Cheaers?: Patriots' Perfect Season Tainted?

Every year in the NFL, it seems there is one story completely overshadowing all others. Last season, it was Peyton Manning finally getting over the hump en route to his first Super Bowl victory. Before that, Jerome Bettis' story-book ending in Detroit in Super Bowl XL. At first glance, this years' choice seems obvious. After all, it's not every year we see a team rocket through the regular season completely unscathed.

As the Patriots surge their way through the regular season on their way to a perfect regular season record, the question arose:

Are the 2007 New England Patriots the best team in the history of football?

They certainly have the credentials to make such a claim. Not only did Tom Brady break the NFL single season touchdown record by throwing 50 touchdowns, but he and Randy Moss also broke the single season mark for Quarterback to Wide Receiver touchdowns while the offense scored the most points in NFL history. The defense, meanwhile, ranked in the top 5 in nearly every defensive category despite what some would consider a "drop off" in recent weeks.

The 2007 Patriots have survived the would-be trap games and risen above the hype and distraction that comes with chasing any record. Most teams would have crumbled under the constant reminder of pursuing perfection, but Bill Belichick is known for taking games "one at a time". Over the course of the season he has frequently reminded the media that each game is actually a season in itself and that he reminds his players they have to go out and perform their best in order to win.

Sure, that sounds like something any respectable coach would say, but when you've clinched a first round bye before any other team in your conference has locked in a playoff spot, yet you're still practicing as hard as you were in August, there is something to be said about your coach.

But, with all the talk about the perfect season, the '72 Dolphins, the '85 Bears and all the other historic teams that inevitably come up in conversation, there is an entirely new element to this debate.