NFL record predictions for the 2018 regular season
By Ian Cummings
New England Patriots
At some point, Tom Brady will submit to the relentless pull of time. But with the roster he has around him this year, it’s hard to see the Patriots taking any steps back. The Evil Empire will reign for another year.
An argument can be made against the Patriots. But it’s the same argument that’s concocted every year. And it hasn’t yet come to fruition.
The Patriots experienced a sizable amount of turnover in the offseason of 2018. They lost defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, who helped turn a defense particularly avoid of talent into a threatening unit. They also lost key players on both sides of the ball, from Dion Lewis and Danny Amendola to Johnson Bademosi and Malcolm Butler.
The hopeful part of us all says that these losses will be too much to overcome, and that the Patriots will fall victim to a combination of factors, from the aging of Tom Brady to the thinning of a championship roster. But the Patriots have turnover every year; it’s how they operate. And every year, Bill Belichick brings them back to the playoffs.
It’s worth noting that Matt Patricia was with the Patriots for thirteen years, since the 2004 season. But the team has confidence in his assumed successor, Brian Flores. They like to hire from within, and so far, that strategy hasn’t failed them.
Additionally, the Patriots, for every contributor that they lost, gained back talented players who should help sullen the blow of said departures. In the NFL Draft, they added Isaiah Wynn and Sony Michel, an offensive tackle-running back duo from Georgia that combined to form one of college football history’s great rushing attacks. Wynn should seamlessly fill in for veteran Nate Solder, and at this stage in Solder’s career, Wynn might be a better player. Meanwhile, Michel is an electric runner who can feast in Josh McDaniel’s versatile offense.
The Patriots also filled the biggest need on offense, Bill Belichick’s prototypical receiver, and grabbed Miami’s Braxton Berrios, who should figure to be a key figure in the team’s extensive receiver rotation, which houses players like Julian Edelman, Jordan Matthews, Kenny Britt, Malcolm Mitchell, Phillip Dorsett, and Cordarrelle Patterson.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Patriots were apt to spend a sizable amount of draft capital on their linebacking corps, bringing in value deals like Christian Sam and Ja’whaun Bentley. Duke Dawson should also provide solid play at cornerback, and the McCourty twins, reunited for the first time since college, should provide veteran stability in that area.
Yes, the Patriots’ roster looks very different, relative to last year. But change won’t been enough to stop Tom Brady. It never has been. The only thing stopping Brady is time. And judging from his MVP performance last year, Brady still has a bit of time left.
After his final MVP season, Peyton Manning still had two (well, one and a half) years left. Brady shouldn’t be any different, and after factoring in his dietary habits and the lengths he takes to keep himself in shape, he could arguably last longer. But we’re not talking about the future. We’re talking about 2018. And in 2018, the Patriots will once again be at the top of the AFC East. However, one division rival will give them new trouble…