1. How many franchise QBs would you say are out there in the NFL in any given year? Yet that is easier than putting together an elite defense? Interesting.
2. I would not call either defenses elite either, but both were Top-10 in scoring D, which is pretty darn good. Good enough to win anyways.
3. You know the biggest single reason why the Cowboys have had cap issues in the past are attributed to? Injuries. Not bad signings, but guys they signing or trading for that ending up having severe or career ending injuries.
4. Yet without that pairing taking up almost half of the Super Bowl spots during their time together, there is a chance that a Top WR and/or Top RB, two positions that the Patriots do not value, could have won a Super Bowl. Just like when the Cowboys were winning in the 90's, it was "clear" you needed a Top WR (Irvin) and Top RB (Smith) to win it all. Trends come and go man, especially when there is a dynasty driving those trends.
5. Despite being the best QB in the league, lets look at all the Patriot Super Bowls
- Patriots defense holds one of the Greatest Offensive teams of all time to just 17 points to allow the FG Kicker to win it at the last minute
- Brady had a great game, and the defense did not hold. Again, needing a FG Kicker to win it all in the last minute, again
- The Patriots win again, but not at the last minute this time. I wonder if the 3 point win had anything to do with McNabb choking (or puking) the game away with 3 Ints
- Arguably the biggest choke in NFL history as the undefeated Patriots, with their all-time great offense, put up a mere 14 points in a 17-14 loss to Eli
- The "revenge" Super Bowl were "The GOAT" Tom was only able to put up 17 points against Eli's 21
- Patriots win due to Seattle's stupidity at refusing to run it on 2nd and Goal, from the 1, with 1 TO left, and "Beast Mode" as the RB for the GW TD, only to have the Defense bail Tom out again
- I could call this a choke job by Atlanta, but I will give full credit to Tom for leading the offense back from being down 21-3 at half time to make an historic comeback
- Was able to cap off his largest margin of victory in his SB history (at least so far) but it was far less about the offensive output (13 points) and more about defensive domination (3 points allowed)
Some may look at that list and think "damn, SackMaster is a Tom Brady hater" and the list would be a great argument for that take. BUT .... what I am HOPING what people will see is that despite being the G.O.A.T. NFL QB, without
- a iron nerved kicker
- a defense that held great offenses in check multiple times
- and arguably the most idiotic coaching decision in NFL history
Even with the GOAT QB, the Patriots could EASILY be 1-7 in the Super Bowl with the only "Tom carried the team" Super Bowl win being against the Falcons.
That's why the NFL is so great. It is the one major American sport where a single player CANNOT carry a team for an entire season. Without a good kicker, good luck. Without a good defense, nice try. Without a good offense, fat chance. Without a good coach, bahahahahaha.
That is why a Doug Williams, Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson, Joe Flacco and Nick Foles can be Super Bowl winning QBs, while guys like "Record Breaking" Tom Brady, Payton Manning, John Elway and Dan Mario are Super Bowl losing QBs.
It is NOT all about the QB.
But how many Super Bowls does the Patriots have without Tom Brady?
It is NOT all about the RB.
But how many Super Bowls does the Cowboys have without Emmitt Smith?
It is NOT all about the WR.
But how many Super Bowls does the 49ers have without Jerry Rice?
It is NOT all about the Defense.
But how many Super Bowls does the Steelers have without the Steele Curtain?
Yet take away the Defense or Kicker from Tom Brady's Patriots, do they withstand the offensive powerhouses they faced?
Take away Aikman-to-Irvin from the Cowboys offense, is the offense nearly as potent and deadly?
Take away the west-coast offense that the 49ers perfected, can they win SBs with two different QBs?
Take away Steelers' amazing WR catches (Swann and Holmes), would their defense have been enough?
I know at this point, I beat a dead horse to death, but some people just don't get it.
In closing, if you want to cry that
- "there's no way we can win a Super Bowl because me made Zeke the highest paid RB in the NFL"
- "how can we pay Amari so much because top WRs don't win Super Bowls"
- "the Jones' cursed the Cowboys by signing Dak to a top-5 QB deal"
I served 5 years in the military to protect your right to whine like a baby (although JOKINGLY I do regret that sometimes)
But that does not mean that any single, combination of, or all of them happening automatically keeps the Cowboys from being able to compete for a Lombardi.
Yet by stating so, all you are doing is giving yourself a 31 of 32 chance about bragging how you were right all this time every single year. So I will say, congratulations for sticking your neck out there against such "terrible" odds.
As for me? The Cowboys are going to do what the Cowboys do regardless of what a "internet troll" thinks. That is part of the reason they make millions and I have yet to hit 6 figures a year. And when the season comes, I will root for them, even for the guys I don't particularly like *cough* Garrett *cough* and deep down, truly hope that he can figuratively tell me to "**** Internet Troll, let the coaches coach, and let what ever people like you do, continue to do". I will still walk around with a smile on my face happily displaying Cowboys colors and any Super Bowl winning merchandise.
And for the sake of your well being, I hope you can do the same.