.... Brady's body language was the picture of this team's cautious wonderment. In some ways, it has become the defining characteristic of this team refusing the temptation to bathe in triumph. Rarely in the pursuit of exAcellence is there time for legitimate reflection. Do you think Michelangelo paused to bask in the accomplishment of the Sistine Chapel before putting the final touches on God's reach to Adam?
As Brady framed it at one point, "It's kind of a tricky game, because it really doesn't mean that much, but it means a lot."
Without the Lombardi Trophy and Super Bowl ring to accompany it, 16-0 is little more than the glittery Fabergé Egg of NFL accomplishments. It's beautiful on the outside – seemingly priceless – but still hollow. The Patriots know this, which is why when Saturday's dramatic come-from-behind win was over, the hugs came and went quickly. You didn't catch Patriots coach Bill Belichick jumping into the arms of his assistant coaches, or Brady holding his head in disbelief. Safety Rodney Harrison wasn't crying. Those are the images reserved for Super Bowls, which is why Brady followed a sentence like "This happens once every 35 years" with "We'll celebrate for a couple days and get back to work."
So next comes the logical question: What do we know about the Patriots at 16-0 that we didn't know before Saturday? Undoubtedly, there isn't another team in the league that can match New England's knack for seizing a game at a moment's notice. As impressive as the Patriots' blowouts were during the first half of the season, nothing has said more about the mettle of this team than the last eight games. Not only did New England withstand the vise-grip of possibly going 16-0, it survived despite all types of adversity. In places like Indianapolis and Baltimore and Saturday in the Meadowlands, and at home against Philadelphia, the Patriots proved they could play winning football from behind.
