Oct 27, 2013; Foxborough, MA, USA; A New England Patriots logo is seen on a helmet during the first quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
The defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots will open the 2015 NFL season on Thursday, as they host the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Patriots’ off season was full of off-the-field issues which ended up in their most prestigious player having to fight the NFL in federal court.
Fortunately, the deflate-gate saga is primarily behind us, and we can now look forward in anticipation of the 2015 NFL season. On Thursday, the Patriots will raise their latest Super Bowl banner and look to win a battle against the Steelers.
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While deflate-gate stole most of the Patriots’ headlines through the off season, the moves the team made were extremely interesting. Most notably, the losses the team suffered at the cornerback position. Gone are Darrell Revis, Brandon Browner and Kyle Arrington, and they will be replaced by some sort of combination of Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler, newcomers Bradley Fletcher and Tarell Brown, and Logan Ryan.
While the cornerback position is a clear question mark, the Patriots did a nice job of solidifying their defensive front seven. Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich return as the starting defensive ends, but free agent addition Jabaal Sheard single-handily gives them much better depth than in years past. Rookies Trey Flowers and Geneo Grissom could both figure into the Patriots’ plans at the position as well.
Defensive tackle isn’t as deep, but last year’s first round pick Dominique Easley looks primed to be a player for teams to worry about this season, while Sealver Siliga should be a solid run stopper. This year’s first round rookie Malcom Brown has massive upside at defensive tackle, and if he can contribute early, the defensive line is going to be scary good.
The Patriots’ impressive trio at linebacker including Jamie Collins, Dont’a Hightower and Jerod Mayo have a chance to be an elite unit as well. Between the obvious talent on the defensive line and at linebacker, the Patriots should be able to make up for the unknown in the defensive backfield.
With the Tom Brady suspension revoked, the Patriots’ offensive looks primed and ready to be among the league leaders again this season. A lot of familiar faces return to the Patriots’ offense, which leads to few questions across the board.
When it comes down to it, the Patriots are clearly Super Bowl contenders in the AFC this season. While the Indianapolis Colts are the sexy pick, they are going to have to prove themselves against the champions.
It all starts on Thursday night against the Steelers. The Patriots are among the most interesting teams in the entire league this season, and there are plenty of players who will be important to their success in 2015.
When watching the regular season opener on Thursday, there are certain players who we all need to be watching. Their success on the field will strongly help determine how successful the Patriots as a team will be in 2015.
Here are five Patriots’ players to watch in Week 1 against the Steelers.
Next: Brady's Next Target