Are Patriots at a crossroads?

Football Betting Lines

01/12/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - This time, there would be no comeback for the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year. After Sunday's embarrassing 33-14 home loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Wild Card round, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots will be forced to head into the 2010 season looking to stage another comeback, this time from the notion that they are an organization in decline.

Though Brady is not viewed as one of the pieces on a downward trajectory as New England seeks to find a route back to the Super Bowl champion platform it reached three times during the decade, there should be little doubt that the former MVP's play was not a credit to the winning cause for the Patriots on Sunday.

Brady (23-of-42, 154 yards, 2 TD) committed four turnovers in the blowout loss, throwing a trio of picks and losing a fumble amid a constant barrage of pressure that the future Hall of Famer seemed powerless to avoid. Brady was sacked just three times but was attacked nearly from start to finish. Without trusty safety valve Wes Welker (knee) to rely on, and with Randy Moss (5 receptions, 48 yards) generally unable to get downfield to exploit a suspect group of Baltimore corners, Brady couldn't re-locate his former magic in what was the Patriots' first loss in nine home playoff games under the QB and head coach Bill Belichick, and snapped Brady's streak of 23 consecutive home wins, which dated back to November of 2006.

"We didn't play well," said Brady, in a grand understatement. "If you don't play well against a good team, I don't think it's anything more than that. To put it in terms of our franchise or anything like that - I think it was one game where we didn't play particularly well and obviously got off to a terrible start in the first quarter and never really could get back in the game. It's just the way it is when you get in the playoffs and you play some good teams. We just made way too many mistakes."

Though the manner in which the Patriots lost was striking, perhaps the result shouldn't have been. New England did not look much like a championship team down the stretch, going 4-5 in its final nine games, beginning with what figures to be held up as the turning point, at Indianapolis on Nov. 15th. It was in that game that the Pats watched a 31-14 fourth-quarter lead morph into a 35-34 loss, with a questionable call by Belichick on a 4th-and-2 play in the closing moments enduring as a symbol of all that did not go according to plan for New England in 2009.

The defense, which looked to be coming together entering the Indy contest, was never the same after that. The Pats were steamrolled by the Saints (38-17) two weeks later, and couldn't contain the only other high-powered offense they faced in a loss at Houston (34-27) in Week 17. The New England pass rush was lacking, the run defense allowed a disappointing 4.4 yards per rush, and Belichick never seemed to find the right mix of defensive backs.

Moreover, there seemed to be a lack of leadership from a group that could no longer turn to the likes of Rodney Harrison, Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi, or Richard Seymour for guidance.

The Patriots offense, while not coming close to matching its 2007 pace, was much better than the "D", but still left something to be desired. There were protection breakdowns, an inconsistent rotation at running back, and an occasional lack of a vertical passing game for a unit that saw Moss disappear for long stretches of games.

Based on that showing, and in particular the rough treatment they received from a more physical Baltimore team on Sunday, there has been loud discussion about the era of New England's elite NFL standing being over. For his part, Brady dismissed that theory as an overreaction.

"We were the third seed in the AFC coming into the game and we lost some games here in the second half...that we all felt we should have won," said Brady. "We just didn't make the plays when we needed them during the second half [of the year].

"It's not like we were 2-14 - we're not at that stage - it's just there were things that showed up over the course of the year that we didn't do very well. I reflect a lot on what I need to do as a quarterback and I need to have a great offseason and certainly play at my highest level next year."

When asked whether he can see the Patriots again returning to its elite status, Brady was defiant.

"Hell yeah, I think that," said Brady. "I mean, we have Mr. [Robert] Kraft [and] what he's been able to do for the franchise and Coach Belichick who is probably the greatest coach of all time and some great core leaders that we still have. We've got a lot of youth that are really good players and work hard. I certainly don't think because we lose a couple of games this year that all of a sudden everything is over."

THEY CALLED THEM THE STREAKS

The loss to the Ravens was particularly eye-opening for many because it occurred at home, where New England has been downright dominant under Brady and Belichick during the last decade. As mentioned, the Pats were 8-0 in Gillette Stadium playoff games prior to the Baltimore loss, and as a franchise New England had won 11 straight postseason home games since falling to the Houston Oilers in an AFC Divisional Playoff on Dec. 31, 1978.

The Patriots were also 8-0 at home this season, and had won nine in a row at Gillette since suffering a 33-10 loss to the Steelers there in Week 13 of last season. But that game was presided over by quarterback Matt Cassel, and Brady had not lost a home contest that he started since Nov. 12, 2006, when he opened a loss to the Jets.

New England also saw its run of success against the Ravens come to an end, as Baltimore defeated the Patriots for the first time in six attempts.

The lone streak that will remain intact for Brady entering 2010 is his run of regular season victories in Foxboro, which will stand at 20 consecutive.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

The focus for Belichick and company will now be on the offseason, and given their performance down the stretch and the head coach's notorious lack of sentimentality, some big changes could be in store for the Patriots roster.

Beginning with the offense, the team has some hard decisions to make at running back, where it seems unlikely that the Pats will hold onto all of its veterans currently occupying the position. Sammy Morris (33 in March), Kevin Faulk (34 in June), and Fred Taylor (34 later this month) are all well past the sell-by date for NFL running backs, and Laurence Maroney, though just 24 years of age, does not look to be in the team's plans as an every-down running back. The Pats could go in an entirely different direction there.

Up front, it looks like longtime left tackle Matt Light (32 in June) has been rendered expendable by the emergence of Sebastian Vollmer, and 33-year-old guard Stephen Neal could be on shaky ground as well. The team's best o-lineman, guard Logan Mankins, is scheduled to become a free agent but would have only restricted status under what is expected to be an uncapped year, meaning New England could match any offer for his services.

Defensively, the team must find a pass rusher, and speculation has centered on Carolina's Julius Peppers, who could be available but would command a heavy price tag. Linebacker Adalius Thomas is as good as gone after falling out with Belichick, and apart from safety Brandon Meriweather and probably developing cornerback Darius Butler and safety Pat Chung, it would seem that none of the team's underachieving defensive backs are certain to return.

Veteran nose tackle Vince Wilfork is seeking a new long-term contract, but the team may saddle him with the franchise tag.

New England will select 22nd in the upcoming NFL Draft.

2010 OPPONENTS

The Patriots' 2010 schedule is expected to be announced some time in mid-April. In addition to its regular spate of division games, New England will have home contests against the Ravens, Bengals, Packers, Vikings, and Colts (naturally), and will visit the Browns, Steelers, Bears, Lions, and Chargers.