Picard: Patriots Favored to Win It All Again Next Year

The fans chanted, "We want six." The Patriots are poised to deliver

I watched the parade. I took it all in. Another special moment in Boston sports history. And yet, another reminder that this truly is the city of champions.

But let’s just stick with the New England Patriots, for now. After all, this was their Super Bowl LI celebration. It’s their fifth parade through the streets of downtown Boston.

As the Patriots hoisted the Lombardi Trophy on the back of a duck boat, with confetti falling, and “All I do is win” blasting from the speakers, I did my best to embrace the moment. I always try to tell myself that this magical run won’t last forever. But I also know that it isn’t finished just yet.

Tom Brady, Devin McCourty, and the entire crowd at City Hall were apparently reading my mind as they ended their post-parade rally chanting, “We want six, we want six!”

You don’t ever want to take these championships for granted. But there’s no denying the elephant in the city on Tuesday afternoon: the Patriots are already the favorite to win Super Bowl LII in Minnesota.

A lot can happen in the off-season. But if anything happens at all, it’ll be the Patriots offense improving when Rob Gronkowski returns next season. And yes, I expect him to return. Trading Gronkowski makes absolutely no sense to me. I just can’t envision a scenario in which he’s moved. 

What’s even scarier — for the rest of the NFL — is that the Patriots just won a Super Bowl without him. Make no mistake though, and you don’t need me to tell you this, they’re a better team when Gronkowski is on the field and healthy. 

The biggest off-season question mark will be New England’s defense. Mainly because linebacker Dont’a Hightower will be a free agent, and cornerback Malcolm Butler will be a restricted free agent, to name a few. 

I’d like to think that the Patriots will do whatever they can to bring both players back next year, even if it means putting the franchise tag on Hightower while they try to work out a longer contract. 

Assuming common sense prevails, and that both Hightower and Butler will be in New England next year, I expect the Patriots defense to build on what it was able to do this past season. That’s also a scary thought for the rest of the league, because, how is it possible for the No. 1 scoring defense in the NFL to improve? 

So it makes sense for the Patriots to be next year’s Super Bowl favorite. And as long as Brady and Bill Belichick will still be around the year after that, I don’t see why they wouldn’t also be the favorite to win Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta. 

I know, I sound spoiled. But I’m just trying to be reasonable. And it is realistic that we’ll be watching the Patriots play in the AFC Championship again the next two years. 

The most dangerous opponents are in the NFC, with teams like Green Bay, Dallas, Seattle, and Atlanta. Assuming someone in the AFC will try to acquire Tony Romo and Jimmy Garoppolo, perhaps the road to the next two Super Bowls could be a little more difficult. But let’s be honest here. Is Romo really the guy that you think will end the Patriots’ AFC dominance? 

I’m not buying it. What I am buying is the fact that “We want six” wasn’t a hopeless cry for help from a team and a fan base that believes this is the end. 

It’s a feeling that the Patriots have a real chance to be chanting “We want seven” during a rally at City Hall this time next year. 

See you there.

Listen to “The Danny Picard Show” at dannypicard.comiTunes, and Google Play. Danny can also be heard weekends on WEEI 93.7 FM. Follow him on Twitter @DannyPicard.

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