So what's been better?
- 3 championships in 4 years, with a missed playoffs in-between to establish something we never imagined possible with the Pats?
or
- 3 championships in 5 years, with a gut-wrenching loss in the SB and a gut-wrenching loss to the Broncos in the AFCCG to re-establish the greatest dynasty ever?
Why dwell on the failures rather than the successes? In my mind it's between:
(A) underestimated, defense-first juggernauts
- Beating a heavily-favored team with an all-time level of talent, behind a brilliant game plan and cold-as-ice rookie QB, on a last-second FG
- Edging an overachieving John Fox squad who gave us some heart-pounding back-and-forth, also on a last-second FG
- Rolling the best team Andy Reid has assembled, exposing their weaknesses and silencing the doubters
vs
(B) grand-dame pillar of the league with an offense-first reputation
- Beating the defending champs after a dramatic comeback, coaching brilliance and arguably the greatest single moment in US pro sports
- Crushing the souls of a front-running, talented group led by an MVP out over his skis, with the greatest comeback in NFL history
- Rolling the predictable, inexperienced team led by young upstarts, in some of the greatest defensive game-planning and execution ever
I mean that's an impossible choice. They're both amazing feats, each of them burned into our collective memories and the annals of NFL history.
Gun to my head, the first trio was
more fun overall because of how unexpected it was, and how much positive coverage and general-public encouragement built up around it. But there's no denying the appeal of seeing a smarter, harder-working team slowly grinding the life out of more "talented" teams, time and again, in the biggest moments.