They’ve done it! The New England Patriots are Super Bowl LIII Champions. Now that the confetti has settled, the duck boats stored away, and Boston’s unofficial holiday has passed, it is time to look towards the 2019 NFL season.
Now, it is only natural that New England Patriots nation would expect yet another trip to the big game, I’m sure some people have already made arraignments in Miami a full year in advance.
Given the fact that this past season was a “down” year for Tom Brady and company, them winning Super Bowl 53 proves that they can reach this game yet again next season.
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New England is currently favored to win Super Bowl LIV, and rightfully so. Here are a few reasons why the Patriots can go back to back.
1. They still have Tom Brady and Bill Belichick
Probably the simplest reason as to why the Patriots are always in contention year in and year out, the Brady-Belichick duo is dominant. As long as the pair is here in New England, they will always be in the conversation for the Super Bowl.
The 2018 season was a struggle and not your typical New England Patriots season. With back to back losses in September, December, and an ugly 34-10 loss in Tennessee in Week 10, many people wrote off the Pats and gave them no shot at reaching the Super Bowl.
The Patriots seemingly turned the corner in Week 16, dominating the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets to close out the regular season and secure a first-round bye in the Playoffs.
New England came back for the Divisional weekend and the rest was history, winning their 6th Super Bowl after dominating the Los Angeles Rams 13-3.
The Patriots will be heading into 2019 ready to defend their title. Tom Brady already has a countdown clock to Super Bowl 54 in his personal gym. Brady’s favorite ring is the next one and I’d expect him to be fully motivated to make that happen.
2. Sony Michel will be better in 2019
Running Back Sony Michel had a slow start to his rookie season. After missing all of the Preseason and Week 1 against the Houston Texans with a knee injury, Michel made his debut in Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He carried the ball 10 times for 34 yards in his first NFL contest.
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Michel really broke out in Week 4 at home against the Miami Dolphins. He was fed the ball 25 times for 112 yards and his first career touchdown.
Michel then got double-digit carries for every game the rest of the season except for Week 7 against Chicago, where he left the game early due to a knee injury.
Once the postseason came around, Sony Michel was a different animal. Over the course of 3 games, he put together 336 yards for 6 touchdowns on 71 carries. He was a key cog in the New England offense in the biggest games of the season.
We can only expect the Running Back to keep it going in his Sophomore season, as he hopefully can be ready to start the season as the number 1 option in the Patriots backfield.
As Brady gets older, you can expect the New England Patriots to lean on the running game more, and Michel will be a key part in the latter part of Brady’s career.
3. Greg Schiano can improve the defense
With Brian Flores leaving to become the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, the Patriots have a void at defensive coordinator. This is where Greg Schiano comes in. Previously, Schiano was the defensive coordinator at Ohio State University under Urban Meyer.
In 2018, #6 ranked Ohio State allowed 357 points. In 2017, the Buckeyes were ranked #5 in the country and their defense allowed 266 points.
Schiano last coached in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2012-2013 where he was the head coach. He went 11-21 with Tampa before departing to the NCAA.
Now, the Patriots defense allowed on average 359.1 yards per game this season, good for 21st in the NFL. The Patriots also allowed 20.3 points per game, ranking 7th in the league.
The defense stepped up in the playoffs, as the New England Patriots Patriots held off the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game and held the second-ranked LA Rams offense to 3 points in the Super Bowl. You can only expect Schiano to help improve the defense over the course of the season in 2019.
The New England Patriots will have a target on their back in 2019, but it’s not like they haven’t had one before. If Tom Brady is motivated, and it sure seems like he will be, the Patriots should be one of the final teams playing at the end of the season.