What do we know about the Patriots?

An interesting discussion unfolded among some of the reporters waiting for the Patriots to return to Gillette Stadium on Sunday night: What have we learned about the Patriots after a 16-game season? What do we know for certain?

The consensus answer: Not much.

This is a team that feasted on the dregs on the NFL: The Patriots won by at least 20 points three times, including back-to-back routs of Oakland and Arizona this month. This also is a team that got its butt kicked when it didn't show up: The Patriots lost by at least 20 points three times, including a 33-10 whipping at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers in a demoralizing game at the end of November.

This is a team with zero quality wins. Technically, they did beat playoff teams in Arizona and Miami, but no one's confusing either of those teams with juggernauts. And with chances to beat other contenders like San Diego, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh, the Patriots fell flat. (They did have a chance to beat Indianapolis in the fourth quarter, but that also was before the Colts turned into the steam-roller that might be considered the favorite to win the AFC, particularly if Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger misses time with his concussion.)

All that tells you is that the Patriots were neither terrible nor outstanding.

This also is a team with a roster of players that's difficult to evaluate.

Matt Cassel played great this season, but no one knows (a) how well he'd play next season if Tom Brady wasn't available, or (b) how well he'd play for a quarterback-hungry team like the Vikings once he was out of the Patriots' system.

Gary Guyton was a serviceable fill-in at linebacker for an aging and then injured Tedy Bruschi, but is he really an NFL starter? It's hard to know. Fellow undrafted rookie BenJarvus Green-Ellis sure looked like an NFL starter for a couple of games, but the fact that the Patriots scratched him for almost the entire month of December has to tell you something.

Is Jonathan Wilhite a contributor or a fill-in? Will the offensive line remain intact? What position is Brandon Meriweather going to play long-term? Tough to know.

About all we know after this season is that Wes Welker is no one-year fluke and that Jerod Mayo is the real deal at linebacker. We know that Stephen Gostkowski is a keeper, and we know that you can win games with Sammy Morris as your best running back. We know that Josh McDaniels is a hot commodity on the coaching market, and we know that Bill Belichick is sensational when it comes to juggling roster parts.

Injuries can be used as an excuse for just about anything. And if there's an excuse for just about everything, it's hard to learn many lessons from this past season.