The Stankoniforous Files

You, my good readers, knew this day was coming.  Every dog has its day and so forth.  The sun shone very brightly on the New England Patriots and it has now set.  A seven year run in this post- parity NFL is quite an accomplishment, but let's call a spade a spade.  IT'S OVAH!  The Patriots are a good team but it's not the same unit out there any more. Let's run down the case. 

The beginning of the end: 
That infamous 2007 AFC Championship game.  You know the one.  The Pats are up big (21 points?) on the Colts in their own house.  Time to get the bottles on ice cause we gonna pop champagne like we won a champ-ion-ship game!  Except that the Colts rally behind Peyton and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. 

It used to be that the Pats were up that big...time to call it a ball game and send in the reserves to play the rest of this one out. 

Sign that the magic was gone: 
When Plax predicted that the Pats would not score 17 points in the Super Bowl and he was wrong.  BY THREE POINTS!  Then Eli goes Houdini on the Pats D line and heaves a miracle to David Tyree...just to keep the drive alive.  Asante Samuel drops a gimme INT to ice the game.  Then Plax shook Hobbs something serious for the go-ahead score.

Sign that the mojo will not be coming back:
Coach "Let 'em Leave" McDaniels mollywops the Patriots in the Mile High City.  Then Gang Green tapdanced all over the Patriots to the tune of 16-9 behind the then sensational rookie QB Mark Sanchez.

Sign that the Patriots are mere mortals:
The Patriots are 0-2 against undefeated teams this season.  This. Season.  They let Peyton hang around and he got in a rhythm and took a game they had in their hands.  Last night, the Saints marched through, around, over, and by the Patriots.  It was 24-10 at half.  AT HALF!

Reasons for the decline: 
The Patriots' core has aged and it has not been adequately replaced.  Vrabel?  In KC.  Bruschi?  Living the high life in retirement.  They also sent another to Oakland  [Editor's note:  Poor guy.] They let Asante Samuel go to Philly where he is BALLIN!

The Patriots are a pass happy team now, understandably with Randy Moss and his sidekick, Welker.  The balance is missing.   

Is Stank-0 wrong?  The floor is yours.