NFL franchise all-time power rankings: Which organization comes out on top?

5. New England Patriots 

The New England Patriots had an immensely disappointing few decades to begin their legacy. They really fit the Boston mantra (outside the Celtics). In fact, nobody even cared about the Pats in Boston. They threatened to move multiple times, and some even thought they would do better in Connecticut. It’s not like this team had no success, going to two Super Bowls before Y2K. However, this was a franchise in turmoil until Thomas Edward Brady fell to pick number 199 in the 2000 NFL Draft. 

Brady took over for Drew Bledsoe when he suffered a rib injury in Week 2 of 2001. He would keep that starting job until 2019. In that time, he won six Super Bowls, appeared in three others, and made the AFC Championship Game 13 times. Just think about that last stat. The Patriots appeared in 13 AFC Championship Games in Brady’s 18 seasons under center. 

Of course, it was so much more than Brady (although having the GOAT didn’t hurt). Bill Belichick instilled the “Patriot Way” which got everyone in line for the number-one goal. Randy Moss, Corey Dillon, Vince Wilfork, and Rob Gronkowski all learned they needed to adapt or die (well, get traded). They contributed with insane results thanks to the superior coaching of Belichick.

Today, the Patriots are in an interesting position, moving on from Belichick and hiring Jerod Mayo. We’ll see if they can move forward now, but they’ve built themselves a pretty superior legacy so far.