Very Interesting comments, and very well written. I have to agree with your comments, maybe not 100%, but I do agree somewhat. I think the 2007 team was built to win it all, all the stars were aligned, the vets still were productive important parts of the team. But I remember it as if it were yesterday, I believe after we beat Buffalo 52-7, Brady came out and said in essence, we are trying to destroy teams, I remember cringing after hearing that. We stopped being dominant after that game, and teams started being very physical and started beating up our offensive line, AND Brady. It's like Brady opened up his mouth, and the opponents were listening loud and clear, and said "We're not gonna take it anymore". Needless to say, one terrible SB later, after getting beat up again, I think THAT'S when we found out Santa didn't exist anymore. We have not been dominant since that Buffalo game (a few flashes of it last year with Cassel at the helm, the Denver game comes to mind).
Flash forward to this season, the vets we counted on to lead our team, Bruschi (my favorite Patriot), Vrabel, Seau, Harrison, Seymour, etc, all either declined in talent due to age or injury (or money situations like Seymour). Despite maybe not being productive, you can NOT replace that kind of veteran winning leadership so fast. The defense is in the middle of a makeover that may take a few years, the offensive line, can be punished and attacked, and there is no running game to speak of, despite some so-called quality backs. This forces a recovering Tom Brady, to attempt to come from behind too often, leaving him as a sitting duck in an empty backfield on most occasions. Super Bowl teams do not win like that. I held my breath many times, reading people's expectations or predictions of a 19-0 season, etc, yet all the time staring at one of the most difficult schedules in football.
I'm not saying it's all doom and gloom, the 2001 Pats went 0-2, 1-3, 5-5, before winning their last 9 games (regular season and playoffs) on the way to being SB Champs, it can be done, the precedence is there. But also, after watching sports for close to 45 years, I know that sports is very cyclical, Good teams win for a while, and then start to decline, and become average to poor teams, and with good management and leadership, come around again. I think of the 49'ers, on top of the football world winning 5 SB's in 14 years, and then disappearing for many years (10 years). This may be happening to our beloved Pats. I'm hoping for at least one more Championship for the BB/Brady connection, but if it doesn't happen, I wouldn't be shocked. Nor would I be suicidal, it's been an incredible run, our beloved Pats have been in 5 SB's in the last 14 years, 6 AFC Championship games, How can I complain ?