Super Bowl 2012: What Does a Fourth Ring Mean for Tom Brady and Bill Belichick?

Already having been dubbed a dynasty and the 2000s team of the decade, the New England Patriots don't really have much else to accomplish in terms of solidifying their place in NFL history.

They were in fact, only the second team to win three Super Bowls in four years, the first being the Dallas Cowboys from the early 1990s.

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick became the next great quarterback-head coach duo and are easily the best of their respective era, even against tough competitors such as the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Both of which combined for five Super Bowl appearances since the turn of the century, however, five is what New England has been able to accomplish on its' own.

Not one other quarterback-head coach duo has ever been this successful in terms of Super Bowl appearances.

Terry Bradshaw and Chuck Noll of Pittsburgh made four together and they stand as the next most. Joe Montana has won four Super Bowls, but three are with Bill Walsh, whereas the fourth came when George Seifert took over San Francisco in 1989.

Already Brady and Belichick have entered the elite of the elite having made five Super Bowl appearances together. Now, winning a fourth only enhances their eventual Hall of Fame legacy.

Bradshaw and Noll were 4-0 in Super Bowls, while Montana was also 4-0. Brady and Belichick are 3-1 in New England, so tying that group for most wins all time is the next step.

Obviously, if New England had won Super Bowl XLII we would be putting Brady and Belichick on a Michael Jordan/Babe Ruth-esque level in the NFL. However, thanks to the New York Giants we're not there yet and we may never get their either.

If anything, Super Bowl XLVI is about redemption for Brady and Belichick.

Yes, winning three Super Bowls is great and both have been future Hall of Famers since the end of the 2004-05 season. But losing to New York four years ago and having an opportunity to avenge that game this season is what's also at stake.

Let's put it this way, despite winning three Super Bowls in four years early on, won't losing two to the Giants put a little damper on that early success?

Yes, and only because we hold New England to such a high standard in comparison to the rest of the NFL.

"The Patriot Way" as it's been told since 2001 has become embedded into pro football lore. Finishing 3-2 in Super Bowl's is great, but Brady and Belichick won't be viewed as elite as Bradshaw-Noll/Montana-Walsh if they lose a second time.

A win puts them onto that pedestal because 4-1 in Super Bowls looks a lot better than 3-2. Although impressive, solidifying their legacy as the greatest ever is what's really at stake. So the pressure is on.

John Rozum on Twitter