Tom Brady and the Patriots were just 2-2 after four games and the defense had given up 33 and 41 points in the two in-depthlosses. But after a 41-14 loss against Kansas City on a Monday night, during which Brady’s critics were ready to declare his career done, New England caught fire.

The Patriots plowed through the last 12 games, going 10-2 – with one of those losses being a meaningless finale against Buffalo. The season culminated in the team’s fourth Super Bowl championship, won in amazing fashion when New England’s defense intercepted a pass at the goal line with less than a minute left in the game.

But the offseason has been a bit tumultuous, with free agency losses and DeflateGate. Was this the end of the run for the Brady/Bill Belichick dynasty? Or will the Patriots again rally around an Us vs. The World philosophy, while pushing forward with yet another Super Bowl run? Richard Hill, managing editor of Pats Pulpit, shares his thoughts.

Zoneblitz: The Patriots took home another Lombardi Trophy last year – what went right and how would you assess the season?

Hill: I guess there’s not much to complain about after a Super Bowl season, but the Patriots rookie class had a fairly low impact season, so Bill Belichick’s work in free agency saved the day. Pretty much every single move Belichick made- Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner, Brandon LaFell, Akeem Ayers, Jonathan Casillas- panned out in a major way. If any single one of those players didn’t work out, then the Patriots wouldn’t be the Super Bowl Champions. But any time you take home the trophy, it’s hard to complain about any flaws that appeared (the offensive line was questionable, as was the run defense).

Zoneblitz: I’m tired of Deflate-Gate, but it’s been too prominent to ignore – what does this do to the Patriots’ legacy over the last decade-and-a-half and how are the penalties going to affect the Patriots in 2015 and beyond?

Hill: It will affect the Patriots legacy exactly how much people want to. Those who are anti-Patriots will use it as ammo for their cause, while those who support the Patriots will say that it was blown out of proportion and nothing was proven at the end of the day. People will dig into their trenches, and that’s the only outcome. As for the penalties, the first round draft pick is the biggest loss since Belichick has a history of absolutely nailing pretty much every first round pick. The penalty was also worded to strip the Patriots of their highest first round pick, which means that there’s no point in trading up in the first round, either. Losing Tom Brady for four games will hurt, but Jimmy Garoppolo seems fairly capable of splitting the first four games, and if the team is 2-2, they’re in the exact same spot as last season.

Zoneblitz: Tom Brady got off to a bit of a slow start in 2014 and then responded to critics by running roughshod over the league the rest of the season. What’s he got left in the tank and how does he respond to potentially sitting the first quarter of the season?

Hill: The best aspect of Brady’s game has little to do with his physical ability. No other quarterback throws the short ball as frequently as he does. Brady wins with his mental approach and by knowing how he’ll dissect the defense before the snaps is made. Barring injury, he could honestly play for another five years and it wouldn’t be surprising if he finished his career with another franchise.

Zoneblitz: What can the Patriots expect out of Jimmy Garoppolo for the first four weeks – and do you think he’s shown enough to be the QB of the future?

Hill: Garoppolo is definitely still a project and, hopefully, has another couple of years before taking over the franchise. He hasn’t had the opportunity to show either way. He played well in the preseason and in his limited time in the regular season. He’s still learning the NFL speed and he has to improve his mental approach, but he absolutely has all of the physical qualities needed to succeed in the Patriots offense.

Zoneblitz: With the losses of Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen, how does the RB position shake out in 2015?

Hill: Ridley spent the season injured, so LeGarrette Blount is fairly entrenched as his replacement. Vereen will be more difficult to replace. Hopefully James White can step up in his second season, but New England signed Travaris Cadet to be a potential receiving threat out of the backfield, and Dion Lewis is a favorite of Front Office man Mike Lombardi. This is a total free-for-all and I wouldn’t be surprised if Brandon Bolden ended up winning the third down back role.

Zoneblitz: Can Rob Gronkowski stay healthy for 16 games? And what does the receiving corps look like beyond him heading into 2015?

Hill: Yes, he did it last season. A healthy Gronk transforms the entire offense and opens up passing lanes for players all over the offense. Unlike 2013, where the Patriots returned almost zero of their 2012 receiving production, New England will be bringing back their entire passing attack from 2014 and they’ve added tight end Scott Chandler. This passing offense will be even better, and will be even more dangerous in the red zone. Brandon LaFell and Julian Edelman are both 1,000 yard caliber receivers (along with Gronk), and it wouldn’t be a shock to see three 1,000 yard receivers on the roster.

Zoneblitz: Malcom Brown is potentially a steal at the end of the first round. With Vince Wilfork gone, what kind of role is Brown slated for this year?

Hill: Brown will be a rotational player and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him split his time with veteran Alan Branch. Belichick grooms his rookies by playing them in a rotation with an aged veteran, and Branch will be asked to help Brown adjust to the NFL. Look for Brown to see roughly 40% of the snaps as a rookie.

Zoneblitz: How will the defections of Brandon Browner and Darrelle Revis change the way the Patriots play defense?

Hill: We’ve already seen changes on how the Patriots have built their team as they’ve forsaken the secondary in favor of assembling one of the deepest defensive front sevens in the entire league. Belichick will play to the team’s strengths and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them feature a pressure-heavy defense to mitigate the potential weaknesses in the secondary.

Zoneblitz: New England has double-digit wins the last 12 years and division titles and playoff appearances in 11 of those. The division competition seems to be improving, but the Pats would seem to be the favorite again, at least in the AFC East. How much longer can this run last? Is the team built for another deep playoff run this year?

Hill: Absolutely. As long as the Patriots have Belichick and Brady, they will be a threat to make the playoffs, and as long as they’re in the playoffs, they have a chance to win it all. Looking at the AFC East, as long as there isn’t another top 10 quarterback in the division, the Patriots should be considered the favorites.

Zoneblitz: Collectively, what are your thoughts on the offseason to date — draft, free agency, and any other area of relevance — and what would you like to see the team do through the rest of the offseason?

Hill: The Patriots have done a good job addressing all of the holes on their roster, apart from their cornerback position- and they actually have signed three veterans who could be asked to play heavy snaps. The other holes on the roster- 3rd edge defender, linebacker depth, interior offensive line, 3rd down back- New England has brought in young players with potential to grow into their roles. All that remains is for the depth chart to shake out. It would be nice to see a cornerback win a starting role due to their superlative play, and not have a starting cornerback named by default.

Zoneblitz: What Patriots players have a chance to break out in 2015?

Hill: Jamie Collins broke out last season, as did Dont’a Hightower, but expect both of them to be household names and for Collins to legitimately challenge for Defensive Player of the Year accolades. On offense, look for Edelman to continue on his upward trajectory after his transcendent playoff run.

Follow Richard Hill on Twitter at: @PP_Rich_Hill
Follow Pats Pulpit on Twitter at: @patspulpit
Follow Zoneblitz.com on Twitter at: @ZoneblitzCom

Previous In Depth: Seattle Seahawks
First In Depth: Tampa Bay Buccaneers