There will never be another 2007
With the addition of the dynamic deep threat Brandon Lloyd and the drafting of some impact players on defense, fans could not be more excited for this upcoming season. Is it the 2007 level of excitement? Perhaps. On paper, this 2012 team looks almost unbeatable. However, if we're going to expect this year to live up to the likes of five years ago, we will likely be very disappointed.
2007 was something that will probably never be duplicated. It was one of the best seasons of football Patriot fans will ever watch in their lifetime (that one game aside..) and we'll have to cherish it for what it was, a once in the lifetime thing. I hate to say it, but we will have to accept we will likely never get that chance to go undefeated again.
The 2012 Patriots could be great, but it's unlikely they'll be as completely dominant and (almost) perfect as that 2007 team was.
The rookies are great additions on defense, but it's hard to expect both Dont'a Hightower and Chandler Jones to become difference makers right away. They will need time to develop into the players they have the potential to become. Also, the possibilities with Lloyd are exciting, and the reports that came out of mini camps seem to suggest that Lloyd won't turn into the next Ochocinco or Joey Galloway. Still, anyone thinking Brandon Lloyd and vintage Randy Moss are one in the same has another thing coming.
This team looks like it could do something special again this year, though the Patriots are always in the discussion as Super Bowl contenders. Will they be as good as the 2007 squad? Time will tell, but I wouldn't count on it.
