For the first time in 20 years, the face of the New England Patriots is not Tom Brady. His free-agent departure to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has created a massive whole for Bill Belichick to try and fill for his offense. Rather than being able to trust arguably the greatest quarterback in NFL history to make play after play, Belichick will need to find other ways to score points.

This is going to be a very different team that might rely more on defense and clock management than on blitzing opponents. The Patriots proved last year that they have one of the best defenses in the game and that defense will become even more important this year.

The offense is going to look very different with Cam Newton at the helm. Newton and Belichick will need to get on the same page quickly to consistently put points up on the board. With Newton missing all of last season there are some serious question marks as to his effectiveness as a quarterback.

Essentially there is a lot of uncertainty for New England in 2020. Patriots fans should find solace that they have a good running back who should be expected to take the next step this year.