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Don't even try to debate Tom Brady vs. Bill Belichick: Just enjoy their legacies as the greatest ever

Tom Brady played in his 14th conference championship game Sunday, and two weeks from now he'll play in his 10th Super Bowl. Bill Belichick, still stuck on 13 and 9, was watching from home Sunday and won't be coaching in Super Bowl LV. If you're among those inclined to take the Brady side in the Brady vs. Belichick debate, this qualifies as significant supporting evidence.

If you're inclined toward common sense, you realize it's not.

The debate, such as it is, seeks to determine which actor was most important in the staggering two-decade run of success the New England Patriots had while Brady was Belichick's quarterback. It's a silly question because the two of them together were the most successful coach/quarterback tandem in the Super Bowl era, it's almost certain that neither would have been as successful without the other, and there's no point in an attempt to downgrade the achievements of either one.

But it's a question that will endure long after Brady has thrown his last pass and Belichick his last challenge flag, so let's address it here. Even if it's only to tell you why this season really didn't provide an answer.