Niner Noise
FanSided

NFL power rankings: Final post-Super Bowl LII standings around the league

By Peter Panacy

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 04: The Philadelphia Eagles celebrated defeating the New England Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 04: The Philadelphia Eagles celebrated defeating the New England Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – FEBRUARY 04: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots sits on the bench after having the ball stripped by Brandon Graham #55 of the Philadelphia Eagles late in the fourth quarter in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – FEBRUARY 04: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots sits on the bench after having the ball stripped by Brandon Graham #55 of the Philadelphia Eagles late in the fourth quarter in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

2. team. 47. . . Previous: . New England Patriots

Is this the end of the Patriots’ dynasty? And after all the late-season noise about there being issues within New England’s power structure, are we finally witnessing the downfall of the Bill Belichick and Tom Brady era?

Honestly, probably not. At least not now.

But the Pats could be entering the twilight of one of the most dominant eras in modern NFL history. The whole Robert Kraft-versus-Belichick-versus Brady saga might be blown out of proportion a bit. Yet that doesn’t mean massive changes are afoot.

It starts with the coordinators, Matt Patricia and Josh McDaniels, who are set to take on head coach jobs elsewhere in 2018. This isn’t exactly a death knell to the organization, but it’s something the Patriots will have to overcome.

And they’ll have some key decisions to make this offseason too. First, how long can Brady keep playing at such a high level. As we saw with future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning a couple of years ago, the drop off from elite QB to below-average signal-caller can be swift and sharp.

Left tackle Nate Solder hits free agency. So does cornerback Malcolm Butler, who didn’t even play on defense during Super Bowl LII.

The Pats are still the dominant force in the AFC. But maybe we’re starting to see the signs of vulnerability.