Patriots Reminded Of Historical Dominance in Super Bowl LVIII

A strong defense, excellent quarterback, and superb head coach? Super Bowl LVIII is a reminder to the New England Patriots of what they had for 20 years...and how far they are from getting back.

For 20 years the New England Patriots were the class of the NFL behind a dominant defense and the greatest head coach/quarterback tandem of the modern era. 

That is something the Pats now miss but will get a reminder of in Super Bowl LVIII. 

Photo: Courtesy Apple

Both the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, the two teams battling out for NFL supremacy in 2023-24, are a reminder to the Patriots of what they once had, and how far they still have to go to get back. 

Both the Chiefs and 49ers have been built slightly different to each other. Kansas City spent a first-round pick on a two-time NFL and Super Bowl MVP in Patrick Mahomes, and used every ounce of resource to build a competent team around him. 

San Fran, on the other hand, used most of their resources to solidify their entire roster, before finding a quarterback with the final pick in the NFL Draft to run the show correctly. Sound familiar?

Despite their differences, the 49ers and Chiefs are similar in a couple of ways that go back to the Patriots' old dynasty. First off, they have excellent coaches running the show. Both Andy Reid and Kyle Shanahan are at the top of their profession consistently. They each have a quarterback that can either win a game by themselves or play "point guard" on the football field. Add in a strong defensive unit on both sides and Super Bowl LVIII is more of a reminder of how great teams win in the NFL than anything else. 

For the Patriots to get back to the big game once again, a few things need to happen. They need to find a great head coach, a quality quarterback, and build a defense worthy of big-game dominance. 

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As of right now, we know they may only have one of the three. New England's defense was seventh in yards allowed in 2023 despite being paired with an offense that was among the worst in football. 

Paired with a rookie head coach in Jerod Mayo, the blueprint for the Patriots to get back to relevancy is there for the taking. 

The real question becomes if the Patriots will be able to accomplish that.