The Patriot Way.
It's robo-QB Tom Brady. It's WRs like Energizer Bunny Julian Edelman, shifty Wes Welker, and all-timer Randy Moss. It's computer-esque head coach Bill Belichick. It's dominant regular seasons, and legendary playoff comebacks, and six, count 'em, six Super Bowl rings.
That all makes the New England Patriots the NFL's best-ever franchise, right? The dynasty to end all dynasties, right?
Maybe not.
There are a small handful of comers who might have something to say about that:
- Alternately led by QBs Joe Montana and Steve Young, the San Francisco 49ers dominated the 1980s with five rings.
- The Steel Curtain-era Pittsburgh Steelers — 1970s vintage — captured four Super Bowls in six years.
- The Dallas Cowboys spread out five titles over three decades, not a dynasty by definition, but it's been said they're America's team, so despite the 15-year gap between Lombardis, we'll give them the benefit of the doubt and call them a dynasty.
So wither New England? Where does the Patriots Way land in all of this?
Here, we'll breakdown some Pats Super Bowl history and consider whether the NFL's greatest dynasty is based in Massachusetts.
February 8's New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl is just around the corner, so pick your champion with PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks.
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New England Patriots Super Bowl History
Over the last 25 years — beginning with their first SB appearance in 1985 up until, well, today — the Pats have appeared in 10 (soon to be 11) Super Bowls, more than the combined total of the next two franchises on the list, the Chiefs (five) and the Eagles (four).
Part of New England's secret sauce — aside from that whole Brady/Belichick thing — is their consistent ability to built elite units in all three phases of the game.
In six of their ten Super Bowl seasons, both their offense and defense finished top-eight in, respectively, points scored and points allowed, the scariest season being 2016, when they boasted the third-ranked offense and the top defense. LIttle wonder that in the Big Game, they were able to rip out the Atlanta Falcons' collective hearts.
After Brady left for Tampa Bay before the 2020 season, the Pats snapped back to reality, thanks in part to their inability to successfully replace the Robo QB — late-career Cam Newton (2020), inconsistent Mac Jones (2021-2023), and top-shelf QB2 Jacoby Brissett (2024) couldn't touch TB-12. (Nobody could touch TB-12, truth be told, but you get the point.)
Post-Brady,the team went 29-38...that is, until they landed QB Drake Maye with the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Maye's rookie year wasn't what anybody would call, y'know, good — his record as a starter was a JaMarcus Russell-esque 3-9 — but his sophomore season was straight up sick. With an MVP-level campaign, the North Carolina product led the Pats to a 14-3 regular season record, the AFC's two-seed, and, of course, a trip to Levi's Stadium.
New England Patriots' Path to Super Bowl LX
New England clinched this year's Super Bowl berth by plowing through a gauntlet of elite defensive units in the postseason, taking down the Chargers (285.2 YPG allowed, fifth-best in the NFL), Houston (277.2 YPG, tops), and the Broncos (278.2 YPG, number two), the first time an NFL squad has beaten three top-five defenses in a single postseason.
Throughout the postseason, things were equally dandy on the other side of the ball for head coach Mike Vrabel's D. The Patriots sacked Chargers QB Justin Herbert 6 times, they picked Texans QB CJ Stroud 4 times, and generally made life miserable for the Bo Nix-less, Jarrett Stidham-led Broncos.
Among teams who needed three postseason games in a single playoff run to reach the Super Bowl, the 2025 Patriots scored the fewest total points, that being 18.0 per game — and this comes after putting up 28.8 in the regular season, the second-most in the NFL.
But hey, a win is a win is a win. And a Super Bowl is a Super Bowl is a Super Bowl.
The NFL's Greatest Dynasty?
Maybe you're a Niners truther, maybe you're a Steelers nut, or maybe you're a Cowboys fanatic,but in terms of The Best NFL Franchise Ever, If you're going strictly by the numbers — most postseason wins, most Super Bowl wins, the second-most number of fans who root against them — you have to roll with the Pats.
What separates the Patriots from the San Franciscos and the Pittsburghs of the world isn't just Super Bowl rings or playoff appearances — it's the consistency of excellence across changing eras. They've adapted and evolved through scandals, departures, and resets without losing their championship edge.
Now let's see if Maye, Vrabel, et al can upset the Seahawks and plop a seventh trophy in the case.
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