MINNEAPOLIS — What the New England Patriots have accomplished over the past two decades shouldn’t be possible in the modern NFL.
Five championships in 16 years, with the chance to win a sixth this Sunday? Eight Super Bowl appearances during that span? In a salary-cap league? That’s just crazy.
The Patriots’ unprecedented run of success under head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady has prompted the question of whether all this winning is bad for the NFL. Would the league be more compelling if New England wasn’t appearing in the AFC Championship Game every year and the Super Bowl every other year?
Roger Goodell doesn’t believe so.
During his official Super Bowl LII news conference Wednesday, the NFL commissioner praised the Patriots, calling their run “an incredible achievement.”
“It’s really remarkable that they’re going for their third Super Bowl in four years in this kind of a system,” said Goodell, who met with Patriots owner Robert Kraft and team president Jonathan Kraft before his presser.
“Keeping that group together, changing whatever they need to chance, whether it’s players or coaches, they do that in a way and still create success. I marvel at that. I think our other clubs marvel at that. I think fans marvel at that. And I think the balance of having new teams with teams that continue to find ways to win is a great thing for the NFL.”
The Patriots will face the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
