Kicking off a new season

Page 8 of 15 -- Nick, Great to have you back. I do not recall New England having a Double Barrel Defense since the days of Don Blackmon and Andre Tippett. Do you think the pass rush which the Pats can apply from both the left and right side and from the DE and OLB in combo will cause major problems for the opponents offenses? This will be very interesting.
-- Fred Rider, Agawam

A: Just to hear Belichick gush over Colvin tells you he has big plans for him as a pass rusher. You can see it in practice sometime when Colvin is rushing and disrupting Brady. I think he'll be fun to watch, and I think Colvin will help Willie McGinest draw fewer double teams so maybe he can get a few sacks as well. They definitely upgraded their pass rush. Now we have to find out whether they upgraded their run defense.

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Nick, I think we all know by now that it doesn't matter how good your defense is you cannot win in the NFL if you can't control the ball, by running, or by sustaining offense, unless you have a miraculous turnover ratio. How will the Pats sustain offense this season? How can they prevent the defense from having to be yeomen-like? Can Belichik open things up a bit with the new contract, a more seasoned quarterback, a creative offensive coordinator, and a Super Bowl victory under his belt?
-- Thomas P. Killay, Warwick, R.I.

A: This offense can score points. I think Brady is very accurate and can get the ball in good spots to his receivers. A healthy Troy Brown is going to make a big difference, and Branch has a chance to be a deep threat along with Bethel Johnson. Tom Brady has to show he can throw the deep ball, and if he can, that will open up what they really would rather do and that is moving the ball with a medium range passing game.

Nick, How long do you think the Patriots will keep the 3-4 as the base defense considering the lack of experience at nose tackle and defensive end. I think it would make sense to have the youngsters play with at least two experienced defensive linemen. By putting Warren on the field with Seymour you have your top athletic linemen on the field, but I think the leadership and experience of Bobby Hamilton and Anthony Pleasant is needed for the Patriots to be sucessful. Maybe combine Warren and Klecko in the middle with Seymour and Hamilton/Pleasant/McGinest on the outside?
-- Eric J. Moss, Warwick, R.I.

A: I think they're committed to the 3-4. Now will they change it up occasionally and use a 4-3? Absolutely. The Patriots defense is all about trickery. They confuse offenses. They're not the fastest team, so they do other things to get the edge. They're a smart defense.   Continued...