2014 Patriots NFL Handicapping
Patriots Have Eye On Super Bowl After Offseason Reload
The New England Patriots were hit hard last offseason, losing leading receiver Wes Welker to the rival Denver Broncos, and Aaron Hernandez to jail in one of the most bizarre off-field twists in NFL history.
2014 New England Patriots Team Preview/Predictions
- 2013 Record: 12-4
- ATS Record: 8-8-0
2014 Patriots Futures
- Super Bowl Odds: +800
- Conference Odds: +350
- AFC East Odds: -300
- 2014 NFL Regular Season Wins: Over 10.5
Their troubles carried over in to the season as they lost Rob Gronkowski, Vince Wilfork, and Jerod Mayo to season-ending injuries. Despite all of the turnover and losses, the Patriots went 12-4 and reached the AFC Championship game for the second consecutive season.
One year removed from all of the turmoil, this season is about redemption in New England as Tom Brady and company go for a fourth Super Bowl ring after falling just short the last two seasons.
The Patriots head in to this season with a lot more certainty, welcoming back injured players and adding to the roster that got them to last year’s AFC title game.
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Brady will be 37-years-old on opening day but he is in excellent physical shape, and it’s impossible to put last year’s statistical regression solely on him after he lost his best receivers and worked with such a young group. Gronkowski is back after suffering a torn ACL and both Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola return.
Aaron Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins are each entering their second year, and New England added another big target in Brandon LaFell.
The offensive line was inconsistent a year ago but the talent and depth they have suggests they should bounce back. The young running back tandem of Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley proved their ability, with Vereen a versatile back that is a real threat in the passing game, and Ridley a big-play back that needs to work on his ball security.
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The Patriots are comfortable those two can carry the load, with Brandon Bolden the third back after LeGarrette Blount moved on in free agency.
The New England defense is also expected to be better thanks to returning starters and a couple of key additions.
Wilfork doesn’t have many years left but his presence anchoring the line is crucial, and he is reportedly in excellent shape after tearing his Achilles last season.
Rookie first-round pick Dominique Easley is set to join Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich, Michael Buchanon, and free agent addition Will Smith as part of a defensive end rotation that needs to do a better job getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Mayo is also back at 100-percent after suffering a torn pectoral muscle, and will return to the middle with Dont’a Hightower and second-year pro Jamie Collins on either side of him.
The biggest additions came in the secondary where the Patriots brought in Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner. As good as Aqib Talib played at times a year ago, Revis is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.
Logan Ryan and Alfonzo Dennard both showed flashes of their potential toward the end of last year, and Devin McCourty is among the league’s most underrated safeties.
After surviving last year’s turmoil and advancing all the way to the AFC Championship game, New England has reloaded with an eye on the ultimate prize.
The tandem of Brady and head coach Bill Belichick seems to make this team a perennial contender, and after reloading with a much more stable offseason, there is no reason to think the Patriots won’t contend for a Super Bowl if they can stay healthy.
2014 Patriots Predictions
- Place they’ll finish in AFC East: 1st
- Place they’ll finish in AFC Conference: 2nd
- Over/Under Wins Prediction: OVER
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