Tom Brady said after the game he hopes to make it back to a Super Bowl. That’s not a thought that would cross his mind early in his career.
The Patriots’ window for a championship hasn’t closed, but there’s no guarantee they will ever get so close to a title again.
Brady will be 35 years old next. New England will have a chance to win a title as long as Brady is playing at a high level and Bill Belichick is the coach. Brady hasn’t shown signs of decline yet, but it’s rare for a quarterback to continue playing so well at his age.
On NBC SportsTalk Tuesday night, I spoke about New England’s future with Russ Thaler and former NFL linebacker Pete Najerian. New England has major issues to solve this offseason at wide receiver and on defense, but they also have a lot of young talent.
The Patriots have become experts at changing on the fly. They have the draft picks, talent, and resources to be one of the favorites in the AFC this year. They will also have to show they can mentally rebound from a devastating loss.