A lot to tackle here, let’s start with Brace and Cunningham. I really believe they are two key guys to the defense this year because there’s really no expectations for them. If they play like the 2nd round picks that they were it could really elevate this defense. I’ve always liked Brace’s size and I think he’s perfect for what the Pats are doing schematically on defense now by trying to tie up the middle of the offensive line with massive men like Wilfork. As for Cunningham we know Belichick had his eye on him for a while while he was at Florida. I think he’s the dark horse of this defense, and could really become an impact player, and maybe even overtake Ninkovich at LDE.
I really hope Locker isn’t the next in a fairly long list of young QBs to torch our defense. We’ll see, but all the pieces that were added in the off-season to improve the defense will be on the field so there are no excuses as far as injuries go. Hopefully Jones, Dowling and most importantly Gregory can make a difference.
I think we’ll see plenty of Dowling on Sunday, he should come on in the nickel package, allowing Arrington to slide inside.
Screens should be more a part of the offense this year, they certainly have at least two backs (maybe three if Vereen can get healthy) who can excel with them. Against teams like the Jets who like to send a lot of pressure the screen game should be a big help. The athleticism of Solder should also be interesting to watch in this area.
The Patriots will always try to score like crazy. They’ll attack the weaknesses as they see them whether it’s through the air or on the ground.