Third-down nightmares haunted the Patriots for much of the year.
They finished 26th out of 32 teams on third down, opponents converting 44.4 percent of the time.
It might be the most repeated statistic of the offseason, and it bears noting as the Patriots prepare for training camp Thursday (practices at 9:30 a.m. and 3:45 p.m.).
While Brady’s recovery is clearly the top story line for the Patriots - and arguably the entire NFL at this point - it’s also the most obvious. Even if Brady returns to form, a repeat of the third-down problems won’t get the Patriots where they want to go.
So in the spirit of a new season, let’s start in the not-so-obvious, Brady-less spot when it comes to top Patriots story lines:
1. Third-down defense
Former Patriots safety Rodney Harrison, who already is making his mark as an analyst for NBC, has been deep in his media playbook.
“One of the things that stood out to me from last year is that if you look at the top five teams in the league on third down defensively, four of them made the playoffs,’’ he said. “That tells you all you need to know.’’
Pittsburgh (first), Philadelphia (second), Baltimore (third), and Minnesota (fourth) were the NFL’s top third-down defenses, and the Steelers won the Super Bowl. Chicago, which was eliminated from postseason contention on the final weekend, rounded out the top five.
A successful third-down defense must blend an effective pass rush with tight pass coverage. Considering the Patriots overhauled their cornerback crop from 2008 - and only tweaked the pass-rush front - those moves indicate where the team’s decision-makers believed the main problems were. Also, the Patriots’ top draft choice, 34th overall, was a safety, Patrick Chung.
“I think the secondary has a chance to be real good,’’ Harrison said. “They’ll be better and faster now. I see the young guys providing a lot of speed and athletic ability.’’
2. Tom Brady’s return
