If the Patriots can take anything out of the savage beating Monday night, they must acknowledge their most pressing offensive need.
With five games until the playoffs, we know:
ÔÇæ Tom Brady is back.
ÔÇæRandy Moss and Wes Welker are again dynamic weapons.
ÔÇæAnd this defense will struggle mightily against legitimate quarterbacks.
The Patriots, at 7-4 heading into today's game at Miami, need another playmaker. One to put them over the top either offensively or defensively.
Since Asante Samuel and Richard Seymour are no longer here, the best place to look is the offense, where a guy like Brady can nurture a big-play man's development.
"Most teams focus their coverage on (Welker and Moss)," said Brady. "The Jets did, Indy does, I mean, everybody does. They're playmakers on our offense and every team tries to take away your best playmakers.
"We've got tight ends that can play, running backs that can play, receivers that can play, and I think that you've got to use everybody."
With 1,878 combined receiving yards, Moss and Welker represent 56 percent of the passing game.
On the ground, New England has delivered just two 100-yard rushers this year, Fred Taylor vs. Atlanta and Laurence Maroney against Tennessee. With no legitimate stoppers on defense, that has to change.
Where can the Patriots turn?
1. Laurence Maroney
Pros — Has shown signs of life, making defenders miss and punishing the ones who don't, with a 4.2-yard average and eight TDs in the last six games. He does have the 2007 stretch drive on his resume, in which he closed with four out of six 100-plus yard games.
Cons — Three fumbles in the last three games, one a back-breaker on the goal line, will not ingratiate him with Bill Belichick.
2. Ben Watson
Pros — If ABC's "Superstars" competition from the 1970s was still on the air, Watson would be a favorite to win. He's the best athlete on this roster.
Cons — You need more than raw ability to play tight end in the NFL. At some point, you have to get open and catch the football, something Watson hasn't done very often.
3. Kevin Faulk
Pros — The all-time all-purpose yardage man in team history. Has the moves to toy with defenses in open space. Good things happen when the ball is in his hands, averaging 5.1 yards a rush and 9.1 yards per reception.
Cons — He is 33 and only 5-foot-8 and about 190 pounds and we're beginning to see diminishing returns. New England needs more than the 6.6 touches a game he averages.
4. Sam Aiken
Pros — Currently high on most fans' buy list after the seven-catch, 91-yard effort in New Orleans. Good size, shown pretty good hands. Fifth on the team at 14.3 yards per catch.
Cons — His increased role on offense, with Aiken in the third receiver spot, takes away from his impact on special teams, where he is a captain. Sixteen catches this year raised his seven-year career total to 43.
5. Julian Edelman
Pros — In a matter of weeks, the rookie former college quarterback absorbed this offense, an offense that perplexed 15-year veteran Joey Galloway. Fourth on the team with 26 catches.
Cons — He's been banged-up, missing a handful of games with a broken bone in his forearm. If he's not going to be on the field, he can't help. He has had a couple dreadful drops, probably a product of his being a thrower the past four years not a receiver.
6. Sammy Morris
Pros — Runs downhill, can churn out the tough yards and fights inside the tackles like Maroney only dreams about.
Cons — He's injury prone, thus he's only carried 35 times.
7. The longshots
Pros — If somebody could convince me that Fred Taylor's surgically repaired ankle has mended perfectly and he'll be ready for December, he'd vault to the top of the list. He's that good.
Isaiah Stanback, another college QB turned receiver, could be a consideration with his athleticism. Everybody loves BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Chris Baker dresses for every game as the No. 2 tight end.
Cons — Taylor is at best a longshot to be 100 percent healthy. Stanback needs another full year on a practice squad somewhere before he can factor. BJG-E hasn't done it against a real playoff type team, ever. And Baker probably doesn't deserve to be in the discussion.
Not exactly a roll call of potential Pro Bowlers, but with the Saints' blueprint sure to be followed, New England needs a reliable option.
At some point, defenses have to be punished, or just making the playoffs could be an issue.
Today we see if the Pats were paying attention Monday night or just hanging on as the Saints pounded them.
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