If the NFL's top defense and top offense meet in Super Bowl 56 this winter, the big game will feature the New England Patriots and the reigning champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In other words, Bill Belichick against Tom Brady, in an ultimate legacy showdown. The epitome of appointment-television drama.
And although some fans may be worn out by the long-chronicled relationship, another primetime matchup between the legends -- this time with stakes set at an all-time high -- would undoubtedly make the NFL and networks salivate.
"How cool of a Super Bowl would that be? When they played in early October, it was an ugly night, pouring rain the entire time. I found it fascinating," ESPN writer and longtime author Seth Wickersham told The DA Show on Thursday. "It was one of the best games to watch because it was a glimpse into what practice was like in New England for all those years. You just had these two supreme football minds going at each other.
"You had Brady, who was able to move the ball up and down the field, but he then stalled in the red zone. That's one of the hallmarks of Belichick's career. Then you had Belichick, with a rookie quarterback in the rain, who got them in position to win the game on a field goal at the end and they came up a couple inches wide. I can't even imagine how quickly our heads would explode if the Patriots and Bucs play in the Super Bowl. But it would be so cool if they do."
The Patriots, led on offense by first-round rookie quarterback Mac Jones, are in the midst of a seven-game winning streak. On Monday against the division rival Buffalo Bills, the unit rushed for a whopping 222 yards and a touchdown, securing the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Through 13 weeks of action, New England leads the entire league in average points allowed (15.4), and ranks second in total takeaways (29) and third in average yards allowed (310.0).
As for the Buccaneers, which lead the league in average points scored (31.4), they've all but clinched their first NFC South title since 2007. With a 30-17 win over the Atlanta Falcons last Sunday, Tampa's first-place lead extended to four games. Brady, who's resembled a true MVP candidate, leads the NFL in yards (3,771) and touchdowns (34), and also has a career-high six games with four-plus scores in a season, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
The entire Brady-Belichick conversation between Wickersham and DA can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The DA Show on Twitter @DAonCBS and @CBSSportsRadio, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.