Part 3/11:
However, every empire faces its expiration date. When Brady left the Patriots—joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers—the soul of that dynasty departed, plunging the franchise into turbulent waters. The subsequent years were rough; the Patriots struggled to recapture their former dominance.
The period was marked by a series of struggles—questionable drafting, coaching changes, and upheavals that exposed vulnerabilities. Talented quarterbacks like Cam Newton, Mac Jones, and Bailey Zappe tried—and failed—to carry the torch. The offense faltered, the defense cracked, and the once-feared Patriots faded from relevance, becoming a team defined more by rebuilds than by victories.