Projo Pats Blog

« Projo PatsTalk -- Shalise on Brady and the team's biggest preseason loss | Main | Patriots set Hall of Fame induction weekend »

Jimmy Johnson: Patriots 'still . . . one of the top teams in the NFL'

11:28 AM Tue, Aug 26, 2008 | Permalink
By Art Martone

Email this author |

Email this entry

Former Cowboys and Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson, now a commentator on FOX' NFL broadcasts, thinks the Patriots "will still be at the top [of the AFC East] . . . [and will] still be one of the top teams in the NFL" in 2008.

Said Johnson on the AFC East:
"This is an interesting division. It's probably the weakest division in football with one of the best teams in football. It's interesting in that you've got some additions to the two bottom teams with a coaching change and with Bill Parcells going to Miami and with Brett Favre going to the Jets, that they should both make an improvement. The Patriots, again will be the best team in the division and one of the best teams in the NFL."

And on the Patriots:
"The New England Patriots, because of what runs this league: quarterbacks, defense and coaching . . . will still be at the top. With Tom Brady and what they have offensively, with their defense and with Bill Belichick and his coaching staff, they'll still be one of the top teams in the NFL.

"They are getting older but they've brought in some good young players. I think they've nailed a linebacker and a couple of outside cornerbacks that'll be an addition to the defense.

"I think, the other thing, Dom Capers is going to the Patriots. I know Belichick felt he was spread a little bit thin last year actually doing individual coaching more than being a head coach and I think that with Capers coming in there as a defensive coach, I think it will help him oversee a little better than what he did even a year ago.

"I think the other thing, without the distractions of all of the off-the-field situations they had with the league [i.e., Spygate], with rules, etc, etc, I think that will allow them to focus.

"Now having said that, how can they duplicate what they did a year ago? They were the best team in football up until that last ball game. I do believe it will be incentive for them to go out there and prove that they're still one of the best teams in football but I don't know that they're going to be able to duplicate the record that they had a year ago."

To see a video clip of Johnson's talk, click here.