New England Patriots: NFL 2016 Season Analysis

FACTS AND STATS

2015 finish: First, AFC East

Record: 12-4, 1-1 in postseason

DIVISIONAL RECORD: 4-2

TOTAL OFFENSE: 374.4 (6th)

RUSHING: 87.8 (30th)

PASSING: 286.7 (5th)

TOTAL DEFENSE: 339.4 (9th)

RUSHING: 98.8 (8th)

PASSING: 240.7 (17th)

COACH: Bill Belichick

17th season with Patriots

209-78 overall; 22-9 postseason

22nd season as NFL head coach

246-123 overall; 23-10 postseason

XTRA FACTOR

The loss in last year's AFC Championship Game, and the four-game suspension in the dubious Deflate-gate debacle will only intensify the burning desire to win by Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. If that is possible.

2016 UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS

By TSX reporter covering team:

QUARTERBACKS: Starter -- Jimmy Garoppolo. Backups -- Jacoby Brissett, Tom Brady (suspended four games)

The strange month of Patriots games without Brady under center begins with Garoppolo's first career start in Arizona. Over the last two seasons the former second-round pick out of Eastern Illinois has thrown only 31 passes in mostly mop-up duty, including four passes last fall. He is coming off an at-times shaky preseason and will be pressured in many ways trying to keep the high-powered Patriots passing attack moving forward in Brady's absence. Garoppolo offers a little more athletic ability than his veteran mentor, meaning he could be utilized on more bootlegs and moving pockets than is traditional in New England. The bottom line is that he will have to prove he can deal with pressure, make quick decisions and accurate throws, all of which were a problem at times this summer. Brissett has shown impressive development in just a few months as a third-round rookie out of N.C. State. He has a strong arm and can move around much like Garoppolo, though is by no means a runner. Brissett was quite raw early in OTAs, but finished the preseason in impressive fashion. That is not to say he is ready for a regular season game, even if he is just one snap away from the job.

RUNNING BACKS: Starter -- LeGarrette Blount. Backups -- James White, FB James Develin, Brandon Bolden, D.J. Foster

New England's running back core took a hit with 2015 breakout star Dion Lewis having to go on PUP to open the season as he recovers from a torn ACL suffered last November. Blount is the big back in the mix, although he wasn't as good as his numbers a year ago when he tallied 703 yards, a 4.3 average and six touchdowns before landing on Injured Reserve himself last fall. He had only an average preseason and was a bit loose with the football, so his hold on the job is tenuous at best. White was tremendous filling in for Lewis over the second half of last season in the passing back role as a receiver with 40 receptions and four touchdowns. He's not quite as flashy as Lewis, but has tremendous field vision and elusiveness after the catch. But White has not yet shown the ability as a runner to be a dual-threat out of the backfield. That could leave an opening for the undrafted rookie Foster -- who played both running back and receiver at Arizona State -- to steal some chances in the Patriots preferred spread attack. Foster showed flashes late in the preseason as both a receiver and ball carrier that make him an intriguing option moving forward. Bolden is a trusted if unspectacular backup to all the roles in the backfield as well as a respected core member of New England's special teams units. Develin returns from missing 2015 with a broken leg to his work as the blocking fullback, occasional pass catcher and reliable special teamer.

TIGHT ENDS: Starters -- Rob Gronkowski, Martellus Bennett. Backups -- Clay Harbor, AJ Derby

Bennett joins the All-Pro Gronkowski to form arguably the best tight end duo in the game and maybe the best the Patriots have ever had under Bill Belichick's watch. Gronkowski was limited this summer and sat out the preseason but is coming off consecutive campaigns with 1,100 yards and double-digit touchdowns. Bennett is a year removed from 90 catches and a Pro Bowl in Chicago, but was a bit inconsistent with his hands and effort this summer. Harbor was limited this summer due to injury at times, but still the veteran H-back type offered enough to keep his job as a potential pass catcher and versatile blocker. Derby was the star of the offseason a year after the converted former quarterback missed his rookie season on injured reserve. He showed impressive athleticism as a route runner and consistent catching the ball, his obvious upside earning him a roster spot on a talented, veteran positional depth chart.

WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters -- Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan. Backups -- Danny Amendola, Malcolm Mitchell, Matthew Slater

Belichick went seemingly a bit thin at the receiver position this fall, especially considering some of the health questions surrounding the players involved. Edelman missed the bulk of the offseason recovering from a second surgery on a broken foot that forced him to miss time last fall. He did look sharp in his cuts late in the summer and clearly will look to be his usual consistent target out of the slot. He has averaged seven catches per game played over the last three seasons. Hogan comes aboard from Buffalo as a restricted free agent addition. Though he has never started more than four games or caught more than 41 balls in his three seasons with the Bills, Hogan is expected to have a major role in his new home. He has the quickness to work inside but the size to be an option on the outside as well, even though he is not a deep threat. Mitchell had an impressive preseason debut as a fourth-round pick before suffering a dislocated elbow. He is returned to the practice field and will compete for reps on the outside. Georgia's third all-time leading receiver is hoping to break the trend of young receivers struggling to catch on in New England's complex offense. Slater is a receiver in name only, a desperation deep threat whose value comes in the kicking game, where he has gone to five straight Pro Bowls.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters -- LT Nate Solder, LG Joe Thuney, C David Andrews, RG Josh Kline, RT Marcus Cannon. Backups -- G Jonathan Cooper, G Shaq Mason, G/C Ted Karras, T LaAdrian Waddle, T Cameron Fleming

When Tom Brady was sacked four times and hit 17 times in last January's AFC title loss in Denver, New England's banged up, makeshift offensive line became the centerpiece of postgame criticism. The group enters 2016 with the return of legendary offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia from a two-year retirement, but questions about the group's personnel remain. Solder returns after missing all but four games a year ago due to a torn biceps, but he still needs to prove he is a truly elite tackle capable of protecting the blindside against elite defenders. Cannon will hold down the right tackle spot with Sebastian Vollmer opening the year on PUP with the potential to miss the entire season to a recurring hip issue, although that already cuts into the group's limited depth on the outside. Thuney is a third-round rookie who has held down the left guard spot since the first day of spring practice. Andrews enters his second season as a starter, the former undrafted player beating out Bryan Stork, who was released last month. Right guard is the spot with the most questions. Cooper was acquired via trade and the former No. 7 overall pick was slotted into the spot until he suffered a foot injury on the third day of camp that sidelined him the rest of the summer. Mason is also a starting option in his second season, but he's dealing with a broken hand. So early in the year the job could fall to versatile, reliable veteran Kline, though at times his limited upside gets exposed. Waddle and Fleming battle for the swing tackle reps, but neither has been able to breed much confidence in their year-plus on the team, while Karras is a tough, heady, scrappy rookie with some versatility.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters -- LDE Chris Long, DT Malcom Brown, DT Alan Branch, RDE Jabaal Sheard. Backups -- DE Trey Flowers, DT Anthony Johnson, DT Vincent Valentine, DE Rob Ninkovich (suspended four games).

Even with Ninkovich missing a month for violating the NFL's policy on performance enhancing drugs -- the veteran was already dealing with a torn triceps that would have likely sidelined him a couple games anyway -- the depth on the defensive front line is solid. Long was brought in to be a rotational player and backup, but appears to have plenty left in the tank after two down, injury-limited seasons in St. Louis. Sheard suffered a MCL injury that caused him to miss most of August, but the veteran is coming off a very impressive first season in New England. After notching eight sacks last fall, Sheard will slide into the starting role on the right side vacated by the Chandler Jones trade and will be expected to increase his production. The rest of the depth on the outside will come from Flowers, who was a non-factor as a rookie before landing on injured reserve but has shown impressive burst and playmaking ability in each of his first two preseasons. Brown is coming off an impressive rookie season as a first-round pick and will be expected to continue to grow in the role as a run stuffer with the occasional ability to collapse the pocket. Branch is back to work with the youngster to do the same. The duo was impressive enough for New England to cut veteran Terrance Knighton and rely primarily on third-round rookie Valentine to provide depth on the inside.

LINEBACKERS: Starters -- MLB Dont'a Hightower, OLB Jamie Collins, OLB Shea McClellin. Backups -- OLB Barkevious Mingo, OLB Jonathan Freeny, MLB Elandon Roberts

The linebacker group is much like the front line in that it combines returning veterans and newcomers, almost all with versatility and playmaking ability. Collins is coming off his first Pro Bowl and has almost unlimited athletic potential heading into a contract year. He is asked to play the run, rush and cover all over the field and does so impressively as shown from his 2015 numbers that included 90 tackles, 5.5 sacks, an interception, six passes defensed, five forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in only 12 games. Hightower is a bit more stout and slightly less versatile, but is still a uniquely skilled player on the front. He's also heading into a contract year, with durability his primary drawback after playing in just 12 games each of the last two years. McClellin was signed from the Bears, where he transitioned form true defensive end to off-the-line linebacker a year ago. Mingo, the former No. 6 overall pick in Cleveland, could steal some reps despite his late arrival via trade right before the end of the preseason.

Freeny was a surprise starter at times in his first season in New England in 2015 and was signed to an extension despite his previous reputation as a mere special teams type in Miami, where he never started a game in three-plus seasons. Roberts impressed as a sixth-round rookie this summer, showing surprising physicality at just 235 pounds.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters -- LCB Malcolm Butler, RCB Logan Ryan, SS Patrick Chung, FS Devin McCourty. Backups -- FS Duron Harmon, CB Cyrus Jones, S Jordan Richards, CB Justin Coleman, CB Jonathan Jones, DB Nate Ebner, DB Brandon King

New England has a relatively young, completely home-grown secondary that hopes to build on a surprisingly solid 2015 campaign. McCourty is the leader as a Pro Bowler and captain. Though not an elite playmaker, he's as solid as they come in the back end. Butler also earned a Pro Bowl nod in his second season, going from surprise Super Bowl hero to No. 1 cornerback matched up against opponents' top target. The young corner brings relentless fight to weekly matchups and has a knack for knocking the ball away even when he's seemingly beaten. If he can take another step forward in his third season, he could be considered one of the top corners in the game. Ryan started 14 games last fall and notched four interceptions, giving him 11 over the last three years as one of the more productive pickoff artists in the game. But Ryan's play doesn't always match his resume, as he gets picked on by opposing passers. Chung has seen a career resurgence over the last couple years in New England, still working as a box safety but adding some improved coverage skills to his game. He and Harmon share the role opposite McCourty depending on scheme, with all three also seeing plenty of snaps tighter. Jones is the top pick and appeared to take over the slot cornerback job this summer, although he will battle with returning former undrafted rookie Coleman for those reps. Jones is a speedy, feisty undrafted rookie who adds back-end depth. Richards is a second-year second-round pick who is trying to find a role for himself, although his limited coverage skills are an issue. Ebner and King are pretty much entrenched as core special teams players at this point.

SPECIAL TEAMS: K Stephen Gostkowski, P Ryan Allen, LS Joe Cardona, PR Cyrus Jones, KOR Danny Amendola

Gostkowski remains arguably the best kicker in the game with a combination of leg strength and accuracy. He hit 33 of his 36 field goal attempts last fall and all of his extra points PATs for the ninth straight season, having set a record with 463 consecutive extra points, although he actually missed a PAT in the postseason in the loss in Denver. Always strong on touchbacks, Gostkowski will need to adjust this year to the possibility that Belichick could ask him to kick some high and short in light of the new rule that puts touchbacks at the 25-yard line. Allen is middle-of-the-road punter both in terms of gross and net averages, but has kept Belichick relatively happy with his directional work over his three seasons in New England, including a career-high 31 kicks downed inside the 20 last fall. Cardona is a solid second-year long snapper who was drafted in the fifth-round out of Navy and hasn't really faced competition in his first two years in New England. Jones will be given every chance to have the top punt return role, easing the load on the likes of Edelman and Amendola.

PRACTICE SQUAD: RB Bishop Sankey, WR Devin Street, DE Geneo Grissom, DE Rufus Johnson, DT Woodrow Hamilton, T Clay DeBord, G Chris Barker, WR Devin Lucien

2016 SCHEDULE

All times Eastern

Sept. 11, at Arizona, 8:30

Sept. 18, MIAMI, 1:00

Sept. 22, HOUSTON (Thu.), 8:25

Oct. 2, BUFFALO, 1:00

Oct. 9, at Cleveland, 1:00

Oct. 16, CINCINNATI, 1:00

Oct. 23, at Pittsburgh, 4:25

Oct. 30, at Buffalo, 1:00

OPEN DATE

Nov. 13, SEATTLE, 8:30