2012 Season Review
As long as number 12 is at quarterback, the New England Patriots will be in the mix for a chance at the Super Bowl. The 2012 season was no exception. The Patriots have assembled a perennial playoff contender. New England breezed through the division and finished as champions of the AFC East once again. The Patriots have won the division nine times over the span of a decade. Following another outstanding regular season, the Patriots came up short in a playoff upset against the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens. Having a successful regular season only to fall short in the playoffs has been an unwelcome trend for New England. The Patriots will enter the 2013 offseason in hopes of finding the necessary pieces to help make them champions again.
What Went Right
New England could do no wrong during the 2012 regular season. The Patriots swept the AFC East and won the division title by five games. Much of the Patriots 2012 success was due the amazing play of quarterback Tom Brady. Brady led the team that ranked first in total offense. The superstar quarterback was the catalyst of the offense despite injuries to several key players. The New England high-tempo offense kept teams off balance and was highly effective in critical third down situations.
What Doesn’t Need Change
New England was tops in the NFL in total yards per game average, amassing a whopping 427.9 yards per game. The Patriots strategy on offense is clearly working to perfection. The quick-tempo offense often catches teams off guard even though they prepared all week for it. Combine this with Brady’s quick decision making and you have a difficult offense to contain. The Patriots use many formations to confuse defenses and they rely on the quick passing game to neutralize pass rushes. The Patriots offense is like a machine. They can plug in any player into the offense and still be effective.
What Could Use An Upgrade
Enough praise can’t be given to the offense, however the same can’t be said about the defense. New England’s secondary struggled for much of the season. The Patriot’s offense was often forced to outscore the opponent’s offense on a weekly basis. Lacking any sort of true shutdown corner, New England was compelled to trade for troubled defensive back Aqib Talib. The gamble on Talib paid off. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneer was one of the few bright spots in New England’s secondary. Despite the addition of Talib, the Patriots secondary was exposed in the playoffs and will need a major upgrade this offseason.
What Needs To Be Fixed
The secondary for New England was the most obvious weakness, but the entire defense struggled as a whole. New England attempted to address its defensive problems though the draft but it wasn’t enough. The Patriots will need to find more defensive contributors in a hurry. Brady cannot out score everyone, although he comes close. If the Patriots want to make it back to the Super Bowl, they will need to patch up that porous defense.
Priority Tasks
1. The Patriots must decide what to do with their free agents. Perhaps the most publicized is wide receiver Wes Welker. Welker and the Patriots must come to an agreement. Neither side will prosper if he doesn’t resign. The Patriots have used the Franchise tag on Welker in the past, however it is unlikely that they use it on him again. The Patriots have rules in place to not overpay for any free agent. This may be the exception to the rule.
2. The Patriots must find a shutdown corner. Whether it’s through the draft or free agency, New England cannot afford to leave this position alone. The Patriots have found defensive gems like Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower early in the draft. They will need to find a defensive back of equal talent this offseason.
3. Patriot’s tackle Sebastian Vollmer is an unrestricted free agent and an integral part of the New England offense. The Patriots must figure out a way to keep him. They have the cap space, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they used it to keep Vollmer and Welker.
What To Expect
The Patriots are poised to make another run at a championship. They made it to the AFC championship game in 2012 and I wouldn’t expect anything less from head coach Bill Belichick. Brady is playing the best football of his career and New England will look to build on that. The Patriots are just of few pieces shy of another championship season, so expect a busy offseason in New England.