Tom Brady and Bill Belichick: Have the New England Patriots' Duo Been Exposed?

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are often thought of as invincible. People respect and fear the both of them because of the mini-dynasty they put together in the early 2000s. Belichick is thought of as the humble hooded genius who can out-coach anybody, while Brady is the good-looking star quarterback who is the envy of the NFL.

But after the New York Jets went into Gillette Stadium and handed it to New England, that may no longer be the case. Instead, critics, fans and experts are going to start to take a step back and take a good look at the Patriots.

What they'll see isn't an invincible duo. They'll see a QB and coach who are living off the reputation of past Super Bowl championships and regular season success.

Brady and Belichick won three Super Bowls together and have been to four. They've set records together, become winners together and have basked in the glory of their successes together.

But the success that they once enjoyed is starting to dwindle. The cloak of invincibility is starting to show holes, and no longer do teams fear the Patriots. New York showed what it takes to beat a Brady and Belichick-led team. 

Actually, the New York Giants did in the '08 Super Bowl. Getting pressure to Brady has always been the key to beating New England. Lay a couple of good shots on him early, and he'll start to think twice about stepping up in the pocket.

The Jets continuously hit Brady throughout the game, making him uncomfortable in the pocket and forcing him to often misfire to receivers. It's becoming more and more clear that getting pressure to Brady early on will be enough to throw him off his game.

But with the different formations the Patriots use, along with how quick he gets the ball out of his hands, it isn't always easy to get hits on Brady. When the playoffs come around, though, you're going to get hit because the intensity each team plays with is on a different level than the regular season.

Brady famously started his playoff career off 10-0 before it was snapped on the road against the Denver Broncos in '06. Since then, he's gone a disappointing 4-5 in the playoffs, which includes the Super Bowl loss to the Giants.

Look even further into Brady's recent playoff history and you'll see that he's lost his last three playoff games. Of course, football is a team game, but when the Patriots win, the credit is dished to Brady and Belichick. It's time for the duo to shoulder the blame for the Pats' recent playoff struggles. 

There are chinks in the Pats armor, and Brady and Belichick have been exposed. Now it's on them to readjust for next season and prove to the increasing line of doubters that they haven't lost an edge.