As such, the Pats will be at full strength come Week 1’s kickoff.
Heck, this is New England we’re talking about. Did we have any good reason to doubt that the team will not make another solid playoff push? Read on for our preview and prediction on how the Patriots will fare this season. Head on over to our in-depth look at the AFC East as well right after this.
[sc:Football ]2015-2016 New England Patriots Preview
Overview
It doesn’t get any better than another Lombardi Trophy for the New England Patriots. A shaky start to the 2014 season with a subpar record of 2-2 – including a 41-14 beat-down by Kansas City in Week 4 – was nothing but a blip for quarterback Tom Brady and the Patriots’ magnificent run to the Super Bowl.
[sc:NFL240banner ]However, New England’s championship came with a price in the offseason. The integrity of the NFL was suddenly at stake as the Indianapolis Colts cried wolf about the deflated footballs that Brady used during the AFC Conference Championship Game.
A four-game suspension for Brady was then imposed, upheld, and reversed in the 25th hour by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, meaning the Patriots all of a sudden have their team’s MVP taking snaps for the first quarter of the 2015 season.
Offseason Review
The Patriots were at a rather huge loss when a handful of their more coveted players decided to play for new squads. What’s must’ve hurt the Pats the most is the departure of their tandem of shutdown corners in Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner.
Without Revis and Browner (the former all the more), New England will be limited in its coverage in the secondary by not having a dedicated man-to-man cornerback to pin down any of its opposition’s top-flight receivers. Logan Ryan (two picks and one forced fumble in 2014) and New England’s Super Bowl savior Malcolm Butler have got to step up their games big-time.
Beyond that, the rest of the Patriots defense looks as remarkable as ever, especially with a few players coming back from injuries. The linebacker triad of Jerrod Mayo, Jamie Collins and Dont’a Hightower is frightening at full-strength. The three of them have missed a total of 16 games in all last year, with 10 coming for Mayo alone.
Defensive ends Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones should also be enough to make up for the loss of nose tackle Vince Wilfork. Both Jones and Ninkovich combined for 14 sacks last year, with Ninkovich accounting for eight of them – which was the third consecutive time that he’s had eight sacks in a season. Standout safeties Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung round out what should be another formidable Patriots defense.
As for the offense, not much has really changed. But the loss of running back Shane Vereen has got to hurt their passing game. Vereen had more receiving yards (52 catches for 447 yards) than rushing (391 in 96 carries), and was a great bailout option for Brady in short-yardage situations.
Nonetheless, Brady will still have a viable receiving corps in Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola and Brandon LaFell to work with. And if all else fails, there’s always kicker Stephen Gostkowski who can be relied on for quick points. Gostkowski has only missed five field goals in his past two seasons in New England, including going 6-for-7 at his tries from 50 yards out.
Key Player – Rob Gronkowski
Just how in the world could we leave out talking about Gronk?
Rob Gronkowski – Brady’s favorite receiver – made a spectacular comeback after a torn ACL and MCL cut his 2013 season short. In 2014, Gronkowski led all tight ends with 1,124 yards receiving, and tied for the most touchdowns with 12. He’s also a first-down waiting to happen, averaging a stellar 13.7 yards per catch (considering that he’s a tight end and not a wideout).
Let’s put Gronk’s impact on New England’s offense in a better perspective. In the first four games of last season where he still had to ease in to his role post-injury, and throw in the season finale that he sat out entirely, the Patriots only averaged 17.8 points per game and had a 2-3 record. In the other games (including the postseason), New England doubled their scoring production at 34.8 points per game and had an amazing 13-1 record.
There’s no question that Gronkowski is the most vital part to New England’s offense outside of Brady. One can even make an argument that Brady wouldn’t have a stellar 2014 season if it wasn’t for Gronk’s return. Nevertheless, a healthy Gronkowski spells doom for the rest of the league, and the Patriots will relish every snap that he takes on the field.
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Key Game – at Miami (January 3)
The final game of the season at Miami could very well decide the division champ and quite possibly a first-round bye if the Dolphins do indeed go toe-to-toe with the Pats in wins in the AFC. The Miami Dolphins had splurged in the offseason to bolster their now-impressive lineup and are threatening to end New England’s reign at the top of the division.
But the Pats have had the Fins’ number in what seems like forever, going 8-2 head-to-head against their division rival since 2010. A loss to the Dolphins in the finale with postseason implications on the line, however, could very well signal the end of New England’s domination of their division and shift the tide to another promising contender.
Best/Worst Case Scenario for the Season
Best Case Scenario
Super Bowl or bust, baby. Brady defies the +650 odds against him and his team’s bid at a repeat with another phenomenal year. In conjunction, Gronkowski earns an Offensive Player of the Year award. The defense also holds its own ground by giving up no more than 20 points per game just like last season.
Worst Case Scenario
Brady plays without any life or drive in his game due to the continued scrutiny he receives in the wake of the shocking Deflategate ruling reversal. Gronk has another debilitating injury, and the defense breaks in more games than it bends. A humbling wild card berth is still in the bag, but failing to win the AFC East crown for the seventh consecutive season has got to deflate (pardon the cheap shot) New England’s winning ego heading into 2016.
Complete Schedule
| WEEK | DATE | OPPONENT | TIME (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thu, Sep 10 | Pittsburgh | 8:30 PM |
| 2 | Sun, Sep 20 | @ Buffalo | 1:00 PM |
| 3 | Sun, Sep 27 | Jacksonville | 1:00 PM |
| 4 | Bye Week | ||
| 5 | Sun, Oct 11 | @ Dallas | 4:25 PM |
| 6 | Sun, Oct 18 | @ Indianapolis | 8:30 PM |
| 7 | Sun, Oct 25 | N. Y. Jets | 1:00 PM |
| 8 | Thu, Oct 29 | Miami | 8:25 PM |
| 9 | Sun, Nov 8 | Washington | 2:00 PM |
| 10 | Sun, Nov 15 | @ N. Y. Giants | 5:25 PM |
| 11 | Mon, Nov 23 | Buffalo | 9:30 PM |
| 12 | Sun, Nov 29 | @ Denver | 9:30 PM |
| 13 | Sun, Dec 6 | Philadelphia | 5:25 PM |
| 14 | Sun, Dec 13 | @ Houston | 2:00 PM |
| 15 | Sun, Dec 20 | Tennessee | 2:00 PM |
| 16 | Sun, Dec 27 | @ N. Y. Jets | 2:00 PM |
| 17 | Sun, Jan 3 | @ Miami | 2:00 PM |
Writer’s Prediction
New England posts yet another 12-4 record and goes as far as the Divisional Round of the playoffs before being outclassed by either Pittsburgh, Denver or Indianapolis.
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