Let the sinking-in begin.

It’s now been three whole days since the Patriots made all of New England fiercely proud with their second Super Bowl title in three years, and despite talks of dynasty, greatness and individual accomplishments, it still remains nearly unfathomable to think that the Pats are not only again champions of the world, but are being considered the dominant franchise of the 21st century.

Nevertheless, they certainly are. The team most of us grew up rooting for religiously every Sunday has conquered the football universe. They have reversed a trend of losing that has festered itself in these parts to the point where no team other than the Silver and Blue have stood triumphantly on Tom Menino’s front door since the Celtics celebrated the NBA Title at City Hall Plaza in 1986.

What makes it all the more unbelievable is how it began. Few remember that the Patriots had an undefeated preseason, and despite the fact that their most dominant player in those four games -free agent prize and linebacker extraordinaire Roosevelt Colvin -was hurt at Philadelphia in Week Two and never played again, that scary concept known as optimism was sweeping through the New England states like the August humidity.

Yet despite the NFL’s only unblemished summer, things all seemed to blow up in Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli’s face when they decided to cut team captain and fan favorite Lawyer Milloy prior to the start of the season.

Widely considered the heart and soul of the franchise, Milloy took his share of parting shorts at his former bosses and the anger many people felt about one of their favorite sons being let go so unceremoniously were only magnified when Milloy contributed to a 31-0 trouncing at Buffalo.

I was one of those fans who took exception to letting Lawyer walk. I bought my first royal blue No. 36 jersey in the eighth grade, and I thought it made me that much cooler to frequently imitate the pulling of a truck horn that Milloy made so popular, so I made my feelings crystal clear that day, and in this very paper no less. I wrote that I thought it was a travesty to let one of the franchises greatest player leave like that, and that it just wouldn’t be right to see anyone but Lawyer leading my favorite team. I thought Bill Belichick, the smartest man in football, had made a terrible mistake.

It was then, after that painful, embarrassing loss to the Bills, however, that the season truly began. The only setback after that would come at Washington in Week 4, and the team found its new identity behind its star quarterback, a stellar defense and the league’s premier draft class.

Despite an injury epidemic the likes of which had never been seen before, the Pats bonded together without the leader many, including myself, thought they desperately needed, and became a runaway train unable to be stopped. There were no easy games, no blowouts, just wins. Wins every week.

Rodney Harrison, an off season acquisition from San Diego, had taken over for Milloy, and instantly became a fan favorite with his fearless play and constant, unbridled intensity. His hit-first, ask-questions-later-before-and-during style won his teammates over to the point where he was elected captain in Milloy’s place, and at season’s end he would be named an All-Pro.

The run defense that was so painful to endure in 2003 became impenetrable, as 375-pound nose tackle Ted Washington became such an immovable force that he made everyone around him better. Requiring double teams on every down, Mt. Washington deserves credit for the career years of many, including Harrison, inside linebacker Tedy Bruschi, defensive lineman Richard Seymour and outside linebacker Mike Vrabel.

Tom Brady, who endured ups and downs in his sophomore season of 2002, came into his own. With no running game to speak of, Brady was called on to sling the pigskin all over the place, and sling it he did. Involving as many different receivers as he possibly could, Brady turned Charlie Weis’ game-management offense into the next big thing in the NFL.

No longer did team’s need to run the football to be successful, as long as they had a quarterback who was accurate, aware and made smart, split-second decisions. The Patriots were the envy of the league. Despite injuries to Brown and David Patten, Brady continued to have success. Thanks large in part to the emergence of David Givens as a bona-fide future Pro Bowl receiver and the consistency of Brown, who continued to catch everything thrown within an arms-length radius, Weis and Brady truly revolutionized the offense game as we know it.

Ty Law, who following his longtime friend and teammates release was targeted for the same fate following the 2003 season, emerged as the NFL’s premier shutdown cornerback. His interception return for a touchdown on a badly sprained ankle against Steve McNair and the Titans on Oct. 5 reviewed this, and his three INT performance in the AFC Championship game confirmed it.

So how did it all come together? How did a team that began with such high expectations see everything crumble before they’d even played a meaningful game, and then rebuild it in such a rapid fashion that allowed them to win more consecutive games than any team in history save one?

To be quite honest, who cares?

It’s obvious that Bill Belichick and his staff are second to none, and that Scott Pioli is as fine an executive as you’ll find in sports. A large part of the credit certainly goes to them, as they were the ones who brought the players in and taught them how to play and succeed the Patriot way. But beyond that, does it really matter why the Lombardi Trophy again resides in Foxboro, as long as it does?

The Pats are World Champions because they were supposed to be. They were supposed to win 15 games in a row, they were supposed to survive all the extreme elements they faced, and Adam Vinatieri was supposed to win the Super Bowl with a 41-yard field goal for no other reason than the players, coaches and fans of New England earned it with a year’s worth of blood, sweat and tears.

So when I wrote on September 5, 2003 that if the Patriots were to win the Super Bowl without Lawyer Milloy it just wouldn’t be right, I was wrong. I woke up at 5:30 am on Tuesday morning to celebrate with 1.5 million other diehards, and seeing my team hold that trophy is a feeling that has gone unmatched in my life in this, my 20th year.

In retrospect, this team didn’t just win without Lawyer Milloy, they won because they didn’t have Lawyer Milloy. His dismissal reminded the players that football isn’t about individuals; it’s about team, and no one player will make or break a team that knows and believes in those words of wisdom.

So did it hurt to not glance up at those Duckboats and not see Lawyer’s toothy grin soaking up the moment? Sure it did, he will always be a part of this franchise and a player many of us grew up idolizing. But players are merely part of a whole, and if you ask me, I like my new No. 37 jersey with the name Harrison across the back just fine.

Mike Marzelli is a Collegian columnist. He can be reached at [email protected]