Actually Denver violated the salary cap during the SB championship years and the '70s Steelers were filled w/ stroid users
In 2007 New England won 18 games facing the AFC North and NFC East, in 2008 New England won 11 games facing the AFC West and NFC West. 7 win difference. Went from the most prolific offense in history, scoring 589 points, to scoring a mere 410 in 2008 with practically the same offense. Matt Cassel has at least proven to be a serviceable QB. Curtis Painter chokes at the thought of having to play football. The only thing 2008 and 2011 prove is that New England has done a better job of building a team and they know the importance of having a solid backup while the Colts have ignored the position assuming Manning would play forever. Colts win 8 games at best in 2011 with Manning, they've been in a steady decline for some time, they were a 10 win team in 2010 with Manning against the AFC South twice and AFC West.
well u have to put him up there in the top 3. its really an amazing run for this guy as much as i cant stand him. no doubt he is a product of a great system, coach, and philosophy. guys like marino, manning, and elway were great despite the less than stellar surroundings.
Brady made BB, not the other way around. BB w/ Brady as his starter(10 seasons): 124-34, 78 % 9 playoff apps 9 division titles 15-5 playoff record 6 AFC Championship Games 4 SB apps 4-1 record in AFC Championship Games 3-1 record in SBs zero .500 or less seasons BB w/o Brady as his starter(7 seasons): 51-63, 45% 1 playoff app 1 playoff win zero title game apps zero SB apps 2 seasons at .500 or above Tom Brady IS the system
I can't? why not? he took over a team that was just a year removed from playig in the AFC Championship Game(3rd time in 4 years) and a team that would go on to win a SB a few years after he left. In NE they went 5-11 w/o Brady in 2000 and started 0-2 w/o him in 2001 before finishing 11-3 in their last 14 games en route to the SB. if not for Tom Brady BB would be a DC somewhere today. he has developed into a great HC but if not for Brady he wouldn't have had the time to do that.
I respectfully disagree. Brady's receivers in his first two SB wins are not as good as Clark and Solomon. Jermaine Wiggens or Daniel Graham vs Dwight Clark??? Troy Brown is clearly no better than Freddie Solomon. Moss was at the tail of his career with NE, and only had two years with Brady. Imagine Moss with his youthful speed playing with Brady. And keep in mind that that is still not as good as Rice. Rice, often listed as the greatest *player* in the history of the league had 8 years, including the prime of his career with Montana. Deion Branch? :breakdance: He is nothing without Brady. Now Gronk has had a special year, but that is just one year. Welker? His output doubled when he came to NE. He was average and unknown in Miami.
Have to agree with junc here, as he mentioned Belichick was 5-13 in New England before Brady came in. Brady might end up being the best QB of all time, I can't think of one better. Certainly no homerism there, I'll be glad when he's gone but it is what it is.
Brady's output hasn't dropped off since Spygate so one can question the idea that he was getting a 'huge benefit' from this.
The late 80’s Browns were old and most of them were gone by 1991. Belichick worked in many young players like Anthony Pleasant, James Jones, Leroy Hoard, Michael Jackson, Randy Hilliard, Pio Sagapolutele, Rob Burnett, Ernie Logan and Eric Turner. Guys from the late 80’s teams like Ozzie Newsome, Paul Farren, Cody Risien, Al Baker, Carl Hairston, Hanford Dixon, Felix Wright, Earnest Byner, Bob Golic and Sam Clancy among other key contributors from the late 80’s team were either no longer there or were not the same player they used to be by the time Belichick got there. They were a shell of their former self and the 1989 team was the end of that era. I honestly cannot believe you made the 2nd comment regarding the SB winning Ravens. How many players from the 1995 Browns were even on the 2000 Ravens team? Two maybe? Rob Burnett & Matt Stover?
It may have helped them slow down the Greatest Show On Turf but I don't think it mattered much with Brady.
I think Belichick had the Browns in the AFC Championship Game with Vinny, maybe 1994? Modell fucked that team up when they announced they were leaving Cleveland early in the 1995 season and Belichick took the fall. Still, he was 5-13 in New England, not with a bad team obviously, with Drew Bledsoe. Al Groh swept him in 2000.
The 1994 AFCCG was San Diego vs. Pittsburgh Belichick inherited a team on the decline. But they had some good young players - especially on defense. Bledsoe was a terrible QB for the system Weis installed and never returned to the player he was before getting beaten down during the Carroll years. The Pats were a financial mess and Belichick had to gut the team. He brought in over 20 free agents during the 2001 off season. Brady was perfect for that system. He made quick decisions and didn't make mistakes. He was a huge upgrade over Bledsoe. But they don't win the SB w/o their defense
You're right, I remember Cleveland beating Parcells' young NE team in the 1994 playoffs, maybe that was the first round, I thought it was the divisional round. Point being they were a good team with Belichick and Vinny before Modell moved them, Belichick was involved in bringing Vinny to the Jets. They still had some good defensive players on that 2001 team, Brady made all the difference.
strictly speaking with NE - i think the 2001 pats defense was as much responsible for their ultimate success as brady and wasn't bledsoe the starter in pitt that year. forget 2000 - it was their transition year. how about going 11-5 with cassell. brady/bellichek are joined at the hip but i do think BB would have had much success - not necessarily 3 sb's and looking at a 4th - with another QB. they were/are part of a perfect storm of events that will only cease when either of them calls it quits.
Belichick has two rings as a DC too. If he goes again this year it will be his 8th Super Bowl appearance. Two as DC with the Giants, one as DC under Parcells with NE, and 5 as HC with the Pats.
