This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Houston • The last time New England played in a Super Bowl in Houston, singer Janet Jackson famously experienced a "wardrobe malfunction" during the halftime show.
The Patriots beat Carolina that night 13 years ago to earn their second championship, and their organization remains anything but dysfunctional.
In a century when the NFL is designed to share success, via the salary cap and free agency, the Patriots continue to defy the system. In Sunday's Super Bowl LI vs. Atlanta at NRG Stadium, New England coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady will make a seventh appearance on this stage, trying for a fifth championship that would further distinguish them individually and collectively. Pittsburgh's Terry Bradshaw and San Francisco's Joe Montana each quarterbacked four Super Bowl winners in the 1970s and '80s; Chuck Noll coached Bradshaw's Steelers teams to those four wins in six seasons.
If they win Sunday, the Brady/Belichick run of five titles will have covered 16 seasons, but that longevity only makes it more impressive. What they've done is not supposed to happen in this era, and their historic quest makes Atlanta merely an afterthought in this matchup — until proven otherwise.
Montana always was the standard for ex-Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, now a Fox Sports game analyst, but Brady has won him over in his QB rankings.
"Anyone who wants to make a case for Tom Brady being the greatest of all-time can certainly do that, regardless of what happens on Sunday," Aikman said. "You look at the cast of players he's had around him during this run. In addition to the Super Bowls, what's amazed me about the Patriots and Tom is they've done it with so many different people. When we went to multiple Super Bowls, we pretty much did it with our same core."
Jimmy Johnson, a Fox studio analyst who coached Aikman's first Super Bowl-winning team, makes a similar case for Belichick for the same reasons. "How many Hall of Famers were on those New England teams? … You change your team every year," Johnson said. "Back in the old days, you got a great team, and you had that great team for a long time. I think coaching is more important today than it's ever been."
Belichick's genius is reflected not only in his coaching strategy, but his personnel evaluation.
Think about the players with Utah ties who have played for the Patriots. Corey Dillon was considered a troublemaker in Cincinnati, but the former Dixie College running back thrived in New England, helping the Patriots win their third title. Belichick gave ex-BYU receiver Austin Collie a comeback opportunity, after other teams shied away from his concussion history. Offensive lineman Jordan Devey was a tuba player in American Fork High School's band and started four games for the Patriots during a championship season. Ex-Utah defensive lineman Sealver Siliga was cut by three NFL teams before playing in that Super Bowl.
On the current roster, linebacker Kyle Van Noy of BYU and cornerback Eric Rowe were acquired this season in trades for draft picks — worth considerably less than the players' original value. They've become vital parts of New England's defense.
As Rowe said, it's a good sign if "Bill sees something in you."
New England is the place where Belichick knows your name. After playing for the Patriots in the 2011 preseason and spending a Super Bowl year on injured reserve, former Utah defensive lineman Christian Cox can impersonate Belichick's monotone delivery. What really resonates with Cox five years later is how much attention Belichick paid him.
"Bill would pull you aside to coach you," Cox said, as an undrafted free agent who was "the lowest level of player."
Cox continued, "No one was exempt from coaching. And he called by your first name. … You think about how many people flow through that whole organization."
Rowe and Van Noy have become trusted players after arriving in trades; that was their only choice. "They expect you to get up to speed and to know your stuff," Collie told Sports Illustrated. "It's a pretty serious environment."
Rowe marvels about the "little details" New England's coaches emphasize. Collie, who caught five passes in two playoff games in 2013, credits Brady for maintaining the Patriots' standards, particularly on offense. "That franchise's identity is winning," Collie said. "That starts with Tom. They've created a whole culture that runs through one person."
Even so, Cox remembers Belichick criticizing Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski in front of the team. "If you weren't playing the Patriot Way, it didn't matter who you were," Cox said. "It's the best organization in the world. What makes it so amazing is strict accountability."
The Patriots' methods have been mocked by detractors and sanctioned by the NFL. That's how "Spygate" and "Deflategate" became part of football history. New England fans gleefully anticipate NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's having to award New England the Vince Lombardi Trophy on the field Sunday night, after having suspended Brady for the first four games of this season.
Goodell says he was just doing his job. Coincidentally enough, that's the Patriots' mantra. As Brady said, "We say 'do your job' about 100 times a day."
Twitter: @tribkurt —
Super Bowl LI
New England vs. Atlanta
P At Reliant Field, Houston Sunday, 4:30 p.m.
TV • Ch. 13