The San Francisco 49ers were the team of the 1980s. Their dynasty began on Jan. 10, 1982, with the backdrop of a 43-degree day on the East Bay.
With 58 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, the 49ers trailed the Dallas Cowboys 27-21 in the NFC Championship Game and faced third and goal from the 6-yard line. Head coach Bill Walsh called a play known as Sprint Right Option. Upon the snap, Joe Montana rolled right, pump-faked twice and lofted a pass over the outstretched arms of Ed “Too Tall” Jones. Incredibly, Dwight Clark caught the ball in the back right corner of the end zone. The fan reaction was instant, creating the appearance of a TNT plunger being detonated under each seat of the sellout crowd at Candlestick Park.
San Francisco won the game, launching its quartet of championships between 1981-89.
Of the 60,525 patrons to witness Clark’s catch from the stands, one was a 4-year-old boy from San Mateo. He would go on to eclipse Montana’s record of four Super Bowl rings or a quarterback, all while spearheading the greatest dynasty football has ever known.
Tom Brady now enters his 18th season with the New England Patriots. His accomplishments are many, including seven Super Bowl appearances, five titles, four Super Bowl MVP awards and a pair of NFL MVP honors.
Since Brady took over as starting quarterback in 2001, no team or player has enjoyed more success. The Patriots have a 183-52 regular-season record in Brady’s starts, including a divisional record of 69-17. In the postseason, Brady has a 25-9 mark, which has led New England to a whopping 11 AFC Championship Games, including each of the previous six.
Head coach Bill Belichick has 237 career wins going into the season. Of active coaches, only Andy Reid and John Fox have even half that total.
Belichick, 65, made his NFL bones as a defensive coordinator with the New York Giants, winning Super Bowls in 1986 and ’90. There was never any question about his ability to build a rock-solid defense, making his marriage with Brady and a first-rate coaching staff all the more lethal. During their first three titles together, Belichick and his defense were the main engine of the Patriots, while Brady played the role of caretaker and master of the clutch.
The last two Super Bowls have been won with a high-octane attack, complimented by a stout defense. Unlike any dynasty before it, the Patriots have spanned two decades, morphing from a grind-it-out, low-scoring unit to a devastating aerial assault.
Factoring in the dawn of the salary cap era and free agency ravaging every contender’s roster, what New England has accomplished is mind-boggling. Every rule and regulation in the NFL is designed to draw teams toward mediocrity, ranging from draft slot and schedule to the aforementioned cap and player movement.
It has worked, tried and true, every time. Except with the Patriots.
Now, at 40 years old, Brady is better than ever, and perhaps more alarming for his foes, surrounded by his best team in a decade.
After winning the Super Bowl in February, Belichick got to work in an unusual fashion. Typically, Belichick and the Patriots are quiet throughout free agency, adding complimentary pieces while other franchises spend tens of millions.
This winter, Belichick acted aggressively. His actions were more appropriate of a coach who lost the Super Bowl in February, rather than one who watched his team rally from a 28-3 deficit.
In March, New England made a dizzying flurry of moves within 72 hours that included trades for tight end Dwayne Allen, wide receiver Brandin Cooks and defensive end Kony Ealy. The Patriots also signed cornerback Stephon Gilmore to a five-year, $65 million deal to pair with Malcolm Butler in the secondary.
The result is a team many believe will go undefeated. While that is unlikely, it’s hard to see anybody else winning the Super Bowl if New England remains remotely healthy.
The AFC East remains weak, with the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills roundly expected to own top-10 picks in next year’s draft. The Miami Dolphins are a playoff contender, but they are a long way from competing with the Patriots.
New England has a cavalcade of weapons for Brady to utilize. On the outside, second-year man Malcolm Mitchell pairs with Cooks, while Julian Edelman remains the league’s best slot receiver. This is to say nothing of Rob Gronkowski, still the league’s top tight end when healthy. In the backfield, a combination of Mike Gillislee, Dion Lewis and James White should work fine, blending power and speed.
Defensively, the front seven is stocked with Lawrence Guy, Trey Flowers, Dont’a Hightower and Ealy. The secondary ranks as one of the NFL’s best with Butler and Gilmore on the outside, backed up by All-Pro Devin McCourty.
Last season, the Patriots won the Super Bowl and ranked at least eighth in both offense and defense. They improved both units.
The NFL is a long season, and New England will take its fair share of injuries and disappointing individual campaigns. Still, no team is better positioned for a run at another ring, something that seems like an annual feeling about the Patriots.