Bill Belichick will never talk of it. Tom Brady and teammates will never think such a thing.

But for those closest to the Pats - the fans, the die-hards - they know. That breathless air of invincibility is gone, that power derived from such a state, extinguished. The dynasty a mere memory.

Our Pats are . . . normal.

This hurts deeply. We loved waking up on a Football Sunday knowing the Pats would seek and destroy, amuse and abuse. The entertainment value was stupendous. Tee up the Football, waste another nobody. There was only one team worth anything . . . the Patriots .

And the league, the country, your Jets fan neighbor, could say nothing. They so hated you and your team. And you loved it. Rubbed it in. Always.

Three Super Bowl titles. Now, such a long, long time ago. Five seasons since the last.

It's seems all gone.

Yeah, Belichick and the Patriots still feel they'll ``be prepared to win every week,'' but we know better. We're never comfortable on Sundays anymore or Monday nights (ouch!). That beautiful feeling of can't-be-beat was better than love, sex, money and a large Kelly's roast beef sandwich.

One last thing to cling to: The NFL hasn't entirely caught on yet, though the Saints have for sure. The Patriots still earn respect and strike fear.

But us die-hards know. The glow is gone. And it's terrible.

The Super Bowl? Sure, they can get there. It's just no longer they WILL get there.

Oh, what a feeling that was.

Starting over:

Patriots (-3) at Miami - OK, forget the Bayou. It's the Dolphins. Division game. Possible playoff clincher. Now, defense, cover someone, will ya? Pats, 27-20.

Getting cold:

Denver (-4 1/2) at Kansas City - Matt Cassel begs Josh McDaniels to slip a play or two his way, like in their good old Patriots days. Broncos, 23-13.

Oakland (+14 1/2) at Pittsburgh - Only a blabbermouth like Hines Ward would want his Super Bowl quarterback to play with a concussion. What an idiot. Steelers, 30-10.

Houston (pick) at Jacksonville - These are two teams that deserve each other. That's why it's a pick 'em game. No one can do it. Jaguars, 24-23.

Tennessee (+6 1/2) at Indianapolis - Nice story. Titans lose first six, win next five. Now, end of story. Colts, 31-13.

Philadelphia (-5 1/2) at Atlanta - Michael Vick returns as a Philly Eagle to his former home in Atlanta. Keep the dog on a leash. Eagles, 20-16.

Detroit (+13) at Cincinnati - Bengals are becoming another of those NFL weirdos. Or maybe they're simply not as good as they seem. Bengals, 27-7.

New Orleans (-9 1/2) at Washington - President Obama should send some of those 30,000 troops he's trooping off to Afghanistan to protect the 'Skins. They'll need it. Saints, 31-13.

Tampa Bay (+6) at Carolina - Not many times does a team's chances improve when their starting QB goes out with an injury. Panthers, 24-10.

St. Louis (+9) at Chicago - Anyone who bets anything on the Bears deserves a postgame visit from Tony BareKnuckles asking to pay up or down you go. Bears, 17-14.

San Diego (-13) at Cleveland - The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is considering moving to get away from the flops next door. Chargers, 33-3.

San Francisco (pick) at Seattle - Nothing like a good old late-season showdown for second place in your division. Nothing like it. 49ers, 20-17.

Minnesota (-3 1/2) at Arizona - Brett Favre and Kurt Warner forced to show AARP cards to get in, but don't mess with these seniors. Vikings, 29-24.

Dallas (-2) at N.Y. Giants - Is there any way both teams could lose? Giants, 16-13.

Baltimore (+3) at Green Bay - You can always count on the Ravens to take a big step backward after a big step forward the previous week. Packers, 20-12.

Last week: 8-6-1.

Season: 88-81-3.

- jlazar@bostonherald.com