Houston – The Patriots have been accused of spying on opponents and deflating footballs but no one has investigated the tactic most crucial to their success:
Cloning.
Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are the Patriots' constants. Everyone around them puts the "fun" in "fungible."
The Patriots' roster-building formula follows patterns moreso than it pursues elite or expensive talent. In the salary cap era, discovering useful players who fit a system but don't cost high draft picks or dozens of millions of dollars has allowed New England to become the NFL's most durable dynasty.
Most dominant NFL teams flame out quickly.