Sep 16, 2012; Foxboro, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork (75) before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

(This is the final entry into the ‘positional breakdown’ feature on Musket Fire)

Under Contract for 2013: Rob Ninkovich, Chandler Jones, Vince Wilfork, Justin Francis, Jermaine Cunningham, Jake Bequette, Kyle Love, Brandon Deaderick, Marcus Forston, Armond Armstead, Jason Vega

I will be breaking down this position into two parts (Defensive Tackle, and Defensive End) because of how many players are currently on the Patriots roster.

Defensive Tackles: (Vince Wilfork, Kyle Love, Brandon Deaderick, Marcus Forston, Armond Armstead)

Defensive Tackle is one of the more interesting positions for the Pats going into 2013, on one hand they were terrific against the run as the Pats finished 9th in that category. However on the other hand, they really did not provide much of a pass rush at all outside of Vince Wilfork. One of the key components to winning a Super Bowl in today’s NFL is having a successful pass rush up the middle. We see it all the time with Tom Brady, the one thing that seems to slow him down is pressure in his face, and that is something I think the Patriots need to work on for next season.

We all know how great Vince Wilfork is, he is maybe the best player at his position in the NFL today, he is a great run stuffer and he is the one guy on the Patriots that has the ability to push the pocket in the passing game. Kyle Love and Brandon Deaderick are very similar in my eyes. They are both good at plugging up holes in the running game, but they do not bring much at all to the pass rush. Kyle Love is a much bigger guy as well, which helps tremendously in the run game, and I think he should be playing over Deaderick on first and second downs in 2013. Armond Armstead I think could be the steal of the year for the Pats, they signed him from the CFL and there is very little risk in this signing. There was some talk that Armstead has 2nd round pick talent and the Patriots got him for next to nothing. I think that he could bring a much needed pass rush from the inside in 2013, and that would help the Patriots defense tremendously.

Defensive End: (Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich, Justin Francis, Jermaine Cunningham, Jake Bequette, Jason Vega)

In my opinion defensive end is one of the deepest and talented positions on the Patriots roster. They have Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones starting on the ends, and both of them can put pressure on the quarterback, I think Jones could possibly be a top 5 pass rusher in the NFL, in a few years. He has all the tools needed, and as long as he stays healthy I see no reason why he could get there. It seems like all Rob Ninkovich does is make clutch plays when the Pats need them most. I think Ninkovich is one of the most important players on the Patriots team, and is very underrated in the NFL. When you talk about the Patriots you talk about the offense and Tom Brady and the two tight ends, but I really feel that Ninkovich should be mentioned as well. ‘Nink’ shows up to every game and makes the big plays, and I think that is one of the most important traits to have when playing in the NFL.  Justin Francis and Jermaine Cunningham back Jones and Ninkovich up, and I think they are great backups that can step in and rush the passer when needed. Francis has a great motor and Cunningham showed great potential before his suspension. I really think that if you give this group an offseason to continue to work, they will be very good in 2013, and one of the strengths of the Patriots roster.

2013 Outlook:

The Patriots have a very solid group on the line in terms of pass rush off of the edge, and run defense in the middle. The only major need I see for these positions is a defensive tackle that can push the pocket and bring some pressure on the quarterback. If they go out and get a guy like this, then I believe that the Patriots defense could possibly be suited to make a run at the Super Bowl in 2013.

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

This piece is going to carry the theme of defensive ends and defensive lineman. Ninkovich was available at practice and is a lock to play against the Houston Texans, and one would guess that the same could be said for Francis. He is emerging as a key situational pass rusher in certain roles, and he raised his stock before the breakout game by generating consistent pressure in the absence of top sub-package rusher Jermaine Cunningham.

The Patriots decided to work out former USC Trojans star defensive lineman Armond Amstead, who was also an All-Star in the CFL. He has plenty of talent as an interior pass rusher, and I just want to note that there is no way Armstead’s work out and Francis’s absence in practice are related at all. Francis is most likely not injured, and Armstead isn’t even allowed to sign with the team until after the postseason. This is a work out for the future and one that could net them a high-reward DL who can really bring the heat on the quarterback.

This guy is a potential steal as a project player for the Patriots, and I like this decision a lot.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

1. The New England Patriots offensive line was just incredible, and Sebastian Vollmer got his revenge on Cameron Wake in Week 17 after Wake beat up on the injured RT in their first meeting. I have never seen Wake negated like that as a pass rusher, and the Pats as a whole held the Dolphins to just two hits on Tom Brady and a meager four hurries in total. The only sack of the game came from a cornerback blitz, while the other QB hits was from an ILB blitz by Kevin Burnett.

2. Tom Brady went 12-17 on throws to the middle and right of the field, but never completed a deep pass outside of the middle of the field.

3. Brandon Lloyd caught just one pass on five targets for nine yards in this game, and that’s what skews Brady’s stats when throwing to the left side of the field (10-15 on short plays, 0-4 on deep throws).

4. Ryan Tannehill was a precise 11-14 on throws to the right side of the field, but he was awful elsewhere and felt the heat on roughly a third of his passing attempts. Tannehill finished with a sub-20 TQBR and continues to struggle against the New England Patriots.

5. You know who doesn’t struggle in Dolphins-Patriots games? Wes Welker. He is dominant against his former team, and he has been dominant all season. Brady and Welker are connecting perfectly down the stretch, and Welker caught eight passes on roughly 11 targets for a total of 94 yards. Only Danny Woodhead’s 5-5 for 79 yards day beat Welker’s big game against Miami.

6. Nobody had more than half of the number of successful plays that Chandler Jones did, as he finished with seven tackles, two batted passes, and eight successful plays as arguably the best defender on the field. The Dolphins only ran the ball 15 times for an awful YPC average, and that’s due to the incredible days that Jones and Vince Wilfork had against the run.

7. Ryan Tannehill was sacked seven times and hit eight times. Justin Francis (3), Trevor Scott, Derrick Martin, Vince Wilfork, and Brandon Deaderick all sacked the Dolphins QB. Dont’a Hightower added the eighth QB hit, and Chandler Jones had a tackle for loss in run defense.

8. This is just how good Chandler Jones was against the Dolphins. They ran the ball four times for just nine yards when running it towards the left side of the field. Three of those four runs resulted in tackles made by Jones. In total, Jones had a whopping six tackles in run defense, while Wilfork added an impressive four.

9. According to The Pro Football Focus, Devin McCourty held Brian Hartline to just four receptions for a lower average than his yards per reception average on the season.

10. When rushing it straight up the gut, the New England Patriots averaged over five yards per carry with 68 total yards on 13 touches. Stevan Ridley had two touchdowns when running it up the middle, with one of them being straight up the throat of the Dolphins defense.

11. Tom Brady averaged 7.9 yards per attempt and finished with a 104.4 QB Rating in total. Another thing, the Pats were 2-3 on fourth down conversions in this game. Brady had a 13.2 EPA against the ‘Fins.

12. The Patriots averaged nearly six yards per play, were obviously a perfect 3-3 in the red zone, they did not commit a turnover while also forcing two, and they also had a time of possession of more than 11 minutes than the Dolphins. Yeah, it was a dominant performance all-around for the New England Patriots.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.