Not this time: The New England Patriots' NFL dynasty will come to an end this season
The New England Patriots have ruled the NFL for the past decade, but this season has suggested we could be about to see a changing of the guard, and the end of an era of dominance from the Massachusetts franchise.
It has become a right of passage in the NFL. The Patriots win the AFC East title with ease, win one of the top two seeds in the AFC playoffs and then parlay that into yet another Super Bowl appearance.
While they don’t always win the Super Bowl, they always put up a good fight and they have managed to win three of their last four appearances in the championship game.
In the past, the combination of head coach Bill Belichick, quarterback Tom Brady and a big-play receiver like Rob Gronkowski was good enough to lead the way. Oh yes, the Patriots also threw in an outstanding defense into the equation.
The 2019 season has been more of a struggle. While the combination of Belichick and Brady remains in place, the quarterback has not been as effective in years past.
He is a 42-year-old leader and his talents have started to wane. The other factor is that he no longer has the supporting cast. Gronkowski has retired, and the Patriots don’t have another tight end who can make big plays.
Julian Edelman is still an effective wide receiver, but he is not the best downfield threat because deep speed is not his game and he doesn’t have the ability to get behind the defense and make spectacular plays. That was not an issue when the Pats had Gronkowski or another speedy wideout, but that’s not the case this year, and every New England opponent knows it.
It would help if New England’s running game was getting the job done, but Sony Michel is averaging just 3.6 yards per carry and has 742 yards. There’s almost nothing about the New England offense that can be construed as dangerous, and that includes Brady.
While he is almost certainly the greatest quarterback in the history of the game, Brady has completed slightly more than 60 percent of his passes this season, and his 6.5 average yards per pass is the worst he has had since the 2002 season. Brady ranks 20th in the league in passer rating, and that means that basically two-thirds of the quarterbacks in the league are having more efficient seasons.
While the defense ranks as the best in the league, they have had problems containing the explosive offensive attacks of the Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Patriots lost to all three of those opponents, and unlike previous years, there’s no reason to think it will be any different in the playoffs.
The AFC East that has been their domain for 15 of the last 16 years is likely theirs again, but they have not clinched the title with two games to go.
They host the charging Buffalo Bills Saturday, and the Bills are sick of losing to the Patriots. Buffalo would have to beat the Patriots and close the season with a win over the New York Jets while the Patriots lose their season finale to the Miami Dolphins if they are finally going to steal the division crown.
Very unlikely, but the only advantages the Patriots have on the Bills is their experience and special teams.
The Patriots could lose in the first or second round of the playoffs, and it would be something of a shock if they can advance all the way to the AFC title game against a team like the Ravens. They would be decided underdogs in that game and would have a hard time staying close to Baltimore and quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Is New England’s dynasty finally nearing its end? It certainly appears that way. While they could upgrade their receiver crew in the offseason, Brady will be a 43-year-old quarterback next year and Father Time has to catch up with him at some point.
Brady has slowed down this season, and how does he turn it around in another season? He doesn’t, and the Patriots days of winning Super Bowls appears to be at an end.
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