So we’ve got the New England Patriots in their usual position as the preseason Super Bowl favorites at 7-2. They’ve won three championships in seven years of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, which makes these odds a steal if they can keep up this pace. Then again, three years have passed since their last one.

Here are the odds for the guys that have won the Super Bowl since 2005:

Pittsburgh Steelers: 18-1
Indianapolis Colts: 15-2
New York Giants: 20-1

The salary cap has done a real number on the idea of a “dynasty” in the NFL. The Dallas Cowboys (6-1) won three in four years back in the 1990s and haven’t won since. The Denver Broncos (50-1) haven’t been the same since John Elway led them to back-to-back championships. Especially in this ultra-competitive league, past results are not necessarily indicators of future success.

Except when they are. Damn, those Patriots are a good football team.

The quarterbacks are the most important players on the football field. And when the New England Patriots meet the New York Giants on Super Bowl Sunday, it will be New England with the superior quarterback.

Tom Brady has taken a major step toward challenging Joe Montana’s place as the consensus Best QB Ever. Brady threw a league-record 50 TD passes this year and posted a passer rating of 117.2. His previous career high was 92.6. Eli Manning has yet to come close to that level of achievement. In fact, his numbers are regressing. Manning threw 23 TD passes and 20 interceptions in 2007 with a QB rating of 73.9, the worst of his three full seasons in the NFL.

At some point, Manning has the potential to be spoken of in the same breath as his brother Peyton. That point has not arrived yet. Brady was ready fresh out of the box; he’ll earn his fourth ring on Sunday.

What’s this? The Cowboys and Packers in a battle to determine the No. 2 team in the NFL behind New England? I wonder who drew that one up in the marketing room.

The Indianapolis Colts are sitting there at 7-1 on the Super Bowl futures market, just begging to be picked. This is a team that came very, very close to beating the Patriots, even with injuries on offense. Those players are working their way back into the lineup – players like Tony Ugoh, Anthony Gonzalez, and looking toward the playoffs, Marvin Harrison. It seems likely we’ll see the Colts and Pats lock horns again in the AFC Championship.

Naturally, the Pats have proven themselves not only the best team in the NFL over the course of the regular season, but one of the best ever assembled. That doesn’t make them a good bet at 1-4. Wouldn’t you rather take Indy at 28 times the potential earnings?