There is a full slate of Wildcard games this weekend, but the biggest story in the NFL will not be lacing up the cleats for another week.

Just as they did in the 2007 NFL regular season, the New England Patriots are overshadowing everything in the NFL - even when they have the week off.

The season has finally been put to bed and usually the week prior to the playoffs provides the opportunity to reflect back on all the amazing stories that went on during these past seventeen weeks, however due to circumstances beyond anyone's comprehension, all other stories have been rendered relatively "un-amazing."

Sure, there were some highlights. There was Brett Favre, who after his seventeenth season now has a career total of 442 touchdown passes, passing Dan Marino's 420. He also exceeded Marino in total yards with 61,655 and currently holds the NFL record for completions, (5,377), attempts (8,758), interceptions (288) and victories (160). And to top all that off his #4 is now the No. 1 all-time top selling NFL jersey! Then there was Minnesota Vikings rookie of the year running back Adrian Peterson who romped for 296 against San Diego setting the record for most rushing yards in a game. There were even some great games, like the Browns beating the Bengals 51-45 or Cowboys beating the Bills in that miracle comeback.

But those fade into insignificance when compared to a team going 16-0 for the first time since the Dolphins did it in 1972.

For a league that thrives on parity and in the salary-cap era, it's almost unbelievable that the Patriots managed to go unbeaten. Not that it was easy --there were those three 3-point wins in their last six games-- but for the most part, they sure made it look that way.

Not so for the 1972 Miami Dolphins. Today we look back on that Shula led team with something close to reverence. Back then however, they weren't considered the greatest team of all time - even after going 16-0. Time has saddled them with that label.

In the time of white belts, bellbottoms and mutton-chops, they were simply considered lucky. First off, the league was very kind to them giving them the 3rd softest schedule in NFL history. They had to play just two teams who finished with winning records during the regular season, neither of which made the playoffs. Overall Miami's opponents had a combined record of just 70-122, a .367 winning percentage. Then they barely made it to the Super Bowl with two marginal wins in their playoff games and despite being 15-0 going into the championship game they were the betting underdogs to the Washington Redskins.

Their "No-Name Defense" shut out the Redskins in Super Bowl VII until the final 2 minutes and they managed to hold on for a 14-7 win.

16-0.

Perfect.

And the title, deserved or not, as the greatest team ever.

This season the Patriots defeated 16 opponents whose combined records were 95-103 or a .479 winning percentage. Six of their games were against eventual playoff teams - San Diego (10-5), Dallas (13-2), Indianapolis (13-2), Pittsburgh (10-5), Washington (8-7) and New York (10-7). The Patriots defeated those six teams by a combined score of 234-116.

Along the way they ended up:
· 1st in total offense (411.2 yards per game to No. 2 Green Bay's 370.7).
· 1st in passing yards per game (295.7 to No. 2 Green Bay's 270.9).
· 1st in scoring offense (36.8 points per game to No. 2 Dallas' 28.4).
· 1st in yards per play (6.2 to No. 2 Green Bay's 6.0).
· 1st in TD passes (50 to No. 2 Dallas' 36).

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Now all of that is meaningless, as it is their next game that will matter most. The biggest Wildcard game question isn't something like, "How much will San Diego win by?" or "Can the Redskins keep rolling?"

Rather it's about who will come out of it to play the Patriots to see if they can go 17-0. As the top seed in the AFC, the Patriots will play the lowest remaining seed so that means their next opponents are going to be either the Steelers, Jaguars, or Titans.

Can any of those teams, or any team left in contention, mess up their run to immortality? Until they lose, that's the only question that matters isn't it?

Here we are at the end of the regular season, and the start of the post season. All of what has happened before and what will happen over the next month goes to settle this:

Who really is the greatest team in NFL history?

We won't know until after the Super Bowl - that is if the Patriots even make it that far. If they do, and if they win, despite both being "perfect," the Patriots 19-0 record sure sounds a lot better than the Dolphins miraculous 16-0.

Cheers - Gavin McDougald - AKA Couch

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