Parity reigns again in NFL

Pete Rozelle would be proud.

In case your NFL history is a bit rusty, Rozelle was the NFL commissioner who presided over the merger with the American Football League (1970) and who preached parity above all.

Rozelle believed that the long-term health of the NFL would be served if there were no dynasties, and that new teams would pop up in the Super Bowl fairly regularly.

Now that this year’s playoff brackets are set, what we might call the “Rozelle Effect” is alive and well.

Despite the fact that there now have been 50 Super Bowls, three of the 12 current entrants — Detroit, Houston and Atlanta — have never won the thing. Of that trio, only Atlanta has even made it to the NFL showpiece, losing to Denver in 1999.

To put that in perspective, the only other teams that have never played in a Super Bowl are Jacksonville and Cleveland.

HERE’S proof that Rozelle’s legacy lives on: No one is surprised that New England and future Hall of Famer quarterback Tom Brady are the top seed in the AFC, and a solid bet to win another Super Bowl.

That’s hardly a shocker, right?

And yet…

Brady and the Pats only have won the thing only once in the past 11 years.

Since the last time Tom Terrific hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, both Pittsburgh and the New York Giants have won it twice, with the Seahawks, Denver, Baltimore, Green Bay, Indianapolis and even New Orleans all enjoying the confetti shower once each.

Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys — No. 1 seed in the NFC — have not seen the Super Bowl in two decades, unless they’ve watched it on TV.

They weren’t supposed to be anywhere near the trophy this year, either, but rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott have played like future legends.

And the No. 2 seeds?

We’ve already mentioned Atlanta, a one-time loser.

The AFC’s No. 2 is Kansas City, which last won the Super Bowl in 1970 — that infamous finale between the two separate leagues, during which Chiefs coach Hank Stram was taped hilariously insulting the Vikings as Kansas City won 23-7.

BOTTOM line: There are no serial winners at the top of playoff brackets.

The closest thing, if you go back more than a decade, would be New England. Brady and the Pats captured the Super Bowl three times in four years between 2002 and 2005.

The Patriots might be approaching the elusive dynasty status — except for the pesky Giants, who have come from out of nowhere to knock off Brady and Co. in 2008 and 2012.

In fact, the Giants are the oddest of this year’s entrants — with a history of spending several recent years as a nowhere team, and then suddenly winning the Super Bowl as QB Eli Manning gets hot after long bouts of mediocrity.

Moreover, Manning’s two Super Bowl runs each have been jump-started with upsets over powerhouse Packer teams — and in Green Bay, to boot. So it’s a bit eerie that the Giants open this year’s tournament back at Lambeau Field as a wild-card slot.

And yes, once again the Packers are sizzling. Aaron Rodgers has been on fire during six straight wins that led to an NFL North title.

So I guess that means the annoying Giants will run the table and upset the Patriots in the Super Bowl again.

Right?

Somewhere, Rozelle must be giggling over what he created.

Steve Cameron is a special assignment reporter for The Press who has covered sports at all levels for more than three decades. Reach Steve at [email protected].