A perfect season couldn’t have ended any worse for the New England Patriots. Only the second team to finish undefeated in the regular season, the Patriots watched as the New York Giants held up the Lombardi trophy.

But Bill Belichick and the most successful franchise since 2000 look primed to be a dominant force again as AccuScore computers project the Patriots to have a 98.5 percent chance of making the playoffs, the highest of any NFL team. New England may only have a 2.4 chance of going undefeated in the regular season again, but Robert Kraft’s team should win 13 games next season.

While the Patriots are leading the league in scoring (over 30 points per simulation), it is down from 2007's record breaking season. By the end of last season teams were doing a better job containing the Patriots who averaged just 25 points from Nov 25 on.

The offense should still be powerful. Tom Brady is forecasted to finish the season as a top 5 quarterback. Last year’s MVP is projected to finish the season with nearly 4300 yards and 38 touchdowns. Helping out Brady are his dynamic receivers, as both Randy Moss and Wes Welker are estimated to finish with over 1100 yards each, while Moss should have 16 or more touchdowns.

AccuScore expects the Patriots to run more and they are forecasted for nearly 20 more rushing yards per game in 2008. The man who will benefit from a newly dedicated run game is Minnesota graduate Laurence Maroney. Maroney is projected to finish with 1308 yards and 10 touchdowns, both overwhelmingly career highs for the third year running back.

The defense will be a question for the Patriots, as key losses and age could be a major factor. With Asante Samuel's departure, the Patriots are allowing 1.5 more points per game in 2008 simulations, but they are still allowing an impressive 18.5 points per game. According to the unofficial depth chart on the Patriots website, the defense has six starters’ 30-years-old or more, including defensive standouts Tedy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison and Mike Vrabel all in their mid-30’s.

Despite the aging defense, a weak schedule should help the Patriots ease into the playoffs. New England will play 11 games against teams that finished under .500 last year. AccuScore estimates the Patriots' chance of winning the Super Bowl at an extremely high 40 percent, more than twice as high as any other team.

For more information on the New England Patriots, click here to see how Belichick’s Patriots will matchup against week one opponents Kansas City.