Throughout the 2010's, and during the 2000's, the New England Patriots ' dominance had been so consistent that it became boring.
Almost every year, the Patriots would be atop of the NFL rankings and finding themselves in the big game - winning six Super Bowl's from nine appearances in the season showpiece across 18 seasons. Winning consistently in the NFL is arguably one of the toughest feats in all of team sports.
In a salary cap league, it's very difficult to keep winning teams together, with rising rookies either rewarded with big contracts or choosing to move on in search of better terms elsewhere. Competition and parity is championed and the Draft is designed to help those with losing records improve.
Against the odds the Patriots found a way to become consistent winners, largely thanks to the greatest quarterback, Tom Brady, and greatest head coach, Bill Belichick, of all-time.
Brady's greatness sustained for more years than many thought possible having been an unheralded pick out of Michigan in 2000, and his willingness to take team-friendly contracts allowed the Patriots to build out the rest of the roster.
His longevity, playing to an incredibly high standard into his mid-40s, was unprecedented.
In 2016, former ESPN First Take host Max Kellerman stated that Brady was 'just about done', stating: "It could be his next game, it could be a year from now, but he is going to fall off a cliff.
He was not alone in that opinion, with many stating that the then 38-year-old had looked in decline. But Brady was to go on and win three more Super Bowls - putting himself, unquestionably, atop of the all-time greatest rankings.
Since his departure in 2020 though, the Patriots appear to have fallen apart. The once dominant team in the AFC East (winning 16 of 17 divisional titles between 2003 and 2019) now find themselves in the worst situation out of any of the four teams - and do not have a clear path to getting back to contending any time soon.
But how exactly has that happened? Here's a timeline of crucial mistakes that the Patriots have made which have lead to their demise.
2019: Crucial roster mistakes
After winning the 2018 Super Bowl in a defensive contest against the Los Angeles Rams, the Patriots knew they needed to improve their roster to compete again the following season.
With the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills all ascending on the back of hugely talented rookie quarterbacks and much more well-rounded rosters.
After Rob Gronkowski's retirement, the team lost a number of pass catching options and their first draft pick in that year would be wide receiver N'Keal Harry - selected over Pro Bowlers DK Metcalf, AJ Brown and Deebo Samuel.
With Harry largely struggling, the Patriots then gave up a future second-round draft pick for Mohamed Sanu, who would catch just one touchdown in a disappointing stint.
The Patriots made the Play-Offs but went on to lose in the wild card round at home to Tennessee - Brady's last ever game with the team.
2020/2021: Bizarre start to a new era
After replacing Brady with Cam Newton, the Patriots struggled hugely in their 2020 season - with little salary cap room to improve their roster.
Newton would last just one season, with the Patriots finishing 7-9 and missing the Play-Offs, before the front office made their move to find their long-term replacement in first-round quarterback from Alabama, Mac Jones.
The Patriots hoped to get the best out of Jones quickly, and decided to spend a whopping $88 million on two tight ends in Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry. While Henry has performed solidly, Smith - the more expensive signing - turned out to a huge mistake, scoring one touchdown and being released after just two seasons - costing the Patriots around $20 million in dead cap space.
There would be some positives though, with Jones looking like their answer at quarterback in his rookie season.
2022/2023: Coaching woes and failing to learn from previous errors
Hoping to build on Jones' strong first year as starting QB, the Patriots were dealt a big blow when offensive playcaller Josh McDaniels left to join the Las Vegas Raiders as head coach. The Pats needed to act quickly to find a new offensive mind to aid Jones, but bizarrely chose to not replace him.
Instead, the Patriots made defensive coach Matt Patricia the man to handle the offense, having never called plays in the NFL before. It was a decision that was criticised at almost every turn by onlookers ahead of the season and then by Jones himself.
Arguably, through no fault of his own, the second-year quarterback took a huge step back and was visibly, and audibly, frustrated with the Patriots offensive coaches at numerous times in the season.
So far in this off-season, the Pats have attempted to right the wrongs of the past season by bringing in Alabama offensive playcaller Bill O'Brien to reunite with the franchise in a solid move.
But some fans remain frustrated with the lack of signings at the wide receiver position. With limited cap space, the Pats chose to spend a large amount on another tight end in Mike Gesicki, just two years after signing Smith and Henry.
This years draft is seen as the most loaded tight end class in recent memory, with some questioning the lack of foresight from the Patriots front office - potentially saving that money on Gesicki and instead bringing in a superstar wide receiver such as DeAndre Hopkins.
The Pats will need to nail this upcoming NFL Draft to have any chance of competing, currently having the lowest odds to win in their division.
And even that might not be enough to see them get back to where they'd hope to be any time soon.
