19 reasons to get excited about Patriots
Put the undefeated talk aside, there’s lots to like with this team
Patriots receiver Julian Edelman had it right. Any conversation about the Patriots going 19-0 is really kind of silly, or in his words, “stupid.”
If they beat the Raiders in Mexico City on Nov. 19 to go 10-0, well, OK, we can start the discussion then. But for right now, with Bill Belichick twirling the whistle around his index finger on the first day of training camp, let’s focus on why people are so giddy about this team instead.
While talk of 19-0 is premature, there’s certainly reason for optimism. So in the spirit of the much-ballyhooed, perfect-season storyline, here are 19 reasons why the Patriots should at least get back to the dance and have a shot at Super Bowl ring No. 6.
1. It’s hard to bet against Tom Brady, even when it comes to Father Time
Even though the odds are stacked against Brady, the money's on him to continue to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league, even as he plays his 18th NFL season at age 40. With the exception of Brett Favre and Warren Moon (who both had one good season after turning 40) no one has been this good, this
late in their careers.
2. If Brady goes down, Jimmy Garoppolo is ready to step in
Belichick basically waved off all offers this offseason, including some top ammo the Browns were willing to surrender for arguably the best backup quarterback in the league. He did this so he'd have insurance should Brady get injured or finally look his age. Maybe Garoppolo doesn't engineer a miracle comeback from 25 down in a Super Bowl, but he could still get them to the dance.
3. The Stephon Gilmore-Malcolm Butler tandem is going to be special
For quite some time this offseason, it appeared like the Pats were going to lose Butler. They didn't, and now they have one of the best cornerback duos in the league. Belichick and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia will employ them based on the best matchup each week. Talk about a nightmare for offenses. This should be a shutdown combination.
4. Rob Gronkowski has the incentive to put up some big numbers
While the Patriots will be careful with their prized tight end, the fact they restructured his contract, providing him with three different incentive levels, will go a long way to motivate Gronk. He can earn an additional $5.5 million, $3 million or $1 million to his existing contract — based on catches, yardage, etc. — and that's not good news for the rest of the league. ROB GRONKOWSKI
5. The AFC East is still a cakewalk
The division doesn't get harder, it just gets easier. The Jets? They've already thrown in the towel. The Bills are rebuilding while managing to continue to give the Patriots quality players. The Dolphins are turning it around, but they still have Ryan Tannehill. End of story.
6. Brady and Josh McDaniels have even more weapons at their disposal
The Pats had the NFL's fourth-ranked offense with Brady missing four games last year. Then they added one of the league's top outside speed threats (Brandin Cooks), a younger power back (Mike Gillislee), another dual purpose back (Rex Burkhead), and have a returning Gronk to go along with what's already in-house. Yup, that's going to be fun to game plan against.
7. Cooks is going to be best friend to Gronkowski and Edelman
Imagine this scenario: Cooks, who has the speed to spread the field and force defenses to keep safeties deep, will largely free Gronkowski and Edelman from the double teams they've continued to endure. As a defense, whom do you prioritize?
8. Belichick still coaches in Foxboro
Every season — in the big games in particular — we're reminded of the advantage the Patriots have with Belichick on the sideline. At 65, he's still going strong. And still artfully and purposely saying nothing during his press conferences.
9. Still not convinced Houston has a quarterback ...
The Texans moved up the board to draft Clemson star Deshaun Watson, but he's not going to be up to beating the Pats any time soon, even with a terrific defense that got to Brady during the playoffs last season.
10. Ditto Denver ...
The Broncos didn't draft a quarterback. They're still trying to decide between in-house candidates Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch. Without a true leading man, it's going to be tough to take down the Patriots.
11. Ditto Kansas City
The Chiefs moved miles up the draft board to snag Texas Tech gunslinger Patrick Mahomes. Who knows when or if he'll even start this season. It appears he's being groomed to be the next guy. Alex Smith is the incumbent, and he the guy since he hasn't been able to get the Chiefs over the Patriots hurdle.
12. Plenty of depth in case of injury
There's no such thing as being injury-proof, but the Patriots have safe-guarded against most disasters. Belichick has assembled depth at most of the critical positions. The most recent insurance chip was snagging linebacker David Harris after the Jets let him loose. He's not Dont'a Hightower, but he's a decent fill-in.
13. Pittsburgh’s defense still isn’t good enough ...
The Steelers have the offense to duke it out with the Pats, but as we saw in Foxboro in the AFC Championship Game, they can never contain Brady. They may play more man coverage this season -- after finally getting the hint -but they're still young and learning, and that's not a good combination against the Patriots offense.
14. Ditto Oakland’s
Another team with a terrific offense, but the Raiders have the same issue as the Steelers. Khalil Mack is great, but the Raiders defense is largely a work in progress and still short on talent to neutralize Brady & Co.
15. Dante Scarnecchia is back for more
One of the most important elements of last year's championship run was getting the offensive line in order to protect Brady. Scarnecchia earned a lot of credit after coming out of retirement to pull it off. He's back again this season and that bodes well for the health of the quarterback and for the team.
16. They’ve had staff continuity
Despite the success, there's been little turnover with the Patriots coaching staff. Both McDaniels and Patricia have earned head coaching interest throughout the league, but, particularly in the case of McDaniels, they've opted to remain in Foxboro. The Patriots have run the same offense and defense for some time now, and the presence of key coaches has made a difference.
17. They don’t buy into the hype
The Patriots are incredible at shutting out the noise. Belichick teaches his players this lesson the minute they walk into Gillette Stadium. The newcomers will learn in a hurry.
18. They are controversy-free
Last year alone, the team had Deflategate hovering overhead with Brady's four-game suspension playing out at the beginning of the season. Then there was the trade of Jamie Collins, which resonated throughout the locker room. Could they be even better without any drama and distractions?
19. No mountain they can’t conquer considering how they won Super Bowl LI
The Patriots rallied from 25 points down late in the third quarter to beat the Atlanta Falcons. If they're behind, or hit a lull at any point during the year, they just need to call up the tape of that game for a little shot of confidence. Basically, this group knows they can overcome anything. That's a powerful tool.