| Martin M. Barna. 12th June, 2005 - 12:18 am
 I know you’re getting desperate. I am too. One more of these 13-10 postseason battles decided by a last-minute touchdown pass to Christian Fauria, David Givens or some other ex-pizza delivery boy and I’m going to lose it. We want storylines and superstars, not six guys with three receptions and 40 yards apiece. I know I'm not alone when I say this, but this Patriots Dynasty needs to be toppled.
Even for all of the purists out there, three and a half quarters of the field position game is about as exciting as an afternoon of being fairway-and-greened to death by Vijay Singh. We may be in the midst of one of the greatest teams in the history of professional sports, but how many of these Patriot players would you recognize on the street? How many will make it to Canton? Is it against the rules to just induct the whole team?
There is hope for us yet, though. Despite the fact that the majority of last year’s roster has remained intact, this New England squad may be ripe for the picking. So for those looking for straws to grasp, here are ten reasons why the NFL’s version of the San Antonio Spurs might come up short in 2005:
10.) The NFL Scheduling Committee didn’t do New England any favors in compiling the Patriot’s 2005 schedule. The defending champs are slated to meet all five of last year’s AFC playoff teams, and are faced with a six-game stretch against the Steelers, Colts, Chargers, Falcons, Broncos, and Bills – teams whose combined 2004 record was a staggering 69-27.
9.) After last year’s breakthrough season, the San Diego Chargers are prepared to make some noise in the highly competitive AFC. With the additional year of experience, Drew Brees, LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates and an improved defensive front now have the talent to get by the Patriots in Week 4 and later on in the postseason.
8.) The New York Jets are the only divisional opponent that has the potential to stay with the Patriots for four quarters. With matchups in Weeks 13 and 16, Chad Pennington, Curtis Martin, Laverneus Coles, and the league’s seventh-ranked defense will have two late-season cracks at derailing Belichick’s boys.
7.) Standout Patriot defensive end, Richard Seymour, recently skipped a mandatory mini-camp due to a salary dispute. New England, which prides itself on a strict adherence to the team concept, is unaccustomed to big name holdouts in training camp and might not respond well to this unwelcome distraction.
6.) As illustrated through his coming out party during the 2004 regular season, Peyton Manning is just hitting the peak of his seven-year career. The Colts’ signal-caller is the first quarterback in NFL history to have a reasonable shot at back-to-back fifty-touchdown seasons. Though still chasing his first big postseason victory, Peyton has everything to prove in 2005 – particularly in his return to Gillette Stadium in Week 9.
5.) One of the mainstays of a vaunted New England defense, linebacker Tedy Bruschi, could miss the entire 2005 season after suffering a mild stroke. If the gritty nine-year veteran is forced to sit out, his on-field leadership and instinctive playmaking ability will be sorely missed.
4.) The largest obstacle for last year’s Patriots might reappear in late January. Heinz Field, home of the Steelers, is quickly becoming one of the league’s toughest road venues, and New England is faced with the prospect of making the trip twice next year – once in Week 3, and again in the postseason.
3.) Former New England defensive coordinator and 2003 Assistant Coach of the Year, Romeo Crennel, left the Patriots at the end of last season for a head coaching position in Cleveland. The loss of Crennel, the architect behind New England’s revered defensive unit, will inevitably hit home against Indianapolis, San Diego, and Atlanta.
2.) Not only did New England lose Crennel, Charlie Weis, the team’s offensive genius, also left to coach at Notre Dame. While Bill Belichick is certainly deserving of all of the recognition he has received over the last four years, it will be interesting to see how well the team performs without the services of these two gridiron visionaries.
1.) In the History of the game, no team has ever won four Super Bowls in a five-year stretch. Not one. Dallas won just three in four years; San Francisco took nine years to win four championships, and Pittsburgh collected their four titles over a six-year span. The significance of this is that even the greatest teams in NFL history have been unable to accomplish this feat. In a game as physically demanding and fiercely competitive as professional football, a certain degree of luck and timing are inevitably required for continued dominance, and the Patriots might be long overdue.
So will New England find its way to Ford Field in February and become the greatest dynasty in league history or just be remembered as the team of the 00’s? Only time will tell, but unless they sign David Ortiz to line up at defensive end and Johnny Damon to return kicks, I know I won’t be sitting on the edge of my seat to find out. |
