The sports betting world doesn't even look at the roster of the New England Patriots anymore to set the odds of the Patriots making the Super Bowl. Every year, the Patriots are picked to be the odds-on favorites to win the AFC East and win the Super Bowl. The general consensus is that as long as head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady are in New England, then the Patriots are contenders. Unfortunately for the rest of the AFC, 2012 looks to be no exception.
Offense
Offense is where the Patriots make their money and win their games. When you talk about a Bill Belichick offense, you talk about an offense that plays to its own strengths. The team does not build an offense around quarterback Tom Brady, it builds its offense around the personnel it has on the roster. The best online betting sites are convinced that if the Patriots had a roster of Brady and nothing else but running backs, then the team would still have one of the best offenses in the league.
Record-setting tight end Rob Gronkowski will be healthy to start the season after an injury hampered his play in Super Bowl XLVI. Gronkowski will be teamed with tight end Aaron Hernandez to bring back the most prolific tight end duo in NFL history. It looks like wide receiver Wes Welker will honor his franchise tag and try to get a long-term deal in place before the season ends. The Patriots are all set on offense, and that is really bad news for the rest of the league.
Defense
Considering the problems that the Patriots were having in the pass rush, the online sportsbook experts were a little surprised to see the Patriots let pass rusher Mark Anderson sign with the Buffalo Bills. Not only will the Patriots have to compensate for Anderson's loss, but they will have to play him twice a year as well.
The Patriots' secondary has some pro bowl players and a lot of promise, and the secondary should be much better than last year. Where the Patriots really need to see improvement is in the linebackers. A sportsbook review of the linebacker play from New England shows a team that had a lot of problems in the middle of the field. The Pats made some changes in the off-season that will start to address these concerns.
Outlook
The New England Patriots are still the team to beat in the AFC East and probably the entire AFC. The team has a masterful way of compensating for defensive shortcomings with its offense. Look for the Patriots to beat out the Jets and an improved Buffalo Bills team for the AFC East and then make it to at least the AFC Championship game. Once New England gets to the championship game, teams like the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers may have the upper hand.
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