Here's something a mad-scientist like theclaw dug-up, I like this kind of info as it helps one reach many different conclusions about the game.
Let's see what we can uncover here............
Let's rank the QB's in the 43 years of the SB era who've produced the longest spans between 1st SB win and last SB appearance.
1. Kurt Warner, 1st SB win in 99 season, last SB appearance 2008 season - SPAN OF 10 SEASONS - (3 total SB appearances, 1-2 record in SB game)
2. Joe Montana, 1st SB win in 1981 season, last SB appearance in 1989 season - SPAN OF 9 SEASONS - (4 SB appearances, 4-0)
3. Roger Stuabach, 1st SB win 1971, last SB appearance 1978 - SPAN OF 8 SEASONS - ( 4 SB's, 2-2).
4. Tom Brady, 1st SB win in 2001 , last SB 2007 - SPAN OF 7 SEASONS - (4 SB's, 3-1).
5. Terry Bradshaw, 1st SB win 1974, last SB 1979 - SPAN OF 6 SEASONS - ( 4 SB's, 4-0)
6. Troy Aikman, 1st SB win 1992, lst SB 1995 - SPAN OF 4 SEASONS - (3 SB's, 3-0)
7. Jim Pluket, 1st SB win 1980, last SB 1983 - SPAN OF 4 SEASONS - (2 SB's, 2-0)
8. Big Ben, 1st SB win 2005, last SB 2008 - SPAN 4 SEASONS - (2 SB's, 2-0).
There should be a asterk next to Warners name, he's the only QB that didn't do it with the same team, the only QB to produce a losing record in the SB and of the top 5 QB's he's got the fewest SB appearances.
What jumps-off-the-page is that just 5 QB's in 43 years and only 4 with the same team, excluding Warner, could win a SB and then get back 5 years or longer to another SB, wow, only 4 QB's with the same team.
This seems to indicate just how short-lived a QB and his team can remain on top.
If Brady gets the Patroits to the SB this season he'll tie Montana with a 9 year span for the most of any QB with the same team and give him 5 SB appearances, the most of any QB.
And he could surpass that with a SB next season or the year after.
Could he do it ? Well of coarse it's possible but the info seems to indicate he's close to the end of the road.
The Patroits pass defense is the problem, last season Pats had a 89.8 defensive passer rating (DPR), 23rd in the league.
In the 5 seasons the Patroits made the AFC Championship game they had a average DPR of 68.9, in the 4 seasons they failed to make the AFC Championship game they had a 85.5 DPR.
Last season the Patroits pass defense was one of just 8 teams to give-up more than 12 yards per completion, and they were the "luckiest" defense in the league, with over 8% of catchable balls being dropped by opposing players, the highest percentage of drops in the league. Will they be that lucky again ??
One of the conclusions I've reached having researched the game is that for-the-most-part it's the players that win, more so than the coaches.
Once a team loses it's key players or they become older, they lose the leaders in the clubhouse, the players who knew how to win and could consistently make the "big plays" under pressure in the key moments of the game, once these players can no longer perform at a high level the teams run to SB 's is over.
This is exactly what we're now seeing with the Patroits defense.
You can replace these key players with another player, maybe even a better player, but it does not mean the results will be the same, it doesn't mean the better player will be able to perform better under pressure in the key moments of the game or be a better leader in the clubhouse.
The Patroits have been very fortunate over the years as the new players brought in have worked out well, hence all the talk about how you can plug any player into Bill's defense and it'll be a strong defense, history tells me different, history tells me the Pats have been fortunate and this is why the Pats have produced the 4th longest SPAN OF SEASONS at 7.
The Patroits signed 34 year old journeyman cornerback S. Springs, with his 1 int in 7 starts last season, SB defenses aren't built around cornerbacks like this.
This is a stop-gag measure at best and a sign the Patroits are deserate for defensive backs.
The key players from the defense are all disappearing, Ty Law, Harrison, Bruschi, and now Seymour.
And remember, it was the Patroits defense that let the team down in the SB against the Giants, with just 1 stop and they go into immortallity, they could not deliver.
Once their key players were gone or could no longer play at a high level every great coach look mere mortal.