Add his absence with that of Julian Edelman , sidelined with a broken bone in his foot , along with the early - season loss of playmaking running back Dion Lewis .
It was hard to picture the Patriots repeating as Super Bowl champs .
Add his absence with that of Julian Edelman , sidelined with a broken bone in his foot , along with the early - season loss of playmaking running back Dion Lewis , and it was hard to picture the Patriots repeating as Super Bowl champs .