We’ve seen this narrative many, many times before.
Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the New England Patriots win a Super Bowl championship. There are confetti-filled celebrations, victory parades, and trips to Disneyland, and then the roster turnover starts. Buoyed by their performances during a deep postseason run, New England’s free agents cash in on lucrative deals elsewhere.
The new season begins, and usually it takes a while for the Patriots to hit their stride. By October/November, the team looks unbeatable. Then New England loses a game or two they shouldn’t in early December and fresh questions and doubts arise, but by the time the calendar flips over to January, the team is playing its best football once more.