THE DEMISE OF THE PATRIOT WAY

[News Bot]

Imran Ebrahim
<a class="postlink" href="http://imranebrahim.sportsblog.com/post/117114/the_demise_of_the_patriot.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://imranebrahim.sportsblog.com/post ... triot.html</a>

Much to the annoyance of many NFL fans around the world, the New England Patriots have been the personification of excellence in the last decade or so. Some claim them to be the actual America's Team. From 2001-2012, the team has claimed three Super Bowl titles, five Super Bowl berths, and have only missed the playoffs twice.

Headed by head coach Bill Belichick, the Patriots organization has formulated "the Patriot Way," which preaches an aura of secrecy and exceptional player conduct.

But recently, even while they bask in glory that other NFL teams only dream of, the New England Patriots have become a shell of themselves.

Coincidentally, this collapse begin in their height of success. On the cusp of a perfect regular season, news came out that the Patriots had been guilty of videotaping the St. Louis Rams walkthrough before the Super Bowl.

Since this news became public, the Patriots have lost two Super Bowls to the New York Giants, lost in the Wild Card round to the Baltimore Ravens, lost to the New York Jets in the Divisional round and most recently, lost to Joe Flacco, Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens in the 2012 Conference championship.

This season seems to be the peak of their fall from grace. If there's any time that Brady and Co. are vulnerable, the rest of the NFL believes it is now.

The Dolphins rolled the dice on being huge free agency spenders to finally give the Pats a divisional rival to worry about.
Grabbing Mike Wallace, Dustin Keller, Brandon Gibson, Dannell Ellerbe, Phillip Wheeler, Brent Grimes and others in the offseason surely will give Patriot fans a scare.

Not only is the competition growing stronger, the Patriots are growing weaker and losing their mystique.

Tom Brady continues to age older and as much as it seems like he'll pull a Brett Favre and play till he's 70, it's not something to bet on.

Even if Brady is at full strength, his weapons are depleted to say the least.

Rob Gronkowski, a guy I could've seen rivaling Tony Gonzalez, Kellen Winslow or Shannon Sharpe as the best TE ever, forgets that he's now a professional football player and parties it up more than Johnny Manziel or Lindsay Lohan. That, along with his five surgeries in the last few years, is a cause of concern.

Wes Welker has decided to take his talents to the mountains of Denver and play with Brady's arch rival, Peyton Manning. In his six seasons with the Pats, Welker has had over 100 catches in every season except one.

Aaron Hernandez, I don't think I even have to mention what's going on with him.

Typically, when the Patriots have lost talent, they've been quick to recoup it in free agency. But this year, they've managed to assemble a receiving cast led by Danny Amendola, who is hurt too often and has a severe case of butterfingers.

To top it all off, Belichick has signed off on bringing the Tebow circus to Foxborough. Signing a third-string QB that attracts more media members than Justin Bieber attracts young girls doesn't seem like the Patriot Way.

The season has yet to play out, but since flirting with perfection, this Patriots team has been anything but.

As the Patriot Way falls, the end of the Belichick-Brady duo could be coming to the same fate.

 

[jsimcox]

As much as i agree with the sentiment of this article, i would probably disagree with;

Danny Amendola, ... has a severe case of butterfingers.

He was our only receiver that DIDN'T have butterfingers for the past 3 years...

But anyway, aside from that, i, like everyone here, really hope the Patsies are terrible this year, they've had this fall coming for so long, i'm just glad we get to witness it as the Rams are on the rise.

There's a kind of poetic justice to it, we get good as they get bad, like post 2001 onwards in reverse...

Freak the Patriots!

Go Rams!

 

[RamFan503]

As much as i agree with the sentiment of this article, i would probably disagree with;

Danny Amendola, ... has a severe case of butterfingers.

He was our only receiver that DIDN'T have butterfingers for the past 3 years...

But anyway, aside from that, i, like everyone here, really hope the Patsies are terrible this year, they've had this fall coming for so long, i'm just glad we get to witness it as the Rams are on the rise.

There's a kind of poetic justice to it, we get good as they get bad, like post 2001 onwards in reverse...

Freak the Patriots!

Go Rams!

This... ALL this.

 

[jrry32]

Amendola...butterfingers...whaaaaat?

 

[jjab360]

I hate biased articles. Or maybe it's just that ignorant Amendola comment.

 

[iced]

I hate biased articles. Or maybe it's just that ignorant Amendola comment.

severely ignorant - clearly the dude has not watched film on amendola at all and randomly threw a comment out there. he can catch a ball better than stay healthy for sure

 

[-X-]

Maybe he meant Welker. Because Welker dropped a shit ton of passes last year.

 

[CGI_Ram]

The Patriots can't seem to get it together without video taping. So surprised.

 

[fearsomefour]

I actually heard an idiot on the radio (an ESPN NFL corrispondent) say that the Patriots have not been able to develop a WR through the draft since 2002 because "their play book is so complex". This actually made me laugh out loud while in the car by myself. I cannot believe the idiocy that the Billicheat worshippers will throw out there to justify the potential reasons they may have a fall. When I looked at who the Pats have drafted since 2002 these are the WRs they have drafted:
2010 Taylor Price Rnd 3, 2009 Brandon Taint Rnd 3, 2008 Matt Slater Rnd 5, 2006 Chad Jackson Rnd 2, 2004 PK Sam Rnd 5, 2003 Bethel Johnson Rnd 2, 2002 Deion Branch Rnd 2, David Givens Rnd 7.
Not a whos who by any means. Bottom line the Pats have not had this magical draft record that is another testament to Hoodies brilliance, in fact, recent drafts have been pretty bad. The Pats have not developed much at WR because they havent drafted well, end of story.
What this reporter (how do these idiots keep their jobs?) is trying to insinuate is the Pats failure to develop WRs is because they (meaning Billicheat) run a passing offense that is so much more complex that guys just cant learn it.
Enough with the east coast bias Patriot worship. What they have been good at is replenishing their Oline and defense, getting lucky with drafting a QB and of course cheating.

 

[Angry Ram]

The fact is there was no stupid "Patriot way."

They scored w/ Tom Brady and have been riding him every since. Their drafts have not been that fuckin special over any other good team like the Packers or Steelers. Just look at their damn 2006 draft.

 

[fearsomefour]

Exactly.

 

[Boston Ram]

I actually heard an idiot on the radio (an ESPN NFL corrispondent) say that the Patriots have not been able to develop a WR through the draft since 2002 because "their play book is so complex". This actually made me laugh out loud while in the car by myself. I cannot believe the idiocy that the Billicheat worshippers will throw out there to justify the potential reasons they may have a fall. When I looked at who the Pats have drafted since 2002 these are the WRs they have drafted:

I have to hear this constantly living in Boston about the complexity of the playbook. Such a crock, like you said they have drafted poorly, they passed on or drafted other WR's just before Reggie Wayne and Greg Jennings to name a few.

Everyone gave the Pats A grades for the 2010 draft on how they manipulated the draft and scored 1st round talents with McCourty, Spikes, Gronkowski, Hernandez and Cunningham. McCourty cant play CB anymore, all have been hurt or been in trouble for something. Suddenly this draft don't look so hot anymore. McCourty cant play CB, Spikes is playing but has had a few incidents including the naked twitter pics. Gronk cant stay on the field or stop drinking, Hernandez....I think we know what is going on there and Cunningham cant stay out of trouble.

Im not big on spygate but you have to admit, since then, they have not won a SB and those drafts have not looked as good. It will be fun to see teams pay back the Pats for the nose rubbings they gave in 2007.

 

[Ram Quixote]

When I looked at who the Pats have drafted since 2002 these are the WRs they have drafted:
2010 Taylor Price Rnd 3, 2009 Brandon Taint Rnd 3, 2008 Matt Slater Rnd 5, 2006 Chad Jackson Rnd 2, 2004 PK Sam Rnd 5, 2003 Bethel Johnson Rnd 2, 2002 Deion Branch Rnd 2, David Givens Rnd 7.

So, they can't seem to develop their drafted receivers (excepting Branch and Givens). Which means they're stuck with the FA pool. Struck gold in 2007, with Welker and Moss, but not so much since then. What they haven't done is draft a receiver in the first round ... I wonder how much value Bellichick sees in rookie receivers.

 

[CGI_Ram]

I have to hear this constantly living in Boston about the complexity of the playbook. Such a crock, like you said they have drafted poorly, they passed on or drafted other WR's just before Reggie Wayne and Greg Jennings to name a few.

Everyone gave the Pats A grades for the 2010 draft on how they manipulated the draft and scored 1st round talents with McCourty, Spikes, Gronkowski, Hernandez and Cunningham. McCourty cant play CB anymore, all have been hurt or been in trouble for something. Suddenly this draft don't look so hot anymore. McCourty cant play CB, Spikes is playing but has had a few incidents including the naked twitter pics. Gronk cant stay on the field or stop drinking, Hernandez....I think we know what is going on there and Cunningham cant stay out of trouble.

Im not big on spygate but you have to admit, since then, they have not won a SB and those drafts have not looked as good. It will be fun to see teams pay back the Pats for the nose rubbings they gave in 2007.

Well said!

 

[fearsomefour]

When I looked at who the Pats have drafted since 2002 these are the WRs they have drafted:
2010 Taylor Price Rnd 3, 2009 Brandon Taint Rnd 3, 2008 Matt Slater Rnd 5, 2006 Chad Jackson Rnd 2, 2004 PK Sam Rnd 5, 2003 Bethel Johnson Rnd 2, 2002 Deion Branch Rnd 2, David Givens .

So, they can't seem to develop their drafted receivers (excepting Branch and Givens). Which means they're stuck with the FA pool. Struck gold in 2007, with Welker and Moss, but not so much since then. What they haven't done is draft a receiver in the first round ... I wonder how much value Bellichick sees in rookie receivers.

Probably not much. They have been good at developing/drafting Oline. There are certainly different approaches that will work. I just get tired of the east coast press looking at a steaming turd left by Billicheat and declaring it a birthday cake.