"Equal"s

[74_75_78_79_]

Teams, players, coaches, games, seasons, events...when it comes to ranking two of them against each other, which is a case of you seeing them as "even-Steven" (this can also be a case of being more than just two being equal, if you like)?

For instance, I opine that Landry/Shula, Brees/Rodgers, the '92/'93 Cowboys, '03/'04 Pats, '72/'73 Oilers are equal. And as a Steeler-fan, Swann/Stallworth and Ham/Lambert as such.

Now the years leading up to the Pats' SB-win over Seattle (thus sending #12 on the path to the eventual 'he-vs-Montana' debate instead), Brady was seen by many, including me, as "equal" to Peyton. The "endless" debate, I called it.

Maybe there are those who see Buddy Parker and Jimmy Johnson as..."equal" (both belonging in Canton, each having to wait the same amount of years after retiring). Or maybe Buck Shaw and Dick Vermeil. Or Dick Nolan and Bum Phillips, etc.

Whether its agreeing or disagreeing with who I personally opine as being, "equals", or with the suggestions from last paragraph, or whether you have opined "equals" of your own that haven't been mentioned yet, what are your takes?

[GameBeforeTheMoney]

I wouldn't say necessarily "equal" but I would say Brown, Lombardi, and Noll are above everybody else - a higher tier of coach than anyone else. They are each their own, so I wouldn't call them equals but they are equals in terms of who they are historically, IMO. And I guess maybe that's because I think of the 50s Browns, 60s Packers, 70s Steelers as the three dynasties above all others and maybe kind of equal that way. The 49ers are close, but not quite the same.

Maybe Lambeau and Halas are equals in terms of establishing the two franchises.

Players - I guess I think of Ben Roethlisberger being a modern version of Dan Fouts. Really tough guys with great arms. Those two might be equal in my book - if I had to choose I'd choose Dan Fouts for sentimental reasons only.

92/93 Cowboys are just about equal, I agree, as well as Landry/Shula.

[74_75_78_79_]

I wouldn't say necessarily "equal" but I would say Brown, Lombardi, and Noll are above everybody else - a higher tier of coach than anyone else. They are each their own, so I wouldn't call them equals but they are equals in terms of who they are historically, IMO. And I guess maybe that's because I think of the 50s Browns, 60s Packers, 70s Steelers as the three dynasties above all others and maybe kind of equal that way. The 49ers are close, but not quite the same.

Maybe Lambeau and Halas are equals in terms of establishing the two franchises.

Players - I guess I think of Ben Roethlisberger being a modern version of Dan Fouts. Really tough guys with great arms. Those two might be equal in my book - if I had to choose I'd choose Dan Fouts for sentimental reasons only.

92/93 Cowboys are just about equal, I agree, as well as Landry/Shula.

Wow, you're really tempting me to place those very three in my 'Holy Trinity' of HCs as well! And in a strictly Top 3/'no one above anyone' way! As I've said before, is it me still placing Noll at a strong-5th just because I don't want to be seen as a "biased" Steeler-fan? Maybe.

I do place him above Walsh if only because of their de facto 'Best-of-Three' Series: Game 1, at Three Rivers, '81, Game 2, at Candlestick, '84, and the rubber-band Game 3 back at Three Rivers in the '87 opener - and I indeed see it as a legitimate 'tie-breaker' between the two if a tie-breaker was even needed in the first place, which it probably was. In each game of the 'Series, Walsh had quite a stronger team - the first two being SB-winners, the third being 10-2 non-scab whilst each 'Burgh installment was mediocre. Yet Noll wins, 2-1!

Belichick not winning without Brady (coupled with his time in Cleveland, which only reared its ugly head back up due to that, fair or not) does drop Hoodie. But unlike most others' take on him due to the "without Brady" stuff, Yours Truly has him dropping by just ONE NOTCH from #2 to #3. And Paul probably should have been above him in the first place anyway. Maybe/maybe not. Just one notch, no biggie.

Ask Don Shula about he and Marino. You can't win titles with 'just' a QB. If you still want to give Brady more credit for '01-thru-'19 than Belichick, IMO it better be by a little! Hoodie created the whole entire culture for Tom to win-Win-WIN like he did thus propelling #12 to his obvious Status!! How many other HCs this century would have groomed Brady, if they had him, to eventually supplant a QB already starting for him who made it to a Super Bowl along with several recent Pro Bowls to his credit? But MUCH more important - WIN those SIX Super Bowls along with a phenomenal W/L record, and high-seeded playoff berths, deep runs, to boot in that entire stretch?? Already knowing about Brady despite already having Bledsoe is more remarkable than already knowing about Joe despite already having DeBerg.

Papa Bear vs Curly? Great point in putting them together due to their similar workings in their respective franchises, and both were there together from the Beginning! But such a 'debate' between them as HCs, with me and JMHO, is an elongated version of Brady-vs-Peyton. Whereas that very QB debate was a mere decade-long, this very HC one may have lasted numerous decades!

Brady/Peyton? That debate, with me, began to end with SBXLIX (Seahawks), then "ended" more with LI (Atl, OT) if not end it altogether, and so on, and so on. Halas/Lambeau? It was after the War starting, right off, with that 1946 NFL Title! And then for Halas to field more contending teams - including, of course, 1963 - within the two following decades whilst Curly immediately fell off into mediocrity until exiting stage left in the early-'50s. I really feel that Papa Bear would have still fielded some tough contenders had he still, somehow, been HC-ing into the 1970s or even later!

That said, maybe Noll really IS ahead of both! But for now (just now), Papa & Hoodie still shore-up MtR. Come on, Money! Twist my arm some more! Give me another "push" thus push the Emperor into the even-Steven 'Holy Trinity' with Vince & Paul! I may just about be there with or without you!

Yes, I'll never ever be able to decide who was actually better between Landry and Shula nor Jimmy Johnson's back-to-backs! I noticed, Money, that you didn't bring up Brees/Rodgers, Swann/Stallworth, nor Ham/Lambert. IMHO, each of those examples are just as "equal" with me.

[JohnTurney]

May be off-topic, but I see Marino and Peyton Manning as equals and I match Montana and Brady

I see Larry Brown and Floyd Little as a "matching set" if you will. Swann and Drew Pearson. Also a lot of OLbers that seem to go together in my mind

Lydell Mitchell and Chuck Foreman

[JohnTurney]

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[ChrisBabcock]

Right or wrong, Adrian Peterson has always seemed like a 21st century version of Eric Dickerson to me.

[RichardBak]

Reaching back into the '60s, I always thought you could've swapped out Bart Starr and Len Dawson.

[Brian wolf]

For me, Tom Flores was the AFL equal to Bart Starr, just didn't have the offensive line or defense as GB

[CSKreager]

Most of Drew Brees' Saints teams were basically carbon copies of the Air Coryell Chargers- an offense without a defense.

[Bryan]

I remember reading an article that claimed Pierce Holt and Kevin Fagan were actually the same person.