Has the Tom Brady/Bill Bellichick era of Patriot dominance in the 2000s ended? Two games behind the Dolphins?



… too early to tell

To say that all is not well in Patriot-land would be an understatement. New England fans are thinking the unthinkable: Is Tom Brady’s career finally coming to an end?

That is the result of two back-to-back losses, the first to Jacksonsville last week (31-20) and the second to the Detroit Lions (26-10) on Sunday night before a nation-wide audience. ESPN explained how unusual that is. “This is the first time the Patriots have lost back-to-back games by double digits since Dec. 16-22, 2002 against the Jets and Titans. They've played 244 games during that stretch.”

The concern for the Pats is the performance of Brady. He threw for just 133 yards and one TD, which gave him a QB rating of 65.1. That is pretty pathetic for a gunslinger who ended the past three seasons with QB ratings of 102, 112, and 102. He has a lifetime rating of 97.5, so that is more than 30 points below his lifetime average.

When you score just ten points against the 0-2 Lions, who gave up 48 points to the Jets in the season opener, perhaps major surgery is essential. However, maybe it is not just Brady and the offense. Maybe the front office deserves some of the blame. Perhaps their talent level is not what it once was.

For instance, why in the world did they trade for one of the most troubled receivers in football, Josh Gordon, last week? Gordon missed two of his six seasons with the Browns because of substance abuse violations. How does someone like that fit into their overall schemata for the future?

Brady, though, is the concern. At the age of 41, and with a book detailing his sometimes problematic relationship with Bellichick that came out recently, the New England fans have an eerie feeling that the end may be near. While defense wins championships, according to experts, and while Bellichick has been the architect, the truth is that without Brady, the franchise will no doubt struggle.

Many NFLfans, and I am among them, will welcome the demise of the Pats, but do not count them out — yet. The season is very young.

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