The Patriots Era: Will it End?

Let me be blunt: The New England Patriots' dominance over the Belichick-Brady Era has been so complete, it has destroyed the parity in football.

This parity, so important in any pro sport, has been skewed by the Patriots’ domination in a highly detrimental way. What’s more, there doesn’t seem to be any end in sight.

In the year 2000, Bill Belichick (wearing the same hoodie he so proudly dons today) was hired, and the Patriots went an unimpressive 5-11.

The second game of the 2001 season marked Tom Brady's ascendance to power and the beginning of a new era. Mo Lewis' sack of Bledsoe may have been key to his team’s victory, but in the long run it has done almost criminal damage to the NFL.

The Patriots finished the season 11-5, and slipped by each of their playoff opponents, sometimes shakily, until eventually upsetting the Rams in the Super Bowl.

Obviously, being the champions, it could be said that the Pats were the best team in football, however most assumed that like most champions, a large component in their 2001 title was luck. This is of course true, but as we continue our journey through the years, it becomes apparent that they have been blessed by more than luck. 

Some might say the 2002 season disproves my theory; the Pats finish 9-7 and miss the playoffs. However the 2001 season was a prelude of what the Pats were capable of with Brady under center. Injuries, poor decisions, and a very un-Patriot-like execution resulted in this disappointing season.

The very next year the Patriots finished 14-2, exhibiting a kind of dominance rarely seen. Once again they innocently slipped through the playoffs, beating Carolina, as they had the Rams with a last-second field goal.

2004: a repeat 14-2 season, and repeat Super Bowl performance, this time they beat the Eagles in a similarly close game. However, 2004 illustrated an important point: Patriots football was here indefinitely. 

The 2005 season was considered a failure on the Patriots’ part by many, however by any other standard it was another impressive season. A 10-6 record, which made them the AFC East champions for the fifth-straight year (they tied in 2002) followed by a loss in the divisional round of the playoffs. 

The 2006 campaign was a bit of an improvement. A strong 12-4 record and a continued stranglehold on the AFC East. However, a loss in the conference-championship game to Peyton Manning’s Colts was the exception to the one thing that has been the mark of the Patriots football: the ability to win close games. 

This season, the Patriots ignored their detractors who predicted their weekly defeat with a desperate confidence, and went 16-0, crushing many opponents. However, what was even more amazing was the close games against teams like the Ravens, Eagles and Giants where the Pats fought hard and ultimately prevailed.

As the big game looms, many fans have resigned themselves to a Patriots victory. Honestly, how can you blame them?

Quick recap: since 2001, the Patriots have won 86 regular-season games, six division titles and three Super Bowls.

I do not think that New England is the most talented team, in the NFL and they might not even be the hardest working one.

The Patriots win because they are mentally tough.

The Patriots (with the notable exception of the 2006 conference championship) simply refuse to lose close games. In the fourth quarter of games, the Patriots play their best. Tom Brady is heralded as a sort of fourth-quarter King, but I feel that distinction belongs to another on the Patriots’ roster.

Bill Belichick does not differentiate between quarters, and does not seem to feel pressure. The most important thing for a coach to do is to make sure the right players know what to do at the right time, and no one does it better.

There are of course many reasons the Patriots win: they have great players from superior drafting, good use of free agency and to a lesser extent, trades. They execute consistently at a level much beyond any one of there peers. And, of course lady luck may have had her hand in there victory.

However, I feel every factor that results in another mark in the win column can be traced back to Belichick, and that is what is so frightening about the Patriots’ supremacy. If you consider any player, namely Tom Brady the catalyst of the franchise, you can assure yourself that five or six years down the road he will retire, and parity will be restored. 

However, if you believe that it is indeed Belichick who is the mastermind, the Patriots could continue to win for the foreseeable future.

Consider, Belichick is only (yes only!) 55, and so barring health problems could easily coach for another 20 years. That means that the Patriots’ winning ways could last a long time.

Many will say, upon reading this that the Browns (whom Belichick used to coach) were very mediocre, and if Belichick was indeed the incredible coach I say he is they would’ve been better than the sub-.500 seasons there record suggested.

Admittedly, Belichick cannot single-handedly make a team win. However, a combination of his own progression as a coach, and the very ideal circumstance Foxboro provides, it is easy to see his tenure at the pinnacle of coaching last a long time.