Despite Patriots' Struggles, Belichick Still a Mastermind

If someone had told you at the beginning of the season that the Patriots would be 7-5 looking up at the division leading New York Jets hoping for a spot in the playoffs, you probably would have questioned whether they knew anything about sports (well, maybe they do, but perhaps they get their information from Matt Millen?)

Yet, here they sit in that exact position, and quite frankly they're doing alright. The key to their success has been the game planning and genius scheming of Bill Belichick. Not many coaches can continue to win after losing several all-star players, especially the magnitude of Rodney Harrison, Adalius Thomas, Ty Warren, Laurence Maroney, and oh yeah, some guy Tom Brady who threw for fifty touchdowns last season and set some sort of record...

The offense has been led by Matt Cassel, who making his first start since high school just twelve weeks ago, has matured into a legitimate starter before our very eyes. I won't say that the Patriots should consider trading Tom Brady and keeping Matt Cassel because that's just plain ludicrous, but Belichick has put more trust in Cassel over the past weeks and has done an excellent job of running the offense.

The defense hasn't performed up to the standards of Belichick's scheming prowess, but can thank their lucky stars for the resurgence of Richard Seymour, who coming off an abysmal 1.5-sack season just last year leads the team now with 7.5 sacks. Without the pressure he brings off the edge and up the middle, things look a lot more bleak for this defense.

Although the Patriots got brutally pounded by a stiff Pittsburgh Steelers defense, they have managed to stay afloat in a murky AFC East where only one game keeps three teams apart.

Yet, at 7-5, the Patriots are shaping up to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2002. They would have to run the table on their opponents from here to the end of the season (the Patriots, if you remember, have some experience running the table). The feat isn't nearly as daunting when you look at the remaining schedule - although they have to play two straight games on the west coast for the second time this season, they play two hapless opponents in the Seahawks and the Raiders. Then they come back home to face potential league MVP quarterback Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals, who have been torching opponents with their explosive offense led by Warner and two dynamic receivers in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. They finish off the season at Buffalo in what should be a great white slugfest between two northeastern teams.

New England has always been a team that can scheme to beat you, and last years excessive offensive beatdowns were incredibly contrary to what we've seen from New England in years past.

Some coaches handle the loss of a key player very well, while other teams struggle. The Chargers, for instance, haven't looked the same without Shawne Merriman. A consistent presence as a pass rusher off the edge, Merriman has been sorely missed by a defense who ranks 31^st out of 32 teams in the league against the pass.

Prior to just a couple of seasons ago, the Patriots were never a team who flashed a star-studded lineup of all-pros and Pro Bowlers, but their schemes were what got the job done week in and week out. Due to the outbreak of injuritis in the Patriots locker room, Belichick has had a chance to revisit his scheming prowess and it has given them a chance to make the playoffs.

Although the Titans, Steelers, and Colts have been at the front of the AFC championship talk for weeks, the fact of the matter is that Belichick has always been a master in the one-game seasons that the NFL post-season brings. If the Patriots make the playoffs, they instantly become a huge threat to go all the way in the AFC. The Titans, though they've been nearly unstoppable all season, have little to no post-season experience (less quarterback Kerry Collins and their head coach), the Colts have always had problems (especially against the Patriots) in the post-season, and despite a lopsided loss to the Steelers, you can expect that the same won't happen twice should the Patriots meet them again.