New England Patriots: 5 Early bold predictions for the 2018 season

1. Patriots suffer surprising Wild Card round defeat

Despite Gronk’s departure and Brady’s failed evasion of Father Time, the Patriots manage to secure the No. 3 seed in the AFC. It’s another solid season for New England, but road losses to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers cost them a first-round bye.

That pits them against the dangerous-yet-inconsistent Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card round. On the surface, it doesn’t seem like a matchup worth worrying about for the annual-contender Patriots. A deep look will prove that assumption to be false, though.

Armed with one of the NFL’s most overlooked defenses and their own wily veteran quarterback, the Chargers come into Gillette Stadium and pull off the early-postseason upset. Joey Bosa gets after Brady all game long, forcing him into a couple of costly mistakes. It comes down to the wire, but Los Angeles does just enough to send the Patriots on an early vacation.

It’s their earliest exit from the playoffs since 2009. It’s also a sign that the whispers of the team’s lingering fall from grace weren’t as exaggerated as many believe.

Next: Patriots veterans who won't survive training camp

The Patriots still manage 16 straight seasons of double-digit wins and 10 straight postseason appearances. Overall, it’s not too shabby for a club that lost its top offensive weapon mid-season. While that may be, it’s far from what we’ve come to expect from Belichick and Brady.

I’ll say it again — all good things must come to an end.