Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have enjoyed unparalleled success in their 11-plus seasons together with Patriots, and a win over the Giants would give them a fourth Super Bowl title. Where does Belichick-Brady rank among the all-time coach-QB combos in league history?
It's right there with Joe Montana and Bill Walsh, and by Sunday night, there could be a good argument that it's the best ever. Their eras overlap perfectly and it's hard to consider one without the other.
It's a little different, to me, in that Walsh invented, implemented and perfected his offense through Montana, while Belichick is a defensive coach. So I'll defer to Walsh-Montana even if Bill and Tom pick up their fourth title on Sunday.
But if Brady and Belichick get above five at some point, then I'm not sure how you deny them the top spot.
They're up there with Walsh-Montana, Mike Holmgren-Brett Favre and Tom Landry-Roger Staubach, and several steps ahead of Andy Reid-Donovan McNabb. I'd have to say Belichick and Brady are in the top three, depending on the criteria you want to use. In fact, I'd even say top two, because they've evolved more than any of the other duos in terms of personnel, schemes and assistant coaching changes.
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- Jason Smith NFL.com
Winning Sunday gives Belichick-Brady the edge
You have Chuck Noll-Terry Bradshaw, Walsh-Montana and now Belichick-Brady. Which tandem is the best? Throw out Noll-Bradshaw, because the two couldn't stand each other. They knew how to drive one another, but working in harmony? Not so much. Walsh helped make Montana with the advent of the West Coast offense. And if you're going by numbers, it's four Super Bowls for Walsh and Montana, and three for Belichick and Brady.
If the Patriots win on Sunday, Belichick and Brady become the greatest coach-QB combo ever. To win four Super Bowls in the free agency era is incredible, as that's something Walsh didn't really have to worry about. He could keep his team intact year after year. And the cherry on top of this sundae is if the Pats can win with this defense. That unit would be, without a doubt, the worst defense to ever win a Super Bowl. So if you can win with that, well, that's as good as it gets for those two.
The Belichick-Brady is best of all time. Dynasties aren't supposed to exist in the NFL these days, but the Patriots defy those odds. A fifth Super Bowl appearance is unparalleled in the modern era.
