I'm going to be the voice of reason here, and represent the happy medium between the school of fans who hate the Patriots with a fiery passion, (we all do...),and say "They suck, they won't win, etc.... and the school of fans who say they are still the "best" and they still have Brady and Belichick and whatnot.
New England is still a very good team. They are capable of winning the AFC East and making an appearance in the AFC Championship.
It will be between the Dolphins and Patriots for the AFC East Title this year.
However, the Patriots are NOT...I repeat N-O-T the same team that was fielded during their dynasty a few years ago.
They have lost some serious integral cogs to those teams that won 12, 13, 14 games a year.
You know the list. I don't have to name names.
Also, a lot of people site the return of Rodney Harrison as a huge reason they will return to form.
Harrison is coming off of a very serious injury at a position that requires a lot of cutting, reading and reacting.
He will be an effective player coming back, but I don't think he'll be the absolutely dominant force he was two years ago.
Yes, the Patriots will be good. But for ESPN to just jolt them into the Superbowl, JUST because they are the Patriots, disrespecting the defending champ Steelers, disregarding Carson Palmer's return, ignoring the Colts, who obliterated the Patriots last year, and then to not even put our Dolphins in the PLAYOFFS AT ALL is a little ridiculous if you ask me.