The New England Patriots suffered a key defensive injury last week but they are still 10-1 in online gambling odds at Internet gambling companies to win the Super Bowl. The Patriots lost defensive end Ty Warren to a hip injury and he will miss the season. Warren is one of the best defensive players on the Patriots and he will be missed.
Online gambling odds on the Patriots could be a little high considering the Patriots have done very little in the off-season to upgrade a team that lost in the playoffs last season. Losing Warren definitely doesn’t help as he is considered one of the best run defenders in the league. Defensive line coach Pepper Johnson said that the team is really going to miss Warren on and off the field. New England put Warren on injured reserve so he will not be back in 2010. The Patriots are hoping that Mike Wright can fill Warren’s spot and that Gerard Warren, Damione Lewis, Ron Brace and Myron Pryor can provide support.
The Patriots still have Tom Brady and Randy Moss on offense but there are simply not as many playmakers on New England as in the past. The entire offense looks old with the running game led by Laurence Maroney, Fred Taylor, Kevin Faulk and Sammy Morris. The receiving corps is old as well even though Randy Moss can still play. The Patriots are expecting to have Wes Welker back for the regular season and his presence is very important to Brady. The one young player who has some potential on offense is Julian Edelman. The offensive line has some issues with center and right guard no longer strengths of the team.
The New England defense is simply not as good as in past seasons and losing Warren is a huge blow. Vince Wilfork is still a force in the middle but there is not much around him. Jerod Mayo is a good linebacker and the Patriots are hoping that second-round pick Brandon Spikes can step right in and become an impact player. The secondary is decent but with the defensive line being weaker, the Patriots could struggle to rush the passer and that will hurt the defensive backs. Leigh Bodden and Brandon Meriweather lead the group. The Patriots do have one of the best kickers in the league in Stephen Gostkowski and he can impact NFL results at Internet gambling companies.