Early in 2018, a long time ago in a galaxy far far away. We thought the Philadelphia Eagles ended the Evil Empire’s New England Patriots for good. It was a back up Jedi quarterback that led the assault on the Death Star and prevailed. The Empire did some retooling and showed up to the following regular season. The team was mostly the same. The performance on the field was not that old scary team the Empire likes to bring to the table. It was just good enough against the Rams in the Superbowl.

The defense was allowing big time money at Menards. They could hardly stop anybody. Tom Brady was just a shell of his former self. Gronk was like the tin can from the Wizard of Oz needing much oil. More leaking oil and crying out foul on almost every single play. Then there was the Miami Miracle. With all of the gaping holes in the armor, the Patriots still managed to grab the number two seed in the AFC. Most assumed they would fall hard in the playoffs.

They suddenly found their old ways blowing up the Chargers in the Divisional round.  A ticky tack call on off sides by the Chiefs defensive player saved them from doom in Kansas City. New Orleans gets the shaft on the miss call heard around the world. That resulted in playing a young quarterback instead of a hall-of-famer who’s been there. Who has won the big game once, with Drew Brees and his Saints . The Patriots offense only mustered up 13 points on Sunday. The Patriots defense stopped one of the better offenses in the league and held them to 3 stinking points. The results… another Superbowl title for the New England Patriots.

If you have a weak stomach, these numbers will make you sick.

Patriots have won 6 Superbowls which ties the Steelers for most ever.

The Patriots have been to 8 straight Championship games.

This was the fifth time they made the Superbowl in 8 years.

This is the third year in a row they made the big game.

This is the second time they have went to three straight Superbowls.

The Patriots now have 35 players in their franchise history who have at least three Superbowl rings.

When it really mattered, the Patriots made adjustments. They changed their styles on both sides of the ball. On offense they did not just rely on Tom Brady’s arm to do most of the heavy lifting. They went with more of a run control offense with a three headed monster in the back field splitting the load. Then Brady would use his security blanket over the middle. The Angry Elf, Julian Edelman, for some odd reason teams forgot about him. As he was constantly wide open on every third down play. He was MVP of the Superbowl with ten catches. Tom Brady becomes the oldest quarterback ever to win a Superbowl. With the running game installed, Brady could see a few more years before walking away from the game. A few more years piling up more numbers and more wins. Perhaps another title is not out of the question.

On defense, the Patriots looked very bad at stopping the run in regular season. Bill Belichick is the mastermind when it comes to fixing things that are broken. Especially on defense, his cup of tea. He came up with game plans that turned the defense around in the biggest games of the year. The defense that halted one of the best offenses in the 2018 regular season on the biggest stage of the year. The man under the hooded sweatshirt is now 31-11 in all of post season play. By far, the best winning percentage by any coach in post season history.

Both Brady and Belichick will be back again next season. In pursuit of their 7th title. You have to believe they want the Patriots to be standing by themselves in almost every record in the book that matters to them. To keep the ego and arrogance at an all-time high. They might not come back with the same roster, but you know they will reload. They will draft well. They will make some kind of trade that will look like small potatoes at the time. Then it pans out into a big deal.

A 7th Superbowl title is not impossible. The Patriots have a very easy road to the playoffs playing in the AFC East. Their division opponents are all in rebuilds that have been going on for over a decade. Dolphins will seek out a young quarterback in the draft, in my opinion. That will give each team the Patriots play in their own division a young quarterback to face.  Nothing like feasting on the bottom of the food chain. Most likely these groups will not be able to dethrone the almighty Patriot empire. Practically already cemented in the playoffs before the season begins, they will of course get all the lucky breaks when the playoffs resume after the 2019 regular season.

It was not the Tom Brady tuck rule game this year. I do think one play that helped the Patriots win this years Superbowl happen in another game. It was that no call at the end of the Saints and Rams game. This play prevented the Saints from getting to the Superbowl. I think the Saints would have scored more than 13 points against the Patriots defense. Pressure does not rattle Brees in comparison to Goff. Perhaps even cover Edelman over the middle. Call me crazy, but no defense coordinator thought about covering him.

Plus, to escape Kansas City after throwing an interception late in that game. The offside call. Yes, that is the way the cookie crumbles for teams other than the Patriots. Patriots have more lives than any cat. More scandals caught on tape than J. Edgar Hoover. Can the Bills, Dolphins, and Jets combine their rosters and see if they can prevent the Evil Empire from winning yet another division?  Hopefully some team in the AFC has a Jedi quarterback that can take down the Evil Empire next season, to end their tyranny for good.