The season is nearly here, finally. The Patriots have struggled in the preseason without QB Tom Brady. His much discussed injury is not my main cause of concern as it looks like he will be ready for the first real game. What should be of concern is how well the injury riddled offensive line protects the quarterback. The line has traditionally given him good protection no matter who has been plugged in and if this trend continues , the offense will again produce huge passing numbers. The running game has been unimpressive so far , but this is preseason. Expect the defense and special teams to again be among the best in the league.

With the Patriots placing starting right guard Stephen Neal on the reserve/physically unable to perform list because of his shoulder, this means the team will be without Neal for at least the first six weeks of the season.

Fox analyst Jimmy Johnson, the former Cowboys head coach, shares his thoughts on the Patriots and the AFC East. The comments were forwarded from a Fox publicist:

Johnson on the New England 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, 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."

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."

Special teams can sometimes provide a tip as to which players will earn a spot on the final 53-man roster.

So the question then becomes: Who fills the void?

Fifth-year player Billy Yates has seen the most first-team repetitions at that spot, while eighth-year man Russ Hochstein is another option. Hochstein has been sidelined after appearing to suffer a foot injury in the exhibition opener, so if he's not ready for action, the Patriots also could call on third-year player Dan Connolly or more experienced options like Mike Flynn (11th year) or John Welbourn (10th year).

As for the team's other moves, O'Callaghan projected as the team's top backup at right tackle, behind Nick Kaczur. Wesley Britt likely will now assume that spot. Veteran Oliver Ross, who remains on the active/physically unable to perform list, is another possibility.

The release of veteran cornerback Jason Webster is a bit of a surprise -- he was one of the team's early free agent signings -- but it likely clears the way for rookie Jonathan Wilhite (fourth round) to earn a roster spot and potentially contribute in sub packages.

Running back Kyle Eckel faced longer odds based on the crowd in front of him -- a group that includes Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, LaMont Jordan, and Heath Evans.

Offensive lineman Ryan Wendell was a long shot to make the club.

The Patriots made the following roster moves today:

• G Stephen Neal was placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list because of his shoulder, meaning he is out for at least the first six weeks of the season.

• OT Ryan O'Callaghan was placed on season-ending injured reserve because of his shoulder.

• CB Jason Webster, RB Kyle Eckel, and OL Ryan Wendell were released.

These moves get the Patriots to the 75-man roster limit.Special teams can sometimes provide a tip as to which players will earn a spot on the final 53-man roster.

With that in mind, here were a few nuggets that caught the eye on special teams Friday night against the Eagles:

• Fourth-year linebacker Eric Alexander seems to have a firm grip on his spot as a "core" special teams player. He was on the first-string punt coverage, kickoff coverage, punt return and kickoff return units.

• Others playing a "core" role by lining up with the first-string on all four punt/kickoff units: running back Heath Evans, linebacker Larry Izzo, receiver/safety Matthew Slater, receiver Kelley Washington.

• On the flip side, veteran Victor Hobson was not on any of the first-unit special teams groups, which -- in addition to him playing sparingly on defense -- could be an indication he is in jeopardy of not making the roster.

FOXBOROUGH -- A look at who's up and who's down from the Patriots' 27-17 preseason loss to the Eagles:

• Matt Gutierrez -- Quarterback makes a move for the No. 2 job, finishing 14 of 20 for 217 yards and two touchdowns.

• C.J. Jones/Chad Jackson -- Both receivers made big plays in the passing game -- Jones had three catches for 70 yards and a touchdown, while Jackson's 1-yard touchdown grab was a beauty.

• Nickel defense against the run -- Experimenting with a 5-defensive back package -- with both Rodney Harrison and John Lynch playing closer to the line of scrimmage for one series each -- the defense was sturdy against the run while playing in that grouping. The nickel often invites teams to run and the Eagles ran at Lynch seven straight times, and the grouping held up well -- allowing runs of 6, 3, 2, 3, 5, 4 and 1 yard.

• Matt Cassel -- With another chance to stake claim to the No. 2 quarterback job, he finishes 8 of 14 for 60 yards.

• First-unit defense -- For the third straight game, the opponent drives down the field on the opening drive to score points. Third down continued to be a problem for the second game in a row, with the Eagles converting 50 percent of the time.

• Kickoff/punt coverage units -- Allowing a touchdown on both kickoff and punt returns was inexcusable. Bill Belichick took the blame for not punting out of bounds at the end of the first half, a poor situational play.

• Offensive line -- Pass protection breakdowns coupled with holding penalties against left tackle Wesley Britt, left guard Logan Mankins and a false start against right tackle Nick Kaczur.

QB

Obviously Brady is a top tier guy, but don't expect 50 touchdown passes again. Grab him if you can as he still will post huge numbers in most every game.

RB

In my view the jury is still out on Maroney as a consistent fantasy producer as the Pats haven't shown that they will rely on him every game. He should have a few big production games but the trick will be which games to play him.

As to the other running backs they are definitely not to be relied on. Perhaps Kevin Faulk in situations if Maroney is injured, otherwise avoid the rest.

WR

TE

Ben Watson puts up nice stats over the whole season, again the trick is which games to play him.

DEF

The defense will be lower first or top second tier this season, the outlook is bright. Linebacker rookie Jerod Mayo looks like a real keeper and will lead the defense after Bruschi retires. Solid cornerback play and veteran safeties led by the aging Rodney Harrison and newly acquired veteran John Lynch will spread the statistical wealth around a little more this year. The outstanding defensive linemen will all garner pretty good tackle numbers and some sacks.

ST

At this point Chad Jackson looks to be the primary kick returner and Wes Welker the punt return man. I expect versatile rookie Matt Slater, now a safety to make the team and be the backup at both return slots.

A new year, new challenges for a team that should be one of the teams to beat to win it all. How about this year to win the last playoff game? Could be, should be. GO PATRIOTS!