New England Patriots: 3 obstacles in the way of another Super Bowl run
The New England Patriots have started the 2019 NFL season at 6-0, but there are some issues that can derail their Super Bowl hopes.
As of now, the New England Patriots are on pace to being the No. 1 or No. 2 seed again in the conference.
But despite all of this, there are three glaring issues this team must correct and address before season’s end.
Schedule
There’s no question that the New England Patriots have benefited from a soft schedule early on. They’ve yet to play a team with a winning record and have made some teams, like the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins, look silly from time to time.
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But as the season progresses, the Patriots will have to play the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, and Philadelphia Eagles late in the fall.
By that point, they will no longer be benefiting from early-season health and may be even more bruised up than they are now. And for the one of the oldest teams in the league, they’ll need to manage the loads of their veteran players to make sure they still have gas in the tank come January.
The Offensive Line
If the future Hall-of-Famer and 42-year-old Tom Brady is going to stay upright and effective, then the offensive line will need to either improve or reconfigure.
And whether that comes in the form of Isaiah Wynn‘s return or not, it’s essential for the long term success of this team – especially considering that both fullbacks Jakob Johnson and James Develin our supposedly out for the season. We all know that the best New England Patriots teams are the balanced ones.
Health
By the end of Thursday’s win over the New York Giants, the New England Patriots were missing two of their top four wide receivers in Josh Gordon and Philip Dorsett, safety Patrick Chung, Nate Ebner and Stephen Gostkowski from special teams, starting left tackle Isaiah Wynn, running back Rex Burkhead, and both fullbacks as previously mentioned.
Additionally, Julian Edelman had been dealing with a chest injury and first round pick N’Keal Harry has yet to play in a game. Most of these injuries include offensive players, so the longer that they go without being at or near full health, the longer it will take to acclimate everyone.
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So while this New England Patriots team is facing minor issues, they are still far and away the best team in the NFL. Just imagine if they can put it all together.