I think you are doing a great disservice to Bill AND the game of football in this mindless comparison thing that people are now watching. Not withstanding that Brady is the GOAT at his position the fact remains that Brady could only affect about 15 players on offense, while Bill had an impact on all 53+ as well as personnel decisions. As great as Brady was, his impact on the Patriots was not nearly as large as Bills. Just one player playing one role on one side of the field.
BILL is te major reason that we have 6 titles and 9 superbowl appearances. Because FOOTBALL is a game where the T E A M truly IS greater than the individual player, even when that player is playing the most important position on the field. An single great player CAN truly affect a basketball team or a hockey team but there have been plenty of great individual players in the game of football who never sniffed playing on a great team.
Peyton Manning came into the league with great talent and was put in a situation where he had everything going for him. Playing in a dome, rules designed to enhance is team's offensive style, etc. And while Manning did win 2 titles, NEITHER was achieved because of anthing he did. It was only because the Pats ran out of gas in the over heated dome in Indy (and a few VERY questionable calls)that he got into the big game. And with Denver that last year, he was only there to manage the game. He was just along for the ride, riding the coattails of a great defense and a great RB.
The point is that even the best of QB's are hard pressed to carry their teams to championships. And although Brady was the GOAT playing the most important individual position in the game, he was STILL only O N E player.
Shame that its become low hanging fruit to blame Bill for 20 years of winning football and credit Tommy with all the credit. The mediots will be all over this narrative to get even for 20 yrs of him not being Bill Parcells (who IS in the great self promoters HOF, and NOT, thankfully, in the Pats HOF ) But that's another argument and another time.
And lets not forget that Tom's first year he WASN'T the GOAT. He was just a solid "game manager" In fact Tom didn't have his first 4000 yd season until 2005. Brady's place here was a miraculous piece of good fortune because he landed in a place that valued his limited skills. A place that valued his football processing skills over his athletic skills and designed an offense FOR those skills. BB saw how competitive Tom was, and how dedicated he was to being great. He also was patient enough to wait the 5 years (though winning 3 superbowls made it easier ) before he was ready to become the prolific passer we all now expect. Tom very easily could have been put into a system that saw him as the capable back up he was projected to be.
I have more about the narrative that BB didn't have a post Brady plan but I have damned errands to run.
