Maybe Bill Belichick’s legions of critics were prophetic. Maybe his New England Patriots did wind up pissing off the football gods. During New England’s historic 2007 season, most of the non-Patriots fans who were not irate about Spygate were eventually turned off by what they perceived to be the head coach’s hubris.

Belichick’s high-powered Patriots would stomp opponents into the ground and then keep stomping. The annihilation would be followed by chilly postgame handshakes, terse, evasive press conferences and the emitting of a subtle arrogance that people tend to easily notice when you own three Super Bowl rings.

Eventually, the hubris reshaped the reputation of one of the classiest, most well-managed organizations in sports. Americans outside of the ritzy Northeast started looking at the Patriots in the same way people look at a luxury car with a vanity plate. Those who weren’t saying it were often thinking it: Those smug Patriots will get what’s coming to them.

And they did––at least it seems. New England’s perfect ’07 season was spoiled in the final minutes by a white-hot wild card team on football’s grandest stage. An impossible catch by a career-long special teamer allowed it to happen. Then, less than eight minutes into their official rebound effort of 2008, the helmet of Kansas City Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard smashed into the left knee of golden boy quarterback Tom Brady.

It was around this time that fans––mainly the classless ones––exhibited intense schadenfreude. But by winter, it looked like New England might somehow persevere. During the fall, untested quarterback Matt Cassel had grown up faster than bamboo. The offense seemed unstoppable again, and the Patriots won their final four games to finish 11-5. But a gross flaw in the NFL’s playoff format mandated that at least one team from the pathetic AFC West reach the postseason. The eight-win Chargers got the nod, making the ’08 Patriots the most accomplished non-playoff team in NFL history. What stung was that they may have been hot enough to pull off a few January upsets.

Was this the football gods putting the finishing touches on a Sisyphean punishment? Sure felt that way. But painful as it was, you now get the sense that it has passed (which, of course, would mean it’s not a Sisyphean punishment). The Patriots are sure acting like it’s passed. Despite Brady’s initial post-surgery complications, Belichick and the front office––which saw long-time VP of Player Personnel Scott Pioli leave for Kansas City, and former Titans GM Floyd Reese essentially take his place––traded Cassel (along with veteran linebacker Mike Vrabel) for a mere second-round draft choice. Third-year quarterback Kevin O’Connell or Matt Gutierrez will compete for backup duties, meaning New England’s mended superstar is as uninsured as southern flood damage.

You can’t blame the Patriots for being unafraid of more misfortune. Like Steven Spielberg after The Terminal or McDonalds after the Arch Deluxe, the Patriots will bounce back because they’re too good not to. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better owner in sports than Robert Kraft. And, like him or not, there isn’t a better General in the game than Belichick, a man who maintains excellence year after year despite often loosing some of his best Lieutenants (this, by the way, is why no one is worried about whether New England will miss offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels).

With Brady healthy, receivers Randy Moss and Wes Welker back, the front line intact and the arrival of veteran running back Fred Taylor, the ’09 Patriots offense has a chance to be as potent as the one that rewrote the record books in ’07. It’s an offense so prolific that the Patriot defense, which has a dire lack of pass-rushers and is very green in the secondary, should have no problem finishing in the NFL’s top 10 for a seventh time in eight seasons. After all, the defense will often be playing with a lead.

It’s been four years since the Patriots hoisted a Lombardi Trophy, yet no one is about to overlook them. Shrewd drafting and salary cap management have made the Patriots simply too deep to fail. Look, for example, at their 2009 rookie class. It consists of six players from Rounds Two and Three, none of whom is likely to see significant playing time this year. Six high draft picks learning the ropes from the comfort of a second-or third-string role? The Pats basically have football’s best farm system.

Of course, New England’s season is going to be decided by the players on the first string. It begins, and in a lot of ways, ends, with Mr. Brady.

Offense

Let’s just assume the Tom Brady is healthy. It’s a safe assumption, really. Bill Belichick wouldn’t ship away a 27-year-old potential franchise quarterback like Matt Cassel if he wasn’t confident in his 31-year-old future Hall of Famer. (By the way, in a rare mistake, the Patriots hastily traded Cassel to Kansas City when, had they waited just a little longer, they probably could have gotten more in return from the Josh McDaniels-led Broncos.) A healthy Brady means a high-flying Patriot offense. Randy Moss is entering his 12^th season but is still only 32. In other words, he’s a double-team demanding deep threat capable of reaching the end zone 20 times. Moss’s presence means the underneath routes will stay wide open for shifty, slot genius Wes Welker. It’s hard to sufficiently express Welker’s value to this team. He’s caught an astonishing 223 passes in his two seasons here. Perhaps the best way to explain Welker is this: because of his intelligence and moxie, he’s a player who gains six yards on plays that should go for four. Or, he gains nine or ten yards on plays that should get seven. Make sense?

The aerial assault doesn’t stop at the two starters. The Pats believe that 37-year-old newcomer Joey Galloway can rebound from an injury-riddled ’08 campaign and infuse the offense with yet more deep speed. If he can’t, former Eagle Greg Lewis will get a shot, followed by special teams maven Sam Aiken. Both can be serviceable on intermediate deep routes. Tight end Ben Watson is also an athletic receiving outlet (when he holds onto the football). Brady also makes better use of his backfield outlets than any passer in the game. Kevin Faulk is money on third downs, and veterans Sammy Morris and Fred Taylor both have underrated receiving skills.

Brady’s efficiency in the pocket ensures that this offensive line, which has been together for essentially three years now, won’t be imputed with surrendering 47 sacks again this season. Center Dan Koppen provides stability in the middle. He gets overpowered by bull-rushers but does everything else commendably. Right tackle Nick Kaczur’s slower feet and choppy technique make him the nominal weak link, though he’s clearly better than reserve Ryan O’Callaghan. Right guard Stephen Neal is in the final year of his contract; considering weak-legged Billy Yates has proved to be only a backup, the Pats are likely to re-sign the punishing run-blocker, Neal.

On the left side, tackles Matt Light and guard Logan Mankins form one of the better tandems in the game. Both can handle one-on-one pass-blocking assignments, though their greatest attribute is their fleet-footed mobility in the run game. Running the ball is something New England does only if necessary. Last season, with Cassel’s on-the-job training, it was necessary. The Pats’ ground attack, featuring a variety of ball carriers, ranked sixth in the league. This year, New England could very well throw the ball 50 times a game. However, if they choose to stay grounded, they have the personnel to thrive. The offensive line is good and the tight ends Watson and former Jet Chris Baker are both effective blockers. (If backup tight ends Alex Smith and David Thomas can block adequately, they’ll see action too.)

As for the ball-handlers, Fred Taylor’s elusive running style is ideal for this offense. Veteran Kevin Faulk, and especially Sammy Morris (who had 727 yards rushing in ’08 but battled knee and chest injuries), are capable of getting to the second level. And don’t forget about Laurence Maroney. A broken shoulder last October made the former first-round pick a dim, passive runner, perhaps permanently damaging his reputation. Now a fourth-year pro, Maroney will be given one more opportunity to prove he can stay healthy and sharp. Should he do so, he’d have this backfield’s most explosive burst.

Defense

Chances are, teams will try to beat the Patriots the same way the Patriots will try to beat them: through the air. It’s going to be extremely difficult to run against New England in 2009. For starters, the Pats have the most rapturous three-man front in football. Nose tackle Vince Wilfork (6’2”, generously listed at 325) is a wrecking ball inside. He damages whatever he smacks and can move in all directions with surprising dexterity. Future Hall of Famer Richard Seymour owns the point of attack wherever he lines up, and underrated Ty Warren, if healthy, can be nearly as vociferous.

What’s more, playing behind this line is second-year star Jerod Mayo, already the league’s best inside linebacker. Mayo is fast, agile, intelligent and seemingly incapable of missing tackles. His range is what enables deteriorating Tedy Bruschi to still start. (And Bruschi’s wise guidance, in return, is what has enabled Mayo to blossom so early.) It should be noted that the run defense on the edges may take a step back in ’09, simply because veteran outside linebacker Mike Vrabel, a solid play-side anchor, is gone. But Adalius Thomas is healthy again, which helps. And if Pierre Woods, Vrabel’s replacement, should struggle, New England has a very talented alternate in second-year pro Gary Guyton. In fact, Guyton, a swift, versatile undrafted rookie last year, probably should be starting ahead of Bruschi inside.

But again, stopping the run won’t be New England’s greatest challenge. Pressuring the quarterback will. This is where Tom Brady’s impact proves critical. A prolific offense is often a key ingredient to a prolific pass-rush. When your offense can score, your opponents, playing from behind, are frequently forced into predictable passing situations. Playing with a lead will almost be required if the Patriots are to get in any backfields this season. In his three years, Pierre Woods has not translated his athleticism into formidable pass-rushing moves. Adalius Thomas, while superb all-around, is only in the NFL’s second-echelon of edge rushers. It’s doubtful that backup Tully Banta-Cain will suddenly become creative, and last year’s third-round pick, outside linebacker Shawn Crable, while having enticing potential, has never set foot on a pro field (a leg injury landed him on IR last year).

There is some hope up front, however. The second-string defensive line features one-gap penetrator Jarvis Green, who can make noise facing one-on-one matchups beside Richard Seymour. But Green, who totaled 14 sacks from ’06-’07, had just two last year. (Seymour, however, tied a career-high with eight.) Outside of Green, the only key backup D-linemen are Mike Wright, a try-hard interior player, and second-rounder Ron Brace, a nose tackle so pure as a zero-technique that he wears jersey number 60.

With no gilded pass-rushers, are the Patriots in trouble? Doubtful. Belichick’s scheme––coordinated by Dean Pees [that’s Dean (noun) + Pees (noun), not Dean (noun) + Pees (verb)]––has a way of manufacturing pressure through subterfuge and disguise. This unit with Vrabel (who was a far more mediocre pass-rusher than people realized) ranked 13^th in sacks per play.

Most people believe that the secondary will actually be New England’s biggest issue. For several years, it has been. But this season, the Patriots have so much depth and young talent that the laws of probability make it difficult for them not to succeed.

At cornerback, the tentative plan is to start Jonathan Wilhite opposite newcomer Leigh Bodden. Wilhite got picked on at times as a fourth-round rookie last year, but experience will continue to correct a lot of his issues. Bodden is coming off a terrible year in which he never got comfortable in Detroit’s Cover 2. But he showed under former Pats D coordinator Romeo Crennel in Cleveland that he’s comfortable in this scheme. The soon-to-be 28-year-old turned down New England’s higher-paying multiyear contract offer only to later take a one-year deal. Likely, Bodden believes he can play well enough to warrant a more lucrative long-term contract after this season.

Should he fail, well-traveled vet Shawn Springs, who, at 33, is still an excellent one-on-one defender when healthy, could get an opportunity to start. This is assuming Springs beats out talented but still inconsistent second-year man Terrence Wheatley. Another name to keep in mind is Darius Butler. The second-round rookie was drafted, in part, to replace Ellis Hobbs in the return game. But some scouts think Butler’s ball skills could be an asset in defending the slot.

New England’s safety position is officially without retired Rodney Harrison. Fifth-year pro James Sanders now assumes Harrison’s leadership position. Sanders is by no means dynamic, but he offers stability in centerfield. New England’s 2007 first-round pick, Brandon Meriweather, will work at strong safety. In order to fulfill his star potential, Meriweather must become a more punishing run-stopper. He’s improved his pass defense just enough to keep second-round rookie Patrick Chung in a backup role (for now), but he hasn’t played quite well enough to be considered a cog in the lineup.

Special Teams

Given the number of first-and second-year players expected to fill the punt and kick units, and the absence of familiar veteran leaders Larry Izzo and long snapper Lonnie Paxton, the Patriots could see some early-season troubles here. It won’t come from the men booting the ball, though. Stephen Gostkowski has quietly become one of the soundest kickers in the game. He was 36/40 last season and has shown a big enough leg to warrant a long-term contract next spring. Punter Chris Hanson becomes almost irrelevant now that Tom Brady is back.

In the return game, Ellis Hobbs will be missed on kicks. Matthew Slater is eager to assume this role, though untimely gaffes cost him the trust of the coaching staff last year. Rookies Darius Butler and Brandon Tate (a wide receiver drafted in the third round) will both get opportunities to win this job in camp. Either Wes Welker or Kevin Faulk, whomever Belichick thinks is least likely to fumble, will handle punt returns.

Bottom Line

There’s not much difference between this Patriots team and the one from 2007, which should scare a lot of people. If Tom Brady is Tom Brady, this offense will put New England in the driver seat every game. That’s the best way to mask the mild deficiencies of what is, overall, a solid defense. And don’t forget, New England always has the league’s best coach.

Predicted: 1st AFC East