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2008 New England Patriots NFL Predictions

The New England Patriots came within one game of cementing themselves as the greatest football team in the history of the NFL. Will the Pats come storming back with a chip of their shoulder this season? Jimmy Boyd has your answer in his 2008 New England Patriots predictions and season preview.
 

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Offense

Tom Brady had one of the best NFL seasons a QB has ever had, passing for a league-record 50 touchdowns during the regular season. There's no reason to believe that the durable and talented Brady won't be the best QB in the league again in 2008.

Laurence Maroney played well in his first season as the Pats' feature back, rushing for 835 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 4.5 yards per carry. Kevin Faulk one again played his role as utility back to perfection. He had 47 catches out of the backfield.

The Patriots traded for Randy Moss and Wes Welker prior to the 2007 season and each receiver more than earned their paychecks. Moss set an NFL-record with 23 touchdown catches. He averaged 15.2 yards per catch and racked up nearly 1,500 yards on 98 receptions. Welker set a franchise mark with 112 catches. He added eight touchdowns and was the perfect compliment to Moss.

The offensive line sent three to the Pro Bowl and won every battle last season except the one that mattered most - they allowed five sacks in the Super Bowl. With left tackle Matt Light, left guard Logan Makins, and center Dan Koppen as the foundation, the Patriots line will win the battle of the trenches nearly every game again.

Defense

Five-time Pro Bowler Richard Seymour has recovered from the nagging knee problems that sidelined him in the first half of last season and will be ready to return to Pro Bowl form. Ty Warren, Vince Wilfork, and Jarvis Green combine with Seymour to form one of the most formidable fronts in the NFL.

The Patriots have a versatile linebacker unit, but it is also one that is getting up there in years. Mike Vrabel is 33, but he is coming off of his best season of his career in which he had 12.5 sacks. He continued his magic as a tight end in goal line situations with two more touchdown grabs. Tedi Bruschi led the team in tackles with 99, but the 35-year-old is entering his 13th season. Adalius Thomas proved to still have some mileage left at age 31 with a solid season in every aspect of his position. The ageless Junior Seau is 39 and this will be his 19th season if he decides to come back. These guys can likely get the job done another year, but the Pats have already been looking for replacements. 10th overall draft pick Jerod Mayo, third round pick Shawn Crable, and sixth rounder Bo Ruud will be waiting in the wings.

The Pats will take a hit here with the losses of Asante Samuel and Randall Gay. They signed free agent Fernando Bryant to fill Samuel's spot. Ellis Hobbs plays a solid cornerback but you might remember seeing him last getting beat by Plaxico Burress to give up the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl. Rodney Harrison and James Sanders will play the safeties with Brandon Meriweather also seeing some time.

Special Teams

Stephen Gostkowski led all AFC kickers in scoring and connected on 21 of 24 field goal attempts. Ellis Hobbs ranked seventh in kickoff returning and set an NFL-record with 108-yard return against the Jets.

Prediction – 1st AFC East

Despite an aging defense and losing two key defensive backs, the Patriots are still heads and shoulders better than the Bills, Dolphins, and Jets. New England should walk away with the division title and challenge for another Super Bowl.

Jimmy Boyd's NFL predictions will help you beat the sportsbooks all season long. No other handicapper in the industry has been as successful as Jimmy over the past 10 NFL seasons. Find out first hand this year and you'll never need to hunt for another handicapper again.

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June 26th, 2008