Something's gotta give.
The Patriots are either going to match the Steelers for the most Super Bowl wins in franchise history or they're going to set a record for the most Super Bowl losses when they play the Rams Sunday at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Of course, all five of the Patriots' Super Bowl victories have come since Tom Brady took over as the team's starting quarterback in 2001. Since then, Bill Belichick's teams have reached the NFL's championship game nine times. Add on the two others the franchise has played in and New England will be playing in its 11th Super Bowl in Atlanta.
But does that make the Patriots a dynasty? The word gets thrown around a lot. But does it include this current group of Patriots? Should they be considered among the Packers of the 1960s, the Steelers of the 1970s, the 49ers of the 1980s or Cowboys of the 1990s as one of the league's greatest dynasties?
Certainly the fact the Patriots will be making their fifth appearance in the NFL's championship game since 2011 is remarkable. But the only things this current team has in common with the Patriots' three winners from 2001 to 2004 are Brady and Belichick and offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia.
There were 21 players who played on all three of the the team's Super Bowl wins between 2001 and 2004. If this current group wins Sunday, the Patriots will have 13 players who have won three between 2014 and 2018.
That's some serious roster turnover since 2014.
But a loss Sunday would give this most recent group of Patriots two in a row and three in the past eight years. That's not exactly Buffalo Bills-type failure on the league's biggest stage, but it's getting into that territory. You'll recall the Bills lost four consecutive Super Bowls from 1990 to 1993.
Nobody is calling that team a dynasty.
Certainly, the Patriots have won two Super Bowls in that time period, beating the Seahawks in 2014 and Falcons in 2016. But a loss to the Rams would mean the Patriots are just 2-4 in the Super Bowl since winning three from 2001 to 2004.
That does not a dynasty make for this latest group. So, the Patriots have a little more riding on this game than usual.
Ironically enough, New England's first Super Bowl win in the Belichick-Brady era came against the Rams, albeit the St. Louis Rams, at the end of the 2001 season.
That kicked off what has been an amazing run of winning.The Patriots of 2001 to 2004 certainly qualify for dynasty status. They won three titles in four seasons.
And a victory over the Rams in this game would give the Patriots a second claim at a dynasty with three Super Bowl wins in five years. But they are most decidedly two separate entities connected only by Brady and Belichick.
A loss, however, would mean this current group is just a good, not great team, and should not be considered among the league's best of all-time.
THE ESSENTIALS
• What: Super Bowl
• When: 6:35 p.m. Sunday
• Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
• Satellite: SiriusXM 88 (Internet 88)
• Boxscore: NFL Game Center
• Odds: MyBookie.AG
THE TEN DATA POINTS
• Brady has averaged 331.2 passing yards per game in 17 playoff games since turning 35.
• In each of his past two Super Bowls, Brady has set a new passing yardage record with 466 yards against the Falcons to close the 2016 season and 505 yards a year ago against the Eagles.
• In their past seven games since getting cornerback Aqib Talib back from injury, the Rams have allowed just 224.6 yards passing per game and eight touchdown passes.
• In his past seven games, Rams quarterback Jared Goff has thrown seven touchdown passes against eight interceptions.
• Rob Gronkowski got 11 targets in the AFC Championship against Kansas City after having just 11 passes thrown his way in his previous four games. During the regular season, opposing teams targeted their tight ends 25.2 percent of the time against the Rams, the highest rate in the league.
• All eight of the previous Super Bowl appearances involving Brady and Belichick have been decided by eight points or fewer with six of those decided by four or fewer points. The Patriots, who are 2.5-point favorites in this game, are just 3-5 against the spread in the Super Bowl in the Brady-Belichick era.
• The Rams have played nine games against playoff teams this season, with six decided by eight points or fewer.
• Receiver Julian Edelman has gotten double-digit targets in each of his past 11 postseason games.
• Prior to this year, in the 15 seasons after their last Super Bowl appearance in 2001 -- a loss to the Patriots -- the Rams won one playoff game, went through seven head coaches and posted just one winning season, that coming last year.
• In 78 career games, Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald has 59.5 career sacks, including an NFL-best 20.5 this season. He also has 97 tackles for a loss and 149 quarterback hits in that period.
THE STAFF PICKS
Our football coverage team offers predictions for the Super Bowl:
Dale Lolley: The Rams are the more talented team, while the Patriots have a huge advantage in experience. New England has leaned heavily on its running game in the postseason, rushing for 331 yards in two games. That is one area where the Rams defense struggles mightily. Though they have allowed just 98 yards rushing in two playoff wins, the Rams allowed 11 opponents to rush for 100 or more yards in the regular season. Protecting Brady will be critical for the Patriots. He was sacked 10 times in their five losses this season, but has only been taken down 11 times in their 13 wins, including none in two postseason games. The Patriots will make a concerted effort to keep Donald in check by running the ball and using their short-passing game. They'll also get a mistake or two from Goff. Patriots, 27-24
Matt Sunday: Let me get this straight ... The Patriots lose and Brady/Belichick "fall" to 5-4 in Super Bowl appearances. Or, the Patriots win and tie the Steelers at six trophies and rings, killing Pittsburgh fans' longtime sports argument-ender. I actually like the Rams in this one and think Steelers fans will be safe until Brady's next inevitable appearance. I like the makeshift secondary of the Rams that looks a lot like what the Steelers could have pieced together if they attempted a few reclamation projects and found homes for talented corners located on burning bridges. You also have to love Donald all the time, but also what Ndamukong Suh has turned into in the postseason. Those guys will get to Brady and let the secondary do its job to keep the Rams close enough to find a win. Rams 33-24
Chris Carter: The Patriots' biggest weakness in the Super Bowl has been facing tough defensive lines that can crunch the middle of the pocket with good pressure. Unfortunately for them, the Rams have Donald and Suh in the middle. Marc Barron is an exceptional cover linebacker who can limit James White, and both Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters are aggressive corners who can play press coverage on Brady's receivers. The biggest factor will be whether Sean McVay can make life easier for Goff. The third-year quarterback hasn't had his best run in the playoffs, throwing only one touchdown and one interception combined in both playoff wins over the Cowboys and Saints. I wouldn't be surprised if Belichick has some smokescreens drawn up specifically to entice risky throws from Goff. Patriots, 27-26
Dejan Kovacevic: Man, I'm tired of scoping through scouting matchups and seeing that the Patriots' opponent has the better personnel. Occasionally, as was the case at Heinz Field a few weeks ago, that plays out. But when the deciding factors so very often are that Belichick's outsmarting his counterpart, that Brady's outperforming his counterpart or that the New England moxie rises above all the rest, that overwhelms anything that's more specific, more in the moment. So I can't do it. I just can't. I can't piece together the scenario in which a young quarterback, Goff, gets the best of Belichick after two weeks for the Genius to scheme. And from there, I won't be able to piece together the scenario in which I can stomach known cheaters matching the Steelers in Super Bowl victories. Patriots, 38-33