01.31.08 5:00 AM CST
• Sports
• Playboy Staff
Dave Golokhov, host of Hardcore Sports Radio (Sirius 186), has been contemplating immortality, wondering if the Patriots could possibly be the greatest . . . NFL team. . . of all time. Here's his report:We're over one week into the Super Bowl dissection. So far, Tom Brady's ankle, Lawrence Tynes brother and the length of the rendition of the national anthem by Jordin Sparks (over /under set at 1:42) have spent time under the microscope. Every facet of the game has been hashed out and the water cooler is running dry, but one question - possibly the preeminent one - remains answer-less: If the New England Patriots win, are they the best NFL team of all-time?
Of course there is no real answer. But a website called whatifsports.com, which allows you to pit the greatest teams of all-time against each other and simulate a matchup, can give us the next best thing. Here is a list of 10 matchups, which square up the 2007 Patriots against some of the other great teams of all-time on a neutral field in Arizona (home of Super XLII) in 60-degree whether (expected temperature at kickoff). As Mike Myers' former Saturday Night Live character Linda Richman would say, "discuss amongst yourselves". Match: 2007 Patriots vs. 1962 Packers
Score: Patriots 17, Packers 16
MVP: Tom Brady (22-30, 259 YDS, 2 TD)
Match: 2007 Patriots vs. 1972 Dolphins
Score: Dolphins 37, Patriots 35
MVP: Mercury Morris (17-121, TD)
Match: 2007 Patriots vs. 1976 Raiders
Score: Patriots 31, Raiders 10
MVP: Laurence Maroney (13-118 YDS, 2 TD, 2 REC 51 YDS, 2 TD)
Match: 2007 Patriots vs. 1979 Steelers
Score: Patriots 31, Steelers 19
MVP: Tom Brady (15-19, 256 YDS, 2 TD)
Match: 2007 Patriots vs. 1985 Bears
Score: Chicago Bears 26, Patriots 9
MVP: Willie Gault (3 REC, 80 YDS, 2 TD)
Match: 2007 Patriots vs. 1989 49ers
Score: Patriots 37, 49ers 10
MVP: Tom Brady 20-27, 286 YDS, 4 TD
Match: 2007 Patriots vs. 1992 Cowboys
Score: Cowboys 17, Patriots 7
MVP: Troy Aikman (12-17, 163 YDS, 2 TD)
Match: 2007 Patriots vs. 1994 49ers
Score: 49ers 24, Patriots 21
MVP: Ricky Watters (13-119 YDS, 3 TD)
Match: 2007 Patriots vs. 1996 Packers
Score: Packers 16, Patriots 7
MVP: Robert Brooks: 3 REC, 91 YDS, TD
Match: 2007 Patriots vs. 1999 Rams
Score: Rams 27, Patriots 23
MVP: Isaac Bruce (6 REC, 90 YDS, TD; 50-YD TD RUN)
But now for the really big question. Are the Patriots better than themselves? As it turns out, they are, but only two out of three times:
Match: 2007 Patriots vs. 2001 Patriots
Score: '07 Patriots 38, '01 Patriots 6
MVP: Laurence Maroney (15-126 YDS, 2 TD)
Match: 2007 Patriots vs. 2003 Patriots
Score: '07 Patriots 17, '03 Patriots 12
MVP: Tom Brady (15-23, 141 YDS, TD)
Match: 2007 Patriots vs. 2004 Patriots
Score: '04 Patriots 36, '07 Patriots 31
MVP: Corey Dillon (21-183 YDS, 3 TD)
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Comments on this entry:
Clock killing Corey Dillon.
Come now. Everyone knows that the greatest Steelers team of them all was their 1978 squad, not 1979.
New York Giants - neither New York nor Giant - discuss.