Only with a cleareyed view of these last five months, after the completion of another N.F.L. The Patriots reached the final game, just as they though they would. And they won, just as they thought they would all along. For all of Belichick’s experience, his counterpart across the field, Dan Quinn, had coached in more Super Bowls recently, three in the last four seasons. Before taking over in Atlanta two seasons ago, Quinn oversaw a defense in Seattle that stifled the high-scoring Denver Broncos and that smothered Brady two years ago, at least until an injury to Cliff Avril dissolved the Seahawks’ pass rush.

Source: New York Times February 06, 2017 04:31 UTC