A message to all NFL fans:

All season long we have questioned their legitimacy, frowned at their head coach, argued they couldn’t make history and doubted their star wide receiver.

All that did was take away from the most obvious fact: There has never been a better team than the New England Patriots.

In an age where athletes are bigger, stronger and faster, the Pats have rolled through the regular season as if it were a joke. But for some reason, they are not beloved like the ‘72 Dolphins, admired like the Cowboys of the ‘90s or even feared like the “Steel Curtain” Pittsburgh Steelers of the ‘70s.
Game-by-game, as the Pats got closer to making history, players on opposing teams guaranteed victories, claimed the Pats were not that good and said there was no way they could keep the streak going.

And game-by-game, opponents got stomped on.

I grew up a Miami Dolphins fan, and I was groomed to hate everybody else in their division. But even I can understand that the way the Patriots rolled into the playoffs is something to marvel at.

’72 DOLPHINS DISGRACING THEMSELVES
I’m actually embarrassed for the ’72 Dolphins team because of how bad they looked this season. First, you had the former head coach, Don Shula, bitterly claiming the Patriots should have an asterisk if they go undefeated. Then, you had the lowest of lows. Former Dolphins running back Mercury Morris said he did not want to hear any talk about the Patriots until they were “on my block.” A few weeks after that, he went on SportsCenter and rapped about the Patriots.

“Do you know what it takes to go and win every game?” he spat. “You got to go undefeated — ain’t ever gonna happen again.”

Now not only are the 2007 Dolphins — perhaps the worst team ever assembled — a joke in the NFL, but the proudest Dolphin team is making fools of themselves. Stop it.

I know you guys love to get together every year, sit in the press box and toast whenever an undefeated team loses its first game, but you need to let go. Records were made to be broken, and in sports there will always come a time when a better team will step in.

This is that time.

You know what the score would be if the 2007 Patriots faced off against the 1972 Dolphins? Well … can NFL scoreboards go to triple digits? Because that’s how many points Tom Brady and his crew would put up.

It is the reality of life. There are so many advancements in the game, so many new workout regimes, so much scouting and so much knowledge that — no disrespect meant — the modern athlete is flat out better than even history’s greatest. And I think it is just hardheaded for the ’72 Dolphins not to applaud just how good these Patriots are.

A JOY TO WATCH
Maybe we should have seen this coming.

Last year, Brady threw for more than 3,500 yards when he had arguably the worst receivers in the league. And despite having several key guys hurt, they made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game.

Then after getting so close, they had the best off season I’ve ever seen, picking up linebacker Adalius Thomas along with wide receivers Wes Welker, Donte’ Stallworth and Randy Moss.

Coming into week 15 of 2007, they had outscored their opponents 503-222 and in 11 of their first 13 games, had put up more than 30 points.

Sure there have been a few comparable teams. The 1998 Denver Broncos won their first 13 games of the regular season, and the 1985 Chicago Bears started the season 12-0 and featured a defense that is still the measuring stick for today’s game, but even they were not outscoring their opponents by an average of 25 a game.

What is most special about this Patriots team is that this is an era of parity in the NFL. The salary cap and the NFL draft have made it very difficult for teams to dominate. But the Patriots have turned back time, taking the form of those menacing, Jim Brown-led Cleveland Browns teams, or the Vince Lombardi-led Packers that rolled through the ‘60s.

In an age where parity is preached, the Patriots have broken the mold and obliterated teams with the greatest of ease.

Now it is time for others to appreciate it.

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