Looking Perfect Again

The New England Patriots are still rolling.

The supposedly resurgent Miami Dolphins were no problem for Tom Brady and company on “Thursday Night Football,” as the defending Super Bowl champs cruised to a 36-7 victory and a 7-0 record.

The talk of an undefeated season started long ago, but now it seems like a legitimate possibility. Could the only team in NFL history to finish a regular season at 16-0 do it again this year?

Brady sure looks like he’s up for the task, even behind the Patriots’ makeshift offensive line. Perhaps playing with a little extra incentive after DeflateGate, the superstar quarterback is putting up numbers comparable to the ones he registered during that historic 2007 regular season.

His completion percentage is identical so far (68.9) and his passer rating is practically the same (117.2 in 2008 and 115.8 this year). He’s lagging just a bit in the touchdown department (50 in 2008, 46 projected for this year), but Brady is on pace to throw for more yards (4,806 in 2008, a would-be league record 5,508 projected for this year) and fewer interceptions (eight in 2008, projected for two this year).

Now take a look at the Patriots’ remaining schedule: Washington, at New York Giants, Buffalo, at Denver, Philadelphia, Houston, Tennessee, at New York Jets and at Miami. There are a few potential stumbling blocks in the mix.

The Giants, of course, are the team that prevented New England from going 19-0 in 2007-08 with a win in Super Bowl XLII, although Eli Manning and company weren’t able to keep the Patriots from completing their perfect regular season just a couple weeks before that. And the Jets are playing well this year, giving the Pats all they could last Sunday before falling, 30-23.

And then there’s the Broncos, who are currently 6-0. Brady has won 11 of 16 matchups against Peyton Manning, going 3-1 since the former Colts quarterback moved to Denver. And, unlike Brady, Manning has been showing his age this year, throwing for more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (seven).

Putting aside everything else, Coach Bill Belichick and his team appear to be on a mission this year, like they did back in ’07. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they will pull it off.

What do you think? Can the Pats do it again?