In 11 years, 9 AFC East Championships. In 9 years, the #1 seed 4 times, 12+ wins 6 times, 13+ wins 5 times. 27-5 over the last 2 years. Playoff success is what we want this year for sure, but give thanks for an era that really has only been reserved for this length of time, especially if you extend it back to 1994, for the Landry era in Dallas, the Raiders from 65 to 85, and the 49ers 81-98 run. As a kid I couldn't even imagine this for the New England Patriots.
Thanks for the reminder. While I'm sympathetic to being impatient that it's been a while since the last Playoff win, the Belichick/Brady era, with four Super Bowl appearances and three victories over a seven year period, is one of the greatest in the history of the NFL.
I looked back at the other great HC/QB combinations.
Lombardi and Starr went to six NFL Championship Games, winning five, over an eight year period, including the first two SB's. They remain the gold standard for longevity and championships.
Landry and Staubach went to four SB's together over an eight year period, winning two. Landry himself went to five over nine years, still with a total of two wins.
Noll and Bradshaw set the gold standard for "compacted excellence" by winning four in six years.
Walsh and Montana went to and won three over an eight year period; Joe won one more with Seifert, who won another with Steve Young five years later (Seifert is the only HC with two rings who is not in Canton, probably because the CW has it that he inherited the final Walsh/Montana team).
"Gibbs I" went to four SB's over ten years, winning three, but did so with three different QB's.
Cowher went to two SB's over an eleven year period, winning one, but also with different QB's.
Aikman went to three SB's, winning them all, over a four year period, but did so with two different HC's after Jerry Jones threw a hissy fit and fired Jimmy Johnson, to his everlasting regret.
Elway is the only QB to appear in SB's separated by more than eight years, going to five over a 13 year period, but did so with two different HC's, losing three with Reeves and winning two with Shanahan.
Roethlisberger has gone to three SB's over a five year period, winning two, but with two different HC's.
So, Belichick and Brady have the chance to do something that no other HC/QB combinatioin has ever done: win multiple Super Bowls together with over a decade passing between the first and most recent wins. If they can do it this year, it will be five SB's and four Lombardi's over 11 years, a record that I would dare to say would stand for a long, long time.
