2009 New England Patriots Football Preview

2008 Record: 11-5, Second AFC East

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Head Coach: Bill Belichick; Tenth season

Key Additions: RB Fred Taylor, CB Shawn Springs, CB Leigh Bodden, LB Tully Banta-Cain, WR Greg Lewis, TE Alex Smith

Key Losses: QB Matt Cassel, LB Mike Vrabel, S Rodney Harrison, CB Ellis Hobbs, LB Larry Izzo, RB LaMont Jordan

1st Round Draft Picks: -

2nd Round Draft Picks: Patrick Chung – Defensive Back, Ron Brace – Defensive Tackle, Darius Butler – Cornerback, Sebastian Vollmer – Offensive Lineman

2009 New England Patriots Schedule

New England Patriots 2008 NFL Season in Review

In many ways the 2008 NFL season for the New England Patriots can be summarized by watching only the first game of the season. Tom Brady went down with a knee injury and missed the rest of the year. Matt Cassel capably filled in and the team still managed to go 11-5, which would normally be good enough to make the playoffs although the team barely missed the cut. The Patriots finished with one of the best running attacks in the league, put together with a largely hodgepodge unit in which no one player dominated and 5 players had more than 70 carries. The defense showed some signs of aging and wasn't dominant, although the team still finished 8 th in points allowed and 10 th in yardage allowed.

New England Patriots 2009 NFL Season Preview

Things shine eternally when Tom Brady is slated to return to your club. He rejoins some great targets on the offensive side of the ball while the defense is missing some familiar faces from his tenure. A healthy Brady has to make the Patriots the favorite in the division once again, despite improvements made by every other team in the division.

2009 New England Patriots Offense:

It's never a bad thing to get a sure firer Hall of Fame quarterback returning to the lineup in his prime and feeling fit to play some football. Brady has been itching to get back into the action and seems motivated to make up for lost time. Wide receivers Randy Moss and Wes Welker will make that easy to do. Additionally, the team grabbed up underrated veteran running back Fred Taylor. In a reduced role he should be able to stay fresh while proving to be a difference maker for the club.

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2009 New England Patriots Defense:

The defense for the 2009 New England Patriots will be missing some of their big names and some of their fiery leadership with the Mike Vrabel and Rodney Harrison gone. However, Pro Bowl lineman Richard Seymour remains, as does Tedy Bruschi. Jerod Mayo was a revelation in his rookie season, leading the team in tackles. The team hopes to have a healthy Adalius Thomas as well, which could return the unit to dominance. The Patriots brought in two cornerbacks, Shawn Springs and Leigh Bodden, to patch up the secondary.

2009 New England Patriots Prediction: First AFC East

By Jake Emen
ProFootball-fans.com Staff Writer

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