Are the Patriots On the Way Down?

The Patriots have made their typical 2-0 start to the season. It is what you'd expect from a side that we have been so used to seeing dominate the NFL in the last 10 years.

But there is something rather unsatisfactory about the start the Patriots have made this season. Yes, their wins have come against their two big division rivals, the Bills and Jets but the performance in both games has been okay.

The offense certainly hasn't fired as much as it has in the last 6 years. Perhaps the huge reshuffle that has been undertaken in the summer - stalwarts, Wes Welker and Danny Woodhead have been ushered out of Foxborough along with convicted murderer, Aaron Hernandez. Danny Amendola has been brought in for St Louis to back up young guns, Shane Vereen and Aaron Dobson.

In previous years, such reshuffles would have gone unnoticed - such is the efficiency of the Bill Belichick machine. But not this season.

We've seen a lot of this from Brady recently

Tom Brady himself, while still topping the stats, isn't quite the player that he was and at 36, he is definitely in the autumn of his career. His body language this season hasn't been that great either and one wonders if we're about to see the last of a great quarterback.

Should Brady go, there will be big issues for the Patriots franchise. Ryan Mallett is still an unknown quantity and Belichick rightly passed on Tim Tebow meaning that there isn't really an elite quarterback to take the Pats to further success in the future. A season like that of the Colts in 2011 is very possible.

Patriots secondary cost them against the Ravens last year

On the bright note, the defence has definitely improved this season and held its own against the Jets but the secondary still remains a problem and the Pats still give away far too many plays in that area, even if yes they can make big plays when they can.

Yet, one feels that Super Bowl success might be another dream again this season.