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Patriots are early favorites for Super Bowl 51

By Connor Fulton

Sep 27, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) after the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second half at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots defeated the the Jacksonville Jaguars 51-17. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 27, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) after the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second half at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots defeated the the Jacksonville Jaguars 51-17. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /
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Tom Brady Patriots
Sep 27, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) after the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second half at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots defeated the the Jacksonville Jaguars 51-17. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past 12-plus hours, you know that the Denver Broncos thoroughly defeated the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 two weeks after defeating the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship. Even though they faltered in 2015, the Patriots have to be viewed as favorites to win Super Bowl 51.

2015 just wasn’t the Patriots’ year. The injury bug came in multiple waves, each time wiping out a handful of key contributors. But aside from the injuries, the Patriots just couldn’t execute down the stretch of the regular season. They failed to defeat the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins in the final two weeks, which handed the Broncos the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs.

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However, 2016 is already shaping up to be a different story.

The Patriots don’t have any major names hitting the free agent market next month, so there won’t be nearly as much starter turnover to deal with as last year.

In addition, the youthful defense that was a bright spot in 2015 is only going to get better as players like Malcom Brown get more practice time over the offseason and the depth chart is filled-out in free agency and the draft. Rising stars like Malcolm Butler are only going to get better.

On the other side of the ball, the return of Dion Lewis will be huge for the offense. As for Tom Brady, expect the Patriots to fortify the offensive line in the coming months to provide enough protection for the quarterback to play quality football well into his forties.

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Look, the Patriots are as well-armed as anybody to reach and win Super Bowl 51 as it stands right now. As the Broncos bask in the glory of their Super Bowl 50 victory, consider the Patriots early favorites in 2016.

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