I stopped drinking Kool-Aid when I was 14...or so.
We still have Belichick and Brady, and they haven't forgotten how to win.
And every year we see teams get hot in late November, or teams like the Cardinals in 2009 who end up in the Super Bowl.
Sure the secondary has issues, but we still do a solid job in the red zone. I believe we'll improve as the season goes on and the weather turns.
We have two stud tight ends that are in their second year, drafting Soldier, Vollmer, and Marcus Cannon should pay off. Ryan Mallett has the tools, football acumen, and work ethic to pick up TB's mantle in a few years.
I like Spikes, Chung, and McCourty as a long term starters who still haven't peaked in potential. Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley are fully capable of being an effective backfield long-term.
We have two 1's and 2's and a 3 and 4 in next year's draft....We're in solid shape moving forward when you consider all 32 teams rosters and future prospects.
The last two times Belichick lost after a bye, the team made the playoffs. The last two times we lost to the Steelers in the regular season, we came back to beat them in the AFC Championship (01, 04).
And the last time we lost to Buffalo we won the Super Bowl.
Things are looking good from my end.