After New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s celebratory house warming party at the beginning of the month, things are all sweet in Foxboro. They can’t get much better after winning two Lombardi Trophies in three years. Something that starting quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick are all too familiar with is accomplishing the impressive feat for the second time. Success for this football club is perpetual, and after coming off of another Super Bowl victory, the only question that most analysts can ask is: “who is the greatest contender?”
How the 2017 New England Patriots Can Improve Upon Last Year’s Success
Even in the wake of victory, pragmatists with a mind like Belichick would only be focused on making the team better. In a league where players and coaches alike have dubbed the NFL’s alias as “Not for Long,” progress is the only prerogative. The Patriots are the best team in the National Football League and yet, there are still a couple major ways that they can get better as a team in 2017.
Switch to a 3-4 Defense
Obviously, take this point with a grain of salt. If there’s one thing that we know to be true about Belichick, it’s that he’s a defensive minded coach and he loves to diversify his schemes. Over the past few years, the Patriots have primarily ran a 4-3 defense. This year however, the roster would be better suited to transition to a 3-4.
Belichick loves smaller, versatile guys that can operate at multiple positions, in various different coverages. Most of the time that works to his advantage, but on this roster, he’s got such a high proportion of slender linebackers that it might be time to make a transition. Guys like Malcom Brown, Alan Branch, and Kony Ealy can be considered true defensive tackles in the scheme best suited to put their hand in the ground. However, rangier guys like Elandon Roberts, Kyle Van Noy, Shea McClellin and the obvious anchor of the defense Dont’a Hightower are all more suited in the middle of the defense. Making this transition would be a good stepping stone to the long term-adaptability of this defense, and Belichick would observe instant results.
Pick a Primary Running Back Early
Empirically, the high-powered Patriots offenses of the past have been known to disproportionately focus on their passing attack, leaving a dearth at the running back position. In the 2017-18 season, this will not be the case. This off-season, the Patriots made a huge splash at running back, grabbing up Buffalo Bills restricted free agent Mike Gillislee, as well as Cincinnati Bengals free agent Rex Burkhead. Those two join a stable of backs that already includes versatile back and Super Bowl extraordinaire James White, impressive scat-back Dion Lewis, as well as special teams ace Brandon Bolden who’s desperately trying to keep his head above water and stay on the roster.
The talent at this position is significantly higher than it’s been in past seasons. However, the way that the Patriots have successfully ensured offensive continuity in the past is by not falling into the committee backfield trap. Balancing a more physical back with a passing back is fine but a better situation is to find ‘the guy.’ Between White, Gillislee and Burkhead, somebody has the potential to be a three-down back and a core piece of the offense.
For the die-hard Patriot fans, nothing gets better than watching Tom Brady pose with Gucci Mane, Snoop Dogg, and a hand full of Super Bowl rings. The greatest quarterback of all time says he wants to play until he’s 45 (six more seasons). With the right circumstances falling into place, his desires are realistic. As owner Robert Kraft continues to set the benchmark in Super Bowl partying, Bill Belichick and company have some solid avenues to follow suit.
