The San Francisco 49ers, meanwhile, are trying to build something sustainable themselves. The duo of Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch is 10-22 over the past two seasons but had to endure a massive roster overhaul which left very few players from the previous regime. Many are expecting a turnaround on the horizon while others feel more struggles might be on the way.
It's tough to bet against the Patriots. They are a safe wager to at least be in the conversation as a Super Bowl contender no matter what happens during the offseason or early on during the regular season. The team just finds a way to win down the stretch.
"Good Morning Football" on Thursday posed the question of which will occur first: The 49ers make the playoffs or the Patriots return to the Super Bowl? Kay Adams and guest hosts Kimberly Jones and DeAngelo Hall found it tough to bet against Brady and Belichick.
"For me, it has more to do with the division that the 49ers are in, and trying to make the playoffs, and just the uphill battle that they have," said Hall. "And [Jimmy Garoppolo] having not played a lot of football the last — I feel like two years with the injury. He just doesn't quite look like who we thought we we're going to see."
While Jones agreed with the Patriots being the safer bet, Adams noted that we can't predict what happens in the NFC West.
"It could happen (49ers make the playoffs) because they're fully healthy right now, this Niners team," she said. "And their defense, I love."
Poll
- Which will happen first?
- 49ers return to the playoffs
- Patriots in the Super Bowl again