Can the Patriots be stopped?

The New England Patriots seem to have found the formula for football invulnerability.

Not having lost since September 2003, a 20-17 win over the Washington Redskins, the team-formerly-known-as-Patsies are three wins away from tying the '72-'73 Miami Dolphins record of 18 straight wins.

What is the formula for the team's success?

Some teams thought it was finding a Cinderella QB and that was copied by the Carolina Panthers, leading the Panthers to becoming the No. 2 team in the league.

Still, they were not good enough, so that can't be all.

The Pats defensive success can't be the answer, as the Dolphins, with the most talented defense in football, could not make the playoffs.

Is it having an abundance of solid receivers? The Tennessee Titans, with amazing depth at receiver, failed to defeat the Pats in the AFC divisional round of the playoffs.

Maybe it means finding a coach on Bill Belichick's level and letting him lead the team to become Super Bowl champs.

My answer: Bill Parcells, Marty Schottenheimer, John Gruden.

The conclusion I have come to is that you need a few of these things to win, not just one.

For example, if Tom Brady was out for the year, and there was no capable free agent replacement, can we realistically think that Rohan Davey, who is yet to start a game, and is yet to complete his fifth pass, is the next Cinderella quarterback? No. So clearly, the Pats can't win without Brady.

What would happen if Belichick quit before the season to spend time with his family? The Patriots would be left needing to promote a coordinator, and though they would be capable, their coordinators are not on the same level as Belichick and would probably not win a championship.

It is that easy for the Pats dream of three out of four Super Bowls to end.

The Indianapolis Colts are virtually unstoppable when they don't make mistakes, which isn't often, and perhaps they can fill the Pats throne.

Maybe the Kansas City Chiefs and their high powered offense could overcome the Pats spectacular D.

Perhaps the Baltimore Ravens defense led by Ray Lewis is the answer to how to beat the Patriots.

Maybe even the cursed Dolphins will rise from their terrible offseason and A.J. Feeley will be the Cinderella QB that beats Brady and the Patriots.

It is also that easy for the Pats dream to come to an end.

Whatever the formula is for the Patriots seeming invulnerability, it seems to have many missed ingredients.

Depth at QB, RB, and DB, could all be issues that face the Pats this year.

Maybe Corey Dillon will mess up the team's togetherness, or perhaps they will just have an off game in the playoffs and that will end it for them.

Or everything could work perfectly for them and they win again.

Somehow, I am tempted to pick one of the other endings for the Patriots season.

Somehow, I believe that the Pats have had too much good luck for it too last.

Somehow, somebody, or something will finally stop the Patriots.