Despite continued regular season success, the New England Patriots have now lost their last three postseason games. Yesterday’s loss to the Jets has prompted me to officially declare the Patriots’ dynasty dead. Players had come and gone, but the team remained pretty successful. With the exception of Tom Brady, everyone else has been pretty dispensable. They’ve won regardless of who was in what position. Corey Dillon, Kevin Faulk, Laurence Maroney, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, it really didn’t matter. Yesterday, though, when the starting lineups were announced, I was literally thinking, who are some of these guys? It’s almost as if Bill Belichik got bored with a level playing field and wanted to make it more difficult. It’s like when you win the Super Bowl on Madden so you start the next season on All-Madden difficulty instead. I’ll even go so far as to say he deliberately picked up Danny Woodhead just to show the Jets that he could make him a great player, while they weren’t even using him. Sure, he looked pretty good all year, but it didn’t help them win in the postseason. I expect a major retooling offseason for the Patriots.
I’m not so sure that upgrading the roster is going to help at this point though. The Pats have lost their swagger. Like Jets’ linebacker Bart Scott said, the media fell for the Patriots’ act, believing that they were just confident, but not cocky. Anyone who doesn’t have a mancrush on Belichik or Brady can see right through that. Rex Ryan outcoached Belichik though, and Brady through a key pick early on that pretty much changed the tone of the game. So maybe they’ll reload their roster for next year. I’m almost positive they’ll need to add a legit receiver or two. Deion Branch is not the answer, no matter how much he cries about classless Jets players. Sure, the “act like you’ve been there before” line comes into play, but the Jets haven’t been there. Patriots players have been telling them how much better they are for years now (and allegedly Branch was saying as much during the game yesterday), so when they finally got over the hump, of course they went batshit crazy. Fingers to the New England fans? I’m all for it. Yesterday will most likely go down in history as the day the Patriots dynasty died. I’ve long said that in order to be the best, you have to know you’re the best. I just don’t think they know they’re the best anymore.
By
cali4dre
chappy81
dyslecix
mceezy
Doin Work 
January 17th, 2011 at 10:50 pm
Oh, Mceezy, I gotta come down on you…Mchard. Let me start by saying I love you guys. I’m a loyal reader and I think Chappy is perhaps the biggest fan of our site. But, as a Patriots fan…a non-dick one, I don’t appreciate you giving me the finger. But what should I expect from a Raiders fan? That game vs. The Jets had me baffled. Why fake that punt? Why run so much when precious seconds are flying off the clock? Definitely not Belichick’s finest moment. But the Patriots are, and always have been susceptible to these types of games against good defenses. See the Super Bowl against the Giants. Perhaps 2007 was the end of the Patriots dynasty. 14-2 in 2010 suggests otherwise. Want another reason why the dynasty ain’t dead? Three. As in that’s how many picks the Patriots have in the first 33 picks of the 2011 draft. The dynasty’s just getting started. The Pats also have multiple picks in Other rounds, thanks to suckas taking Randy Moss off their hands.
That’s my rational argument. But since I read this at the very end of a really bad day, I have no choice but to leave you with this:
Tuck rule, tuck rule, tuck rule.
(Sorry to bring up that bullshit rule, but I’m a little drunk right now, so that’s how it had to go down.)
January 18th, 2011 at 7:38 pm
Hahahaha. The Tuck Rule is the very basis for my hatred of the Patriots. I used to like them when they were bad!
And do I think the Patriots dynasty is dead? Yes. But I didn’t say they wouldn’t start another one right away. I’m fully aware of the draft pick surplus since one is from Oakland, and I fully anticipate a major reload this offseason.
January 18th, 2011 at 12:04 am
The Pats didn’t act like they’ve been there before when they defeated San Diego in ’06 and did the “Lights Out” dance at midfield and on the sidelines.
So it may be 1/2 a decade late, but pay back’s a bitch for the Pats. I was loving the Jets “Flying” as the final seconds ticked off, and of course Braylon Edwards with his attempt at olympic gold in gymnastics!
January 18th, 2011 at 8:44 am
“Dead” is kind of a strong word. I don’t know if they are “dying” in the same fashion as the Colts are.
Meehan
January 18th, 2011 at 7:39 pm
That’s true… both these teams seem to be fading a bit. Colts definitely had a more disappointing year
January 18th, 2011 at 8:51 am
mceezy
As an avid Pats’ fan I wouldn’t say the dynasty is dead but the coaching staff led by Belichick have become completely complacent ! The team was ill prepared for the game against the Jets and it showed in every aspect of their play ! Brady hasn’t been this bad in a playoff game since his first season in the NFL .
tophatal
January 19th, 2011 at 6:20 pm
I was listening to the third quarter of the Jets-Pats game on the radio on my way into work the other day.
In reference to the shorter-stature Patriots receivers, the announcer said their wide outs looked like the Wizard of Oz.
January 20th, 2011 at 7:12 pm
Yes, their dynasty is over unless they start cheating again. Assuming they ever stopped in the first place. Actually, is it even considered a dynasty if you tried and convicted of cheating in the middle of it?
January 25th, 2011 at 8:25 am
On second thought, maybe they are headed downhill.
When you look at them, you can obviously see the defense is not the same defense that allowed them to win three Super Bowls.
Tedy Bruschi retiring early (the second time) was kind of the deathnail when it came to future Super Bowl wins. I don’t care how awesome you think Eli’s game winning drive was in Super Bowl 42, the Pats defense would have allowed that to happen just three years prior.
Meehan