Whether or not this version of the Patriots becomes a dynasty depends solely upon their success in the Super Bowl(s), however I think Belichik is close to having another team that can play at a high enough level for long enough to make that a real possibility going forward, especially if they win Sunday. He has basically rebuilt an entire team around Brady from the dynasty they had in the first 6 years of the 2000's and they have the young core, the cap space, and the draft picks to finish the job and roll out a team for the next 4-5 years that will contend for the AFC Championship and Lombardi through that time. On offense they really only need a Center and a couple of WR's and they will be completely set. On defense they need help at every level but also have the core pieces for each unit to make finishing the build much easier, i won't be surprised if he has a top 3-5 defense in the next year or so. Their ST's are excellent and they are also set there and teams seem to have finally backed off on the yearly raids on their coaching staff, although that will heat up once again if they win another Lombardi or two. The last piece in the puzzle is the competition, and for the first time in a long long time it really seems as if the AFC is on the decline and the NFC is on the rise, so although it will become a little easier to get to the Bowl it will be tougher to win it.
When i look at the AFC I see the East in disarray. Miami has another new coaching staff, the Bills are getting better but always seem to have the bad season that gets each staff canned and the endless instability always undermines them. The Jets are a mess and I think it can only get worse for the near term.
The North: Pittsburgh is always tough and will be with Roethlisberger and Tomlin there, but the defense is really getting old and they need the same rebuild the Patriots had to do on that side of the ball-complete turnover. Same for baltimore although Flacco is not in the same class as roethlisberger, but Harbaugh is a really good coach. the Ravens are well run and will stay competitive but won't be as good as they have been. Cincy is getting better but they have to do much more before I will give them credit. They have been able to get to this pointy before but never get past it, until they get to the AFC Championship a couple of times i will continue to doubt them. Cleveland shows no signs of progress no matter what they do.
The South: Houston is the only threat here and they are probably the Patriots biggest threat to repeat as AFC champs next year. they are a really good team with few weaknesses, they will be tough. Indy is toast for the next few years, Luck or not, that team needs a complete overhaul. Tennessee is OK but not much more and they don't have a QB, and that is a killer. Jacksonville is Jacksonville and they still have a ton of work to do to become truly competitive.
The West: I don't believe Tebow is an NFL QB at this point, however he is a winner and he works his ass off. If he can somehow fix his mechanics and become an accurate passer then he could become a decent QB, if he doesn't he'll have to find another position. I won't be surprised if he is an H-Back in NE someday. The Chargers are a mess and will stay that way with Norb, tons of talent, no team. Oakland is getting better but have another organizational overhaul to deal with, how that goes is yet to be determined. K.C. is getting better and may win the west next year with RAC running the show. How Cassel fares will likely determine the outcome of their season and his future.
Overall I think the Texans are going to be the toughest competition for the Patriots next season, but they may never even meet when the play-offs roll around, and i think that the conference as a whole will be easier to get through than it has been in a long time, if they can get back to the Bowl next season then they will almost certainly face their toughest competition in the Bowl as the NFC is on the rise and GB, NO, SF, the NYG, and possibly Atlanta, and Detroit will be tough.
To sum it up the situation is perfect for the Patriots to go on another tear and i really believe they will do just that. We'll see.
When i look at the AFC I see the East in disarray. Miami has another new coaching staff, the Bills are getting better but always seem to have the bad season that gets each staff canned and the endless instability always undermines them. The Jets are a mess and I think it can only get worse for the near term.
The North: Pittsburgh is always tough and will be with Roethlisberger and Tomlin there, but the defense is really getting old and they need the same rebuild the Patriots had to do on that side of the ball-complete turnover. Same for baltimore although Flacco is not in the same class as roethlisberger, but Harbaugh is a really good coach. the Ravens are well run and will stay competitive but won't be as good as they have been. Cincy is getting better but they have to do much more before I will give them credit. They have been able to get to this pointy before but never get past it, until they get to the AFC Championship a couple of times i will continue to doubt them. Cleveland shows no signs of progress no matter what they do.
The South: Houston is the only threat here and they are probably the Patriots biggest threat to repeat as AFC champs next year. they are a really good team with few weaknesses, they will be tough. Indy is toast for the next few years, Luck or not, that team needs a complete overhaul. Tennessee is OK but not much more and they don't have a QB, and that is a killer. Jacksonville is Jacksonville and they still have a ton of work to do to become truly competitive.
The West: I don't believe Tebow is an NFL QB at this point, however he is a winner and he works his ass off. If he can somehow fix his mechanics and become an accurate passer then he could become a decent QB, if he doesn't he'll have to find another position. I won't be surprised if he is an H-Back in NE someday. The Chargers are a mess and will stay that way with Norb, tons of talent, no team. Oakland is getting better but have another organizational overhaul to deal with, how that goes is yet to be determined. K.C. is getting better and may win the west next year with RAC running the show. How Cassel fares will likely determine the outcome of their season and his future.
Overall I think the Texans are going to be the toughest competition for the Patriots next season, but they may never even meet when the play-offs roll around, and i think that the conference as a whole will be easier to get through than it has been in a long time, if they can get back to the Bowl next season then they will almost certainly face their toughest competition in the Bowl as the NFC is on the rise and GB, NO, SF, the NYG, and possibly Atlanta, and Detroit will be tough.
To sum it up the situation is perfect for the Patriots to go on another tear and i really believe they will do just that. We'll see.
