The Pursuit of Perfection

The Boston Globe's Jim McCabe has a lengthy feature on the history of the quest for an undefeated NFL season, which of course the Patriots are pursuing but are still a long way from achieving. I think it is clear that the Patriots are far and away the most talented team in the league, and as their results indicate, the best. But as McCabe's article makes equally clear, even the most talented teams in NFL history have fallen short at some point. I would even argue that the one team that did accomplish the feat, the 1972 Dolphins, were not necessarily one of the truly great all-time teams, though just by virtue of that record they force their way into the conversation.