How the mighty have fallen

December 13, 2009|Bob Ryan, Globe Columnist

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But for much of this past decade, the Patriots have been truly great. They had back-to-back seasons of 14-2. They established a record for consecutive regular-season victories (since matched by dreaded rival Indianapolis). They put together back-to-back Super Bowl championships. They ran off 18 straight wins in one season before losing a Super Bowl in the last minute to an inspired Giants team whose quarterback pulled off an escape play in advance of a key completion he had never made before and hasn’t since.

They became a source of pride and comfort hereabouts, and Bill Belichick established himself as one of the great coaches who has ever lived. Our local motto has been “In Bill We Trust.’’

Now we must start thinking that we may have seen the best of Tom Brady. And we know that Bill Belichick does not have all the answers. Players who helped police the locker room, veterans with powerful personalities such as Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi, and Rodney Harrison, are gone. Some of the newcomers are not as willing to buy into Belichick’s stern, unsentimental methods.

The team is 0-5 on the road, in addition to that neutral triumph over Tampa Bay in London. That may be all anyone needs to know about what this team really is.

Something quite serious must be going on for Bill Belichick to react to the weather-induced tardiness of those four players in such an unforgiving manner. He obviously seized upon their situation as a juicy coachable moment in which he could reassert his authority and impress upon all 53 players under his command that games are won by virtue of actions, large and small, on all seven days of the week, not just Sunday.

He’s far from stupid. He knew the risk involved. Consider this his offday fourth-and-2 call. With four games left, he decided he had to go for it.

Regardless, the Big Picture has changed. There is a new roster of NFL elites, and it does not include the New England Patriots. Fans are no longer entitled to a semblance of a superiority complex. The Patriots are the kind of team that would do well to win a playoff game; no more. That’s the new fan reality.

Watching the Patriots now is like seeing your once-vigorous parents slow down. It’s a new, unsettling situation and you’re not sure how to handle it. And you know it won’t be a happy ending.

Bob Ryan is a Globe columnist and host of Globe 10.0 on Boston.com. He can be reached at ryan@globe.com.