Last season the New England Patriots had one of the best offseasons of any team when they acquired cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner. One could make the case that last year's team was the best Patriots defensive unit in 10 years.

Things didn't look good when both Revis and Browner were not re-signed this offseason. To escalate concerns, defensive captain Vince Wilfork left for the Houston Texans. Without Revis, Browner and Wilfork, a lot of doubt crept in for the Super Bowl champions.

Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler has certainly had his moments this year, but we know he's not Revis. Belichick will continue to use Butler on man-to-man against the opposing team's best wide receiver. Considering this is his first full season as a starter, he's done a very good job. Jamaican-born safety Patrick Chung and Devin McCourty have created a reliable pass defense. It's pretty safe to say Chung fits in better with the Patriots than he did with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Patriots defense will have to remain strong if they want to compete with the undefeated Broncos and Bengals in the AFC for the No. 1 seed.

Follow Damon Salvadore on Twitter @DamonSalvadore1