The obvious picks are the
Steelers (needing just one more) and the
Cowboys (because they have
Dak Prescott and
Ezekiel Elliott to build around for the next 10 years). But I am selecting New England. Brady is ageless -- it's truly amazing. I think he gets No. 5 next week with a shot at one more. Beyond that, their next quarterback is key.
The AFC East still has a ways to go to catch the Pats. That assures them a home playoff game every year (and, in many years, a bye). Bill Belichick still has plenty left in the tank -- figure New England's got another 10 years with him. Some people wonder how Belichick will fair when Brady eventually hangs 'em up. Well, since Brady became the starter in 2001, Belichick is 14-5 in the games No. 12 has missed -- with three different QBs.
I'm going to go with the team that needs just one more: Pittsburgh. Winning the
Super Bowl isn't easy. With
Tom Brady and Bill Belichick partnered in New England, it's hard to go against them, given all they've done in the new millennium. However, even if the
Patriots win this year, they still need
two more championships. That's why I'm going with the
Steelers. They do have a good nucleus of players and could put together a postseason run if they fill a few holes in the offseason.
A lot of this depends on
how long Ben Roethlisberger keeps playing. But ultimately, it comes down to which team has the best window of opportunity to win a few titles. The
Dallas Cowboys are poised to have years of postseason appearances with
Dak Prescott and
Ezekiel Elliott leading the way behind a superb, young offensive line. I think the
Cowboys will continue to build their defense and be regular contenders.
The
Pittsburgh Steelers will be the first franchise to win seven world titles. Yeah,
Ben Roethlisberger's dramatic retirement flirtation gives you pause, but the
Steelers are well positioned to win another ring in the next five years. They have one of the most explosive offenses in football and their young defense is rounding into form. I would expect to see them in the winner's circle soon, given their personnel and coaching staff.
Going with the
Steelers here. I think there is a better chance
Ben Roethlisberger is merely thinking out loud (and he'll continue to play) than of the
Cowboys winning multiple
Super Bowls with their current group. The potential is there for Dallas, but we've seen promising rookies come back to Earth quickly (Rick Mirer, RGIII). And honestly, it's hard for even the strongest teams to repeat or string together multiple
Super Bowl wins. Look no further than the
Patriots, who have dominated the NFL for much of the last decade, but only snagged one Lombardi in that time period.
The issue for the
Packers and
Giants is that they need three more
Super Bowl wins, and their quarterbacks are in their mid-30s. The issue for the
49ers is the
49ers.
I think it's going to be the
Cowboys because they have the offensive players in place to win a
Super Bowl. The offense features quarterback
Dak Prescott and running back
Ezekiel Elliott, who are playing behind three All-Pro offensive linemen (
Tyron Smith,
Travis Frederick and
Zack Martin -- all 27 years old and younger). At the receiver position, the
Cowboys have two very good players in
Dez Bryant and
Cole Beasley. Punter
Chris Jones and kicker
Dan Bailey are solid pieces for the special teams unit.
The defense needs help but will most likely receive a giant boost if
Jaylon Smith is able to play like he did at Notre Dame before suffering the injury that forced him
to miss all of 2016. The
Cowboys' defense can be helped by an offense that controls the ball and time of possession. It's not easy to win a
Super Bowl, more or less two, but Dallas has the players, staff and management to help them do so.
