In 2001, if the Patriots had started the season 5-3 everyone would have been ecstatic. In 2011, it's a harbinger of doom. A decade of dominance will do that to a fan base. Raised expectations are tough to control (see: 2011 Red Sox) and anything besides perfection is a letdown.
Of course, since that perfection was stolen in Super Bowl XLII they've been on a downward slope. The Matt Cassel-led 2008 version went 11-5 and somehow missed the playoffs; the 2009 team got blown out at home in the wild card round; and the 2010 Pats lost in the divisional round to the Jets after beating them 45-3 in their previous meeting. And that's not saying anything about the lack of a pass rush, the signings that haven't panned out, the coaching carousel behind Bill Belichick... it goes on and on.
This year began with such high hopes: The switch to a 4-3 defensive front, four new veteran pass rushers, rookie Pro Bowler Devin McCourty's continued emergence in his second year, new offensive weapon Chad Ochocinco and a beast of a defensive tackle known as Albert Haynesworth. We are exactly halfway through the season and they can all be counted as a loss.
Haynesworth was cut yesterday. He had all of 3 tackles this season. Ochocinco has only 9 receptions. McCourty is in the midst of a sophomore slump. With the exception of Andre Carter, the new defensive ends have done almost nothing. As for the 4-3 alignment? The defense is giving up the most passing yards of any team in the league.
What is finally dawning on Patriots' fans is that there is no quick fix. This is a serious problem and a plan needs to be laid out to rectify it. Start with hiring some coaches with actual experience and stop promoting from within. Bring in a new talent evaluator to assist Belichick with free agent signings and draft picks. Get Tom Brady a legitimate running back to shoulder the load.
It won't be easy but it needs to be done. Brady is already 34 and once he finally goes we are back to square one.
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