Super Bowl 45 is set and for the third year in a row the Patriots will not be playing in it. It’s a little easier to swallow this year when you consider we’re in the process of building something that both the Steelers and the Packers have… an elite defense.
The ultimate truth is that the Patriots have not won a Super Bowl since the last incarnation of their defense peaked in the mid-2000s. They had some very good years in the late 2000s, especially in 2006 and 2007, but by then their defense had aged enough that it just could not close playoff games out when they had to. They had lost their speed, and the veteran experience factor was not enough to take them to the promised land.
When you look at the defenses of the final four NFL teams they were a good blend of veterans and talented youth. Clearly Pittsburgh’s defense especially is a great model to aspire to. They built through the draft and now have a dominating D that is battle test enough to get four straight stops on their two yard line in the AFC championship game. That is what dominant defense is all about.
Some might argue that the Patriots owe it to Brady to go out and stock up on free agent defenders, but free agents are better used as hole-fillers. The foundation has to come through the draft, and the Patriots have one of the strongest young defensive foundations in the NFL.
If anything, this season has reinforced for me that the Patriots are going about their defensive re-build in the entirely right way. You need to continue to throw talented players into the mix via draft, and allow them all to play together as much as possible.
As hard as the Ravens and Jets playoff losses have been to handle the last two seasons, the young Patriots have acquired a boatload of great experience.
In 2010 they learned a lot about what it will take to be truly great. The first step is learning how to win consistently in the regular season. To not have letdowns after big wins, to remain consistent in your preparations, and how to battle in any environment or conditions, on any stage.
The final step now is to make a playoff run, and then this defense will ascend to that elite level. Are there still players and positions to be addressed? Of course. But it will be far better to add a young, talented player who can be molded to the Pats style, and play a part in the next 5-10 seasons, than to add an early 30-something who must unlearn what he already knew, then translate the new knowledge into prime performance (see Adali-ooops).
So I’m feeling pretty good today, and not just because the Jets lost. I think the Patriots defense will be much improved in 2011, but in 2012 they should really hit their stride, with a number of talented veterans all hitting their peak at the same time.