Great post...
Those teams didn't need the rules bent to get them into the SB, nauseating relationships between the owner and the Commissioner, burning of damning evidence of cheating that could have destroyed the league beyond repair...
3 point victories in their first 3 SB's during the Spygate era
2 miraculous losses to the GMen post Spygate
and probably the worst play call in NFL history gifted them their last Lombardi
No way I hold that up the same way against the teams mentioned in RI's post…but, obviously, you have to have the Pats in the conversation the same way you have to include the cheating in the conversation.
The only thing that I can say against RI's post is that those teams were built in an era where you didn't have the cap or free agency. It was easier to maintain dominance and harder for other teams to catch up.