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wouldn't be surprised to see Brady go five-wide on third and short situations. Add the formidable Ben Watson in the mix, along with a mending Chad Jackson, screen specialist Kevin Faulk and the versatile Laurence Moroney, and you've got yourself a recipe for Tom Brady to break the record for passing yards in a season.

So here's the situation: First and 10. The Pats line up four wide (Moss, Welker and Stallworth comprise the main threesome, Ben Watson being the #4 man) with Maroney lined up as the single back. Pretend you're the defensive coordinator. How do you play this? Play cover-two and hope like hell that Stallworth isn't running a post between your safeties? Cover-three and watch Wes Welker run a quick slant under the corner, or worse, watch Lawrence Maroney run a 40-yard sweep off tackle? Maybe you man up and cry into your hands when Randy Moss hits the afterburners and torches your precious little cornerback. Best part is, you've got to defend against ALL of this, and on EVERY down.

Oh, and if you're thinking that you'll just beat the Pats by returning the favor and picking apart their defense, well, you're dead wrong. Newcomers Adalius Thomas (LB) and Tory James (CB) add a new dimension to an already formidable Pats defensive squad. DE Richard Seymour will once again eat up opposing offensive lines. Tedy Bruschi and Mike Vrabel will be causing utter havoc in the middle of the field. Eugene Wilson and Rodney Harrison will turn receivers and running backs into turf decorations. Oh, and you want to throw to any receiver covered by (pointedly NON-Pro-Bowler) Asante Samuel? That's just dumb.

Now would be the part of the article where I list my reservations about the predictions I've made, where the pitfalls of the team are and how it's possible - plausible, anyway - that I'm wrong about this. But you know what? I don't have any reservations. Not one. In fact, I'm going to buy Patriots Super Bowl tickets right now. And if you were smart, you'd do the same, too.

Learn more about this author, Matthew Shaw.
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