Lots of people love NE...others don't. For the ones who are not fans, many say it is because the Patriots have been so dominant since Super Bowl #36 .On the NFC side there has not been a comparable dominating team since the 2001 season.
I'm hoping that the Eagles can beat the odds next week and win their first Super Bowl!!!
But the overwhelming stats from the last 17 years make it very difficult!! So thought it would be interesting to give a few details ....
Since Brady and Belichick have had an opportunity to be in a Super Bowl starting with the 2001 season, they have already played 7 times and next week's Super Bowl will be their 8th trip representing the AFC. So out of the last 17 Super Bowls...including the one next week...NE will have been in 47% of the games...8 of 17!!
On the NFC side there has been no one team that has anything close to that record. In the last 17 Super Bowls...again, including next week's game... Seattle has been in 3, New York, Carolina, and Philadelphia have been in 2 each, and 8 other teams have played once.
As to wins since the 2001 season, the AFC has won 10 of the last 16 Super Bowls ... with Brady and NE winning 5 of those 10. The other 5 won by the AFC were from Pittsburgh with 2, and Indianapolis, Baltimore, and Denver with 1 win each.
On the NFC side, they have won 6 of the last 16 Super Bowls. New York won 2, and TB, NO, GB, and Seattle each won 1.
One other thing I thought was interesting was that since Brady and NE came on the scene in the 2001season, only 6 teams have played in Super Bowls on the AFC side. Including next week's game, of the 17 Super Bowls total, NE will have been in 8, Pittsburgh 3, Indianapolis 2, Denver 2, Oakland 1, and Baltimore 1.
On the NFC side, in the last 17 Super Bowls (again including next week) there have been 12 different teams! The breakdown of number of appearances is Seattle 3, NY 2, Carolina 2, Philadelphia 2, St. Louis 1, TB 1, Chicago 1, Arizona 1, NO 1, GB 1, SF 1, and Atlanta 1.
As to QBs who have been in the last 17 Super Bowls...including this year's...here is the breakdown for number of appearances...win or lose.
On the AFC side....Brady 8, P. Manning 4, Roethlisberger 3, Gannon 1, and Flacco 1.
On the NFC side....Warner 2, E. Manning 2, Wilson 2, Johnson 1, Delhomme 1, McNabb 1, Hasselbeck 1, Grossman 1, Brees 1, Rodgers 1, Kaepernick 1, Newton 1, Ryan 1, and Foles 1.
So, NE and Brady and Belichick have dominated the last 17 seasons of football. I take nothing away from them...they have been an amazing force!
But I truly hope that next week the Philadelphia Eagles and Foles and Pederson will be the winners!!!! Go Eagles!!!!!!!