Revisiting 2014 New England Patriots Bold Predictions

Dec 7, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis (24) gestures after the Patriots beat the San Diego Chargers 23-14 at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

3. New England Will Own A Top Five Defense

Accuracy: Meh.

Okay, so technically they weren’t top five in scoring, but they sure played like an elite unit all year long, particularly in the second half. The pass defense was much improved with Darrelle Revis in the fold, and even though they lost Jerod Mayo early, the run defense didn’t suffer too much.

A quote:

"Having a top notch secondary in today’s NFL is the number one key to having an elite defense. I think Seattle showed us that last year. Before Revis and Browner, the Pats had a decent secondary. With those two in the fold, the only team with a better defensive backfield is those pesky Seahawks."

HA! I thought the Seahawks had a better secondary than New England. My bad on that.

One of, if not the biggest reason the Patriots finally got over the hump this year and won the championship was because of a much improved defense. In past years, it was all on Brady and the offense to lead the team, but at multiple points in 2014, the defense was the unit carrying them to victory.

Next: The Next Prediction Didn't Turn Out To Be So Bold